James was born in Chorley in 1887 the son of William Livesey and his wife Ruth (née Kellet). His parents married in 1882, and James was the middle of their five children.

The 1891 Census shows the family living at 26 Steeley Lane, Chorley. His father William is a butcher by trade, born in Chorley in 1851. His mother, Ruth, was born in Chorley in 1854. He has 4 siblings listed: Frederick b.1884, Mary b.1885, Leo b.1889 and Harold b.1891. There is also a servant present in the household.

His brother, Harold, died in 1896 at the age of 6. 

The Census in 1901 shows the family are still at 26 Steeley Lane, Chorley. Both parents are present, William aged 50, and Ruth 48, as are James now shown as a scholar aged 13, his brother's Frederick 17, Leo 16 and his sister Mary 12.   

James married Leonora Elkes in Chorley in the first quarter of 1911. A daughter, Ivy, was born on 28th November 1911, and a second daughter, Agnes, on 27th January 1915. Soon after the marriage the couple moved to Doncaster, Yorkshire, where they are found on the 1911 census (taken on 02nd April), at 49 Baker Street.  James, 25, is a billiard saloon manager, Leonora is 26, born in Welshpool, Montgomeryshire.  Their daughter Ivy Mary was born in Doncaster on 28th October 1911.

His parents are still at 26 Steeley Lane. His father is 60, a butcher working on his own account at home, his mother is 58.  Son Leo, 22, is an under gardener.  Also in the household is daughter-in-law Hannah (wife of Frederick) and her two children.

Fred, 27, is found in Halifax, Yorkshire, as a traveling fairground stall holder.  Mary is married and living in Crown Street, Chorley, with her husband and daughter.

By 1914 James and Leonora had returned to Chorley.

He enlisted in Liverpool volunteering in late 1914 in the 19th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 24202. 

Formed on 07^th September 1914 the 19^th Battalion trained locally at Sefton Park and remained living at home or in rented accommodation until November 1914. They then moved to the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 19th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. 

His daughter Agnes was born in Chorley on 27th January 1915 while James was in training in Knowsley, Lancashire, about 25 miles away. 

He arrived in France with his battalion, disembarking at Boulogne on 07th November 1915.

James was killed in action on 30th July 1916 during the attack at Guillemont. He was 29 years of age. His CWGC record shows his date of death as 29th July 1916, however the 19th battalion diary does not record any casualties for that date. SDGW shows 30th July as does his pension card. This shows that his death was confirmed on 17th August, almost three weeks after he had been declared Missing. 

19^th Battalion Diary 30^th July 1916

MALTZ HORN FARM

BATTLE begun. ZERO hour 4:45 am. The Battalion reached its objective, but suffered heavy losses, and had to evacuate its position owing to no reinforcements.

Everard Wyrall gives details of the attack in his book The History of The King’s Regiment; 

"The 2nd Attack on Guillemont- 29th July 1916 the 89th Brigade the 20th King's were to attack on the right and the 19th on the left. During the evening of the 29th the night was dark and foggy when the Battalions moved off and the 19th with Lt Col G Rollo commanding, when passing the South east of the Briqueterie they were heavily shelled first with H E and then with a new kind of asphyxiating Gas shell which had curious results, at first it had no nasty effect but about 8 hrs later men began to fall sick with violent headaches and pains in the stomach. All ranks had to wear gas masks which in the darkness and mist made the going terribly difficult. It was indeed wonderful that they were able to reach their Assembly point at all. But they did and by 2.45 a.m. on the 30th July 1916 the Btn was assembled having suffered about 30 Casualties on the way up ready for the Zero hour at 4.45 a.m.

It is known that the two left Companies of the 19th under Capt. Dodd and Capt. Nicholson advanced in touch with the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on their left although they suffered many casualties from Machine gun Fire did not encounter many Germans and reached their final objective about the time allocated, beginning at once to dig in south of the orchard on the South east corner of Guillemont.  

On the left of the 19th the Scots Fusiliers most gallantly forced their way through Guillemont to the eastern side of the village but were soon overwhelmed by the enemy and few returned. 

At 8 a.m. finding that the village was not held the two left Companies of the 19th received no word from the rear or either flank believed themselves to be totally isolated so were forced to fall back and dig in, their position being untenable.

At midday the effective fighting strength of the 19th Btn was just 7 Officers and 43 other ranks" 

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30^th Division held a line from the railway on the eastern side of Trones Wood , southwards and including Arrow Head Copse, to east of Maltz Horn Farm. On this line the division was relieved by the 55^th Division during the early hours of the 31^st July.

Casualties in the 19^th Battalion were 11 Officers and 435 Other Ranks 

The events of 30^th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89^th Brigade written by Brigadier General Ferdinand Stanley which gives an indication of the events of the day.

Guillemont

Well the hour to advance came, and of all bad luck in the world it was a thick fog; so thick that you couldn’t see more than about ten yards. It was next to impossible to delay the attack – it was much too big an operation- so forward they had to go. It will give some idea when I say that on one flank we had to go 1,750 yards over big rolling country. Everyone knows what it is like to cross enclosed country which you know really well in a fog and how easy it is to lose your way. Therefore, imagine these rolling hills, with no landmarks and absolutely unknown to anyone. Is it surprising that people lost their way and lost touch with those next to them? As a matter of fact, it was wonderful the way in which many men found their way right to the place we wanted to get to. But as a connected attack it was impossible.

The fog was intense it was practically impossible to keep direction and parties got split up. Owing to the heavy shelling all the Bosches had left their main trenches and were lying out in the open with snipers and machine guns in shell holes, so of course our fellows were the most easy prey.

It is so awfully sad now going about and finding so many splendid fellows gone.   

James' body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and his name is recorded on the Thiepval Memorial.

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916. 

On 01st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”

James’ death was announced in the Preston Herald on 26th August 1916.

“Official intimation has been received by Mrs. Livesey, 3, Peel Street, Chorley, of the death in action on July 20th [sic] of her husband Pte. James Livesey (29), King’s Liverpool Regiment.  He leaves a widow and two children. He has two brothers serving, one in France and the other in Mesopotamia.”

His wife was, according to the Pension card, living at 7 Springfield Road, Chorley with her two young daughters.

Leonora received his Army pay and a War Gratuity of £7.

His widow Leonora received a pension of 18/6d per week for herself and two children. Leonora remarried in 1920 to William Hall in 1920.  She died out in Melbourne, Australia in 1964. 

His father appears to have died in 1918, aged 67, and his mother, aged 72, on the 13th May 1924.

James is commemorated on the Chorley Civic Memorial and in St. Mary’s R. C. Church, Chorley.

We currently have no further information on James Livesey. If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.