i6 Faradav, Correspondence of Licut.-Col. Philips. 



manager was Mr. Thomas Bell, a Scotchman, the original 

 inventor and patentee of the cylinder calico printing 

 process, the patent being dated November 17th, 1783. 

 Mr. Livesey, therefore, whose capital was instrumental in 

 founding this great industry in Lancashire, is entitled to 

 the regard of posterity, the more so as his venture, in the 

 end, turned out badly for himself. At first the Mosney 

 firm rapidly extended their works, and for some years 

 they did a flourishing trade, but a series of pecuniary 

 losses shook their credit, and in 1788 they became 

 bankrupt. John Livesey married Mary, the daughter of 

 Samuel Clowes, of Broughton Hall, Manchester, in 1772, 

 and had three sons and three daughters. Thomas Livesey 

 married, first, Miss Elizabeth Livesey, of Manchester, a 

 kinswoman, second, Miss Lydia Bancroft of the same 

 place. His sister, Alice, married in 1763, Mr. Henry 

 Sudell, of Blackburn. 



The Mosney Works was purchased by William 

 Assheton, of Cuerdale Hall, in 1792, and he sold it 

 to Richard Colrow, who built his house at Walton Lodge 

 from the bricks of the old building. The Liveseys had 

 bleach works at Bamber Bridge and a cotton mill at 

 Higher Walton. As a trader, it should be noted that 

 Mr. John Livesey had benefit of even the imperfect 

 bankruptcy law of that time, and his residence in the Isle 

 of Man should not be attributed, as Colonel Townley 

 said it must, to inability to pay his debts. Mr. Livesey 

 probably lived at Douglas for the same reason that Captain 

 Cable did — lack of sufficient means to live elsewhere. 

 There is little doubt that the aspersions upon his character 

 are foundationless, and viewed from this distance of time 

 he seems an attractive and simple-minded man. It should 

 not be forgotten that his venture at Mosney gained him 

 many enemies, especially among the more unprogressive 



