John Graves Livingston
| John Graves Livingston | |
|---|---|
| Born |
1812 Armagh |
| Died |
1902 Bristol |
| Official positions held: | |
| FR Co. Chairman | 04.01.1877 - 02.1893 |
| FR People | WHR People | |
John Graves Livingston (born John Graves Thompson), brother of Livingston Thompson, was born in Armagh in 1812. He was called to the bar in 1836, having trained at Trinity College, Dublin. He changed his name to John Graves Livingston on 12 May 1863 in honour of his maternal grandfather.
He joined his brother on the board of the Festiniog Railway Company in 1851. He succeeded Andrew Durham as Chairman on 4 January 1877, and resigned from the Chairmanship in February 1893, with his duties being taken on by John W. Elliott Sr. and resigned his directorship in 1899.
Not a great deal has been published about his activities on the FR Board but one can imagine that his main motivation was to grow the value of his family's investment in shares of the Festiniog Railway Company. Unlike his brother, Livingston, he did not achieve immortality by having a locomotive named after him but we can assume he had some involvement in that taking place. One incident published gives little illusion to the modern FR supporter that he was concerned to safeguard the independence of the railway. At a time in March 1877 when both the LNWR and GWR were striving to penetrate to Blaenau Ffestiniog he reports back on a meeting with Mr. Richard Moon, chairman of the LNWR:
- "Mr. Huddart and I had an interview with Mr Moon on Thursday. He wanted to know about the purchase of the Blaenau Line could we tell him if it were purchased by the GW or not, and seemed very desirous of joining us in the purchase of it. We knew no more about it than he did. He said they had petitioned against the pending bill but they had no locus standi (right to bring an action in court). I said that if they leased our line from us that would at once give them a locus. He laughed at the idea even sneeringly. I see they have not the smallest idea of taking our Line in any shape... ."[1]
At the time the FR Board were thinking of selling out by leasing the railway to one of the two big standard gauge railways for about £180,000.
He lived his later years in Bristol dying on 17th May 1902 and is buried in Shirehampton, Bristol. Bristol was a convenient place for an Irishman with a regular steam packet passenger service to Cork, Waterford (both twice weekly) and Dublin (once a week) until it was closed in 1908 as a result of the competition from the Great Western Railway at Fishguard.[2] [3] His house was Coombe House in Canford Lane, Westbury-on-Trym and has been since demolished but the lodge remains. There he lived somewhat the life of a country squire with some land, gardens and livestock. He then moved to Clifton. [4][5]
-
The home of the brother of Livingston Thompson (John Graves Livingston (born John Graves Thompson)) was Coombe House. This is the surviving lodge and the drive led through the gates on the left. The main house is long gone but the lodge survives as No 299 Canford Lane, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol. -
The second home of John Graves Livingston in Bristol was No. 24 Caledonia Place, Clifton. He moved here from Coombe Dingle. -
The headstone of John Graves Livingston and his wife's graves in plots 78 and 109 of Shirehamton Cemetery, Bristol.
The wording on the headstone is:
- In
- Loving Memory
- of
John Graves Livingston Esq.re
- Late of 24 Caledonia Place
- Clifton,
Who entered into rest May 17th 1902
- In his 91.st year.
- "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord
My soul shall be joyful in my God" Isa 61: 10
- Also of
- Sarah Henrietta Caroline
- Sophia
- Widow of the above
- And daughter of the Hon. A. G. Stuart
- Of Co. Tyrone, Ireland,
- Who died 23rd April 1910,
- In her 91st year.
"I am the resurrection and the life
Saith the Lord " St.John XI. v 25
See also[edit]
- Day Log/1868-08-28 AGM of company
- Personalities
- Directors, Festiniog Railway Company
- Chairmen, Festiniog Railway Company
References[edit]
- ^ Jones Chris (2022) Tren Bach y Llan Ffestiniog, The Little Train to Llan Ffestioniog, Lightmoor Press, Unit 144B Lydney Trading Estate, Harbour Road, Lydney, Gloucestershire, GL15 4EJ, UK. p 82.
- ^ Bristol General Steam Navigation Company wikipedia page
- ^ Bristol General Steam Navigation Company (1851) January timetable
- ^ Peter Johnson "In search of Livingston Thompson and the Thompson family directors", Festiniog Railway Heritage Group Journal, Issue 130, page(s): 21-24
- ^ Johnson, Peter (2017). Festiniog Railway: The Spooner Era and After 1830 - 1920. Barnsley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 978-1-47382-728-8. OCLC 1003267038.