20 minute read
Preston’s Monument to its Trailblazing Temperance Campaigners
By Margaret Brecknell
Above: Preston Abstinence Memorial - Source: Tony Worrall Photography
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In Preston Cemetery there stands an impressive Gothic monument, which commemorates the achievements of the Preston men who founded the Temperance Movement. The inscription on it reads “Erected 1859 to commemorate the origin in Preston of total abstinence from all intoxicating liquor”. The story of this intriguing relic of the Victorian age and the movement which it commemorates is still worth recalling today.
The Preston Temperance Movement dates back to September 1832 when seven men signed a pledge “to refrain from all liquor of an intoxicating quality, whether they be ale, porter, wine or ardent spirits, except as medicine” at a meeting held at the old Cockpit on Stoneygate in the town. A Temperance Society had been established in Preston earlier that same year. Part of a social movement which had originated in the United States during the 1820s, these societies, whose original aim was to encourage people to moderate their consumption of alcohol, were becoming increasingly popular in the UK too. 162
The reference in the Preston pledge to “all liquor” is significant, reflecting a change in stance on the part of the seven signatories. Many of the earlier temperance campaigners had tended to focus on the need to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed rather than abstaining from it completely. Others had campaigned on one particular social problem such as the issues caused by excessive beer drinking in working class men. Now “the seven men of Preston”, as they came to be known, were signing what was effectively the first teetotal pledge of its kind anywhere in the world.
So new was this concept that the word “teetotal” didn’t even exist at the time the pledge was signed. The story goes that the word was coined the following year when at a meeting of the Preston Temperance Society a speaker called Richard Turner struggled over the word “total” because of a speech impediment.
Those seven early trailblazers were soon joined by many more. By March 1834 the Preston Chronicle was reporting that the Preston Temperance Society’s membership had risen to nearly three thousand people, of whom some six hundred had pledged to abstain totally “from all intoxicating fluids” for the next twelve months. The concept of teetotalism was already spreading further afield by this juncture too.
The Preston group’s prime mover was Joseph Livesey, a charismatic local man with a gift for public speaking. Born in March 1794 at Walton-le-Dale near Preston, Livesey spent his early working life as a weaver. He moved to Preston following his marriage in 1815. The next year he is said to have realised the money to be made in the cheese trade after being advised by a doctor to eat a little cheese to help with an ailment from which he was suffering. He borrowed a sovereign from a family friend to purchase his first cheese and began what soon proved to be a highly successful business.
Livesey was quite a wealthy individual by the time he became involved with the temperance movement, but as a self-made man from a working-class background he was seemingly able to connect with the poorer members of society, whom earlier campaigners had tended to bypass. His charitable work was not merely confined to the temperance movement. He was also instrumental in the establishment in 1828 of a new educational facility in Preston, the impressively named Institute for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. This later became known as the Harris Institute and now forms part of the University of Central Lancashire.
For over fifty years, right up to his death in September 1884, Livesey toured the country giving lectures on the subject of teetotalism. He was also a prodigious writer. He owned his own printing press and over the course of his lifetime must have circulated millions of magazines www.lancmag.com
Above: Joseph Livesey
Above: The Victorian Temperance Institute building, Southport - Source: ©McCormick French / Shutterstock.com
and pamphlets on the dangers of alcohol and the arguments in favour of teetotalism, as well as the other social issues with which he was concerned. In addition to teetotalism, he was later in life an early exponent of vegetarianism.
The other six men to sign the abstinence pledge on that September day in 1832 are named as John Gratix, Edward Dickinson, John Broadbelt, John Smith, David Anderton and John King.
Of these the last named, John King, is probably the best remembered today. According to an account by Joseph Livesey in his Reminiscences of Early Teetotalism, he had spotted King walking past his cheese shop nine days before the meeting at the Cockpit and had asked him then and there to sign a pledge of total abstinence. King agreed and this incident effectively makes him the first person ever to sign up to teetotalism, several days earlier than anyone else. In later life King left Preston and worked for many years as station master at Ainsdale near Southport, but remained a committed campaigner for the cause of temperance throughout his life.
By the late 1850s the Preston Temperance Society had purchased its own premises on North Road and the movement was flourishing, with hundreds of similar societies operating throughout the country. The Preston teetotallers took much pride from the fact that the move towards total abstinence had begun in their own backyard. Joseph Livesey, whose uncanny knack for finding the right phrase would be the envy of any modern marketing guru, memorably called Preston “the Jerusalem of teetotalism”. As with any success story, however, inevitably in time other parties came forward to claim the credit of starting the movement for themselves.
At a meeting of the Preston Committee in early 1858 it was resolved to purchase a plot at Preston Cemetery with room for eight graves “so that those who had laboured together for the cause of temperance in life might lie together in death”. Permission was also sought and granted by the town’s Burial Board to erect a monument above the burial plot. It was hoped that the monument would become a focal point for commemorating the origins of teetotalism in Preston.
The official inauguration ceremony for the “teetotal monument”, as it was then known, was held at Preston Cemetery on 22nd April 1859. The memorial’s designer was Preston architect James Hibbert, who is best remembered today for his work on the Harris Museum. The Preston Chronicle reports how the ceremony was preceded “by a procession of a very large and interesting character, which was formed at the Temperance Hall whence it immediately proceeded to the cemetery in conjunction with a band of music”. Several speakers addressed the crowd which gathered at the cemetery. One, the Reverend John Guttridge, urged the teetotallers to swear at their monument “eternal vengeance against intoxicating drink”.
The monument is surrounded by memorial stones to members of the temperance movement who were laid to rest there. These include Joseph Livesey himself, as well as other notables such as Mary Graham, known as “Temperance Mary” and the “Queen of the Teetotallers” because of her devotion to the cause. Another stone commemorates Edward Grubb, a Preston tailor by trade who later trained for the law and used his considerable debating and oratory skills to spread the message of teetotalism across the whole country. In later life he moved to Harrogate where he died and was buried in January 1891, but he was held in such high regard by the movement that a copy of his gravestone was also erected in his hometown.
In September 1932 some two thousand people from all over the country gathered at the memorial in Preston Ceremony to commemorate the centenary of the day on which “the Preston seven” had first signed the pledge. Laurel crowns were placed on the memorial, as well as on the stone marking Joseph Livesey’s final resting place.
Today the temperance movement has been largely forgotten, so it was pleasing to learn in 2018 that the Preston Abstinence Memorial had been granted Grade II listed status after being nominated in a campaign by Historic England to find under-appreciated memorials from the country’s past. It is all too easy today to dismiss the abstinence campaigners of the past as killjoys, intent on ruining the ability of the North-West’s workers to enjoy a drink or two after a hard day’s graft in the mill. However, the movement sought to highlight some of the very real social problems caused by excessive drinking in all classes of society. As the issues caused by the easy availability of cheap alcohol, particularly among the young, are again being increasingly debated today, it seems timely to remember the memorial erected in honour of those vigorous campaigners from the past.
Hay Fever Hacks
by Airborne Allergens Expert, Max Wiseberg
Remember last month I talked about the hay fever first aid kit? If you missed it, I suggested creating a hay fever first aid kit with one or more natural products such as HayMax, only one antihistamine, only one nasal spray and something for the eyes such as Optrex or Eyebright if you prefer to stay drug-free. But in addition to that, there are more things you can try – if they’re practical for you – which have been known to help people. Try these hay fever hacks…
Many people may be unaware of just how much their hay fever is impacting on their sleep, which goes on to affect their work, study or school the next day. However preventing pollen getting into the bedroom and into your body, together with a simple night time routine could lessen your symptoms and help improve your sleep.
A good start is to keep your bedroom windows and door closed to prevent pollen blowing into the room. If this makes the room too hot, consider using an air filter/purifier with a HEPA (High Efficiency Particle Arresting) filter to capture the pollen and dust particles, and cool and circulate the air. Vacuum the bedroom regularly, including the bed, curtains and other fabrics to remove pollen particles. Damp dust surfaces; damp dusting removes pollen particles without dispersing them into the air where they can be breathed in. And keep blankets and cuddly toys in a cupboard to prevent the build-up of allergens on them.
Wearing a cap or hat and tying up long hair will prevent pollen being trapped in your hair and wraparound sunglasses will help protect your eyes from pollen.
A healthy diet can also help. Eating healthily helps to keep our respiratory system strong. Some foods such as ginger or fresh basil, ease blocked nasal passages, helping us to breathe more easily, whilst others, such as spinach and almonds, contain nutrients that can help boost our immune systems and help our bodies fight sinus and respiratory infections which are linked to allergies and hay fever.
A Mediterranean diet is recommended as it is high in antioxidants which are immune-boosting. A study published in the journal Thorax found that Crete islanders who ate a Mediterranean diet had fewer allergy-related symptoms. They noted that diet staples such as nuts, grapes, oranges, apples and fresh tomatoes were protective against wheezing and nasal allergy symptoms[1] .
REFERENCE:
[1] https://thorax.bmj.com/content/62/8/677
Drink responsibly. Reduce the amount of alcohol you drink. Beer, wine and spirits all contain histamine, the chemical that sets off allergy symptoms in your body. In addition to making you more sensitive to pollen, alcohol also dehydrates you, making your symptoms seem worse
Ensure your pet doesn’t make your hay fever worse! If you own a pet then ensure that it is well groomed and shampooed as much as possible to remove pollen particles, and keep it out of the room in which you sleep.
Plant hay fever friendly flowers in your garden! Go for double flowers. These often have petals instead of pollen parts. Double headed chrysanthemums are good and there are many others. You can now get lots of pollen free varieties, so you won’t have so much of a heavy pollen load to set you off, plus you’ll be able to enjoy your garden more. WIN-WIN!
I hope these ideas are helpful to you – do let us know. I’ll be back next month with more info. Have a great month!
Colour and Style
Our section on Colour and Style with Sarah Harris from ‘Colour Me Beautiful’
I’m Sarah Harris and I’m a Colour and Style Consultant who trained with Colour Me Beautiful the world’s leading Image consultants. My background is in fashion and after leaving school at 16 I travelled to London to work as a Fashion/photographic model, I enjoyed the life and it allowed me to travel the world, during my career I also worked in wholesale/retail within the fashion industry. I learnt all about fabrics, business, international companies and trying all those clothes on – the quality, cut and fabric. I took a break from the business when I married and had our two children. I retrained as an Image consultant with Colour Me Beautiful who have been changing the lives of women and men for over 35 years.
I’d like to inspire you with Colour, Style and Skincare tips every month, I’m hoping to give you an interesting read. If there is something that you would like to know about please email me and I will do my best to help.
Email: sarah@sarahharrisstyle.co.uk www.sarahharrisstyle.co.uk
July is here and the sun is shining! Can you imagine opening the door to your wardrobe and everything is hanging spaced out, clean and you can see your clothes! I would like to help you create this wardrobe for yourself and with this in mind this month I’m looking at Capsule Wardrobes. Did you know that if you create a capsule wardrobe you will save time and as you know time is very precious. I have used my own wardrobe as an example. Every season I look at my wardrobe and rearrange it so that everything I need is ready for me to wear. We have talked about de-cluttering and cleaning items of clothing but we also need to consider space. If your wardrobe is only small I find that it is a good idea to pack away any winter items that you will not wear during the hot summer months, either in vacuum packs or in a suitcase, although you always need to keep a couple of jumpers and maybe one coat, as England can have some cold days and evenings! Clever organising of space makes it easier on the eye and mind. They say a cluttered mind blocks advancement, well I feel the same with a wardrobe!
What tempts you when you go shopping? The display, the way clothes hang and co-ordinate? Yes we are strange creatures as when we see something set out nice we are enticed to it. How can you make your wardrobe exciting ? I usually decide the collection of clothes that I am going to wear, if I need to purchase anything it will have to fit in with what I already have and often I will exchange it for an item that needs updating. That will be packed off to the charity shop or recycled. I will have 2 pairs of trousers, 2/3 dresses, 3 or 4 blouses, 2/3 t shirts, 3/4 jackets, 2 jumpers/cardigans. Accessories that mix and match. Usually 2 pairs of casual shoes and 2 dressy and a pair of sandals. A bag, hat and several scarves of different sizes.
My Capsule Wardrobe
2 x Camisole/T-Shirt 2 x Jumpers 3 x Jackets 2 x Dresses 2 x Trousers 3 x Shirts/Blouse 2 x Scarves 1 x Coat 1 x Bag 1 x Pair of Trainers 2 x Pairs of Shoes 1 x Pair of Sandals 1 x Hat
There are so many things you can wear with blue trousers and these are this season’s Midnight Blue from Captain Tortue.
Picture 1. I’m wearing them with a navy and white striped shirt from next, the navy jacket which I have had for 5 years bought from Zara in Portugal is such a great shape and works with so many other items. The pink shoes give a pop of colour to the outfit.
Midnight Blue Trousers - Captain Tortue, Soft White & Navy Shirt - Next, Ecru Camisole - Captain Tortue, Navy Blazer - Zara (5 years ago), Pink Shoes - Faith (3 years ago). Picture 2. Worn with a pink blouse from River Island, which I bought a few seasons ago, looks great teamed with my royal blue jacket again 3 or 4 years old from Zara in Portugal. The necklace adds interest and again great with the hot pink shoes!
Midnight Blue Trousers - Captain Tortue, Pink Blouse - River Island (past season) Royal Blue Jacket - Zara (past season), Necklace - market in Silves, Portugal, Pink Shoes - Faith (past season). Picture 3. On a cooler day this white jumper is great over the pink blouse as it is a good cotton fabric with the necktie of the blouse showing. The beret adds colour and style.
Midnight Blue Trousers - Captain Tortue, Pink Blouse - River Island (past season), White Jumper - J. Crew @Debenhams (past season), Pink Shoes - Faith (past season), Pink Beret - Ruby & Daisy www. rubyanddaisy.co.uk (past season). Picture 4. Trousers look great with a dress and I wear my zebra print dress over them with a simple t shirt/camisole. The necklace and belt add detail and the bag with the red scarf again for a pop of colour!
Midnight Blue Trousers - Captain Tortue, Ecru camisole - Captain Tortue, Black Belt - River Island (past season), Necklace - Sassy Chic, White Trainers - Nike Air, Bag c Principles @Debenhams (past season), Silk Scarf - Ralph Lauren (past season).
3 Ways with White Trousers
White cropped trousers are great for summer. Picture 5. I’ve added a white camisole and sapphire Broderie Anglaise shirt which I simply tied to give a holiday feel, worn with the royal blue jacket as you can’t rely on the weather! The sandals are platforms and very comfortable yet stylish.
White Trousers - Zara Woman (past season), Ecru Camisole - Captain Tortue, Sapphire Shirt - Captain Tortue (past season), White Wedges - Clarks (past season), Royal Blue Jacket - Zara (past season). Picture 6. By adding the stripped shirt and a few necklaces you change the look, giving it a more relaxed feel.
White Trousers - Zara Woman (past season), Ecru Camisole - Captain Tortue, Soft White & Navy Shirt - Next, White Wedges - Clarkes (past season).
Picture 7. Here I’ve added a hot pink jumper and pink shoes to give it a really casual but eye catching look.
White Trousers - Zara Woman (past season), White & Navy Shirt - Next, Pink Jumper - J.Crew @Debenhams (past season), Pink Shoes - Faith
Black & White Zebra Print Dress and Royal Blue Dress
BLACK & WHITE ZEBRA PRINT DRESS
Picture 8. Worn simply with a smart belt, simple court shoes, necklace and casual jacket.
Black & White Zebra Print Dress - Marks and Spencers (last season), Ecru Zipped Denim Jacket - Captain Tortue, Black Court Shoes - New Look (past season) Black Belt - River Island (past season) Necklace - Sassy Chic www.sassychicclub. bigcartel.com.
Picture 9. By changing the footwear to trainers it makes the look very casual and the pop of pink in the beret gives a fun look.
Black & White Dress - Marks and Spencers (last season), White Jumper - J.Crew @Debenhams (past season), Pink Beret - Ruby & Daisy, White Trainers - Nike Air. BLUE COAT Picture 10. Blue dress worn here with the royal blue jacket, simple necklace and hot pink shoes.
Blue Dress - Zara (past season), Royal Blue Jacket - Zara (past season), Pink Shoes - Faith (past season).
Picture 11. By adding a scarf instead of a jacket it gives a different feel to the look. You don’t have to make an outfit look completely different, especially if you like it, however, just one simple change can make a difference.
Blue Dress with Hot Pink Scarf - Colour Me Beautiful.
Picture 12. The Blue coat is always part of my wardrobe in the UK as you can never be too sure of the weather. It is great as it will go with everything that I have. I bought it last season as I loved the colour and know that I will wear it!
Royal Blue Coat - Star by Julien Macdonald@ Debenhams, Midnight Blue Trousers - Captain Tortue, Ivory Macramé & Ladder Stitch T-Shirt - Captain Tortue, Black Court Shoes - New Look (past season).
REFERENCES
• Ecru Camisole - Captain Tortue www.sarahharrisstyle.co.uk • Blue Shirt - Captain Tortue • Blue/Soft White Striped Shirt - Next www.next.co.uk • White Jumper - J.Crew www.debenhams.co.uk • Royal Blue Jacket - Zara www.zara.com • Navy Jacket - Zara www.zara.com • Royal Blue Coat - Julien Macdonald @Debenhams • White Trousers - Zara www.zara.com • Midnight Blue Trousers - Captain Tortue • Blue Dress - Zara www.zara.com • Black & White Dress - Marks and Spencer www.marksandspencer.com • Pink Shoes - Faith @Debenhams www.debenhams.co.uk • White/Grey Sandals - Clarks www.clarks.co.uk • Black Court Shoes - New Look www.newlook.com • White Trainers - Nike Air www.nike.com • Hot Pink Scarf - Colour Me Beautiful www.sarahharrisstyle.co.uk • Ivory T-Shirt - Captain Tortue • Hot Pink Beret - Ruby & Daisy www.rubyanddaisy.co.uk So there’s my seasons capsule wardrobe! Most items are past season, however, they are good items that are well made and last.
Some of the items are in stock this season from Captain Tortue a French collection that I hold as a stylist and if you are interested in any of these items please let me know. I hope that this will encourage you to build a seasonal capsule wardrobe and if you need any help please let me know. Remember everyone’s style is different, we all have our individual personalities and next month I will be looking at some of them.
Enjoy creating your capsule wardrobe! Look after yourselves and each other! Warm Wishes, Sarah x
