On this day … 23 August 1832

According to Anthony Hewitson in his History of Preston, the first total abstinence pledge was signed in Joseph Livesey’s cheese shop on Church Street, nine days before the famous seven signatories pledged their commitment to abstinence at the meeting in the Cockpit in Stoneygate.

Hewitson described how Livesey, who had been born in Walton-le-Dale:

‘… had a discussion at his place of business … with another Waltonian, named John King (who had been an intemperate man) on what was, at that time, a very vexed question – the superiority of Teetotalism over Moderation. The interview ended in Mr. Livesey drawing up a Teetotal pledge, and after obtaining King’s signature to it, he added his own.’

In fact, it cannot have been a ‘teetotal’ pledge, because Dicky Turner, who is credited with inventing the word, did not use it until after he had signed the pledge, which he did in the October.

It is not known whether the wording of that cheese shop pledge was the same as the famous one presented at the Cockpit meeting. Both Livesey and King signed that pledge, along with five others. That pledge read ‘We agree to abstain from all liquors of an intoxicating quality, whether ale porter wine, or ardent spirits, except as medicine’.

The total abstinence pledge was officially adopted at the first annual meeting of the Preston Temperance Society, although members could still sign a moderate abstinence pledge if they chose, meaning they would only take alcohol in moderation. At the next year’s meeting, members further pledged not to give intoxicating drinks to others.

The final version of the pledge was agreed at the third annual meeting, at which the moderation pledge was abandoned. The final pledge read:

‘I do voluntarily promise that I will abstain from Ale, Porter, Wine, ardent Spirits, and all intoxicating Liquors, and will not give nor offer them to others, except as medicines, or in a religious ordinance.’

Joseph Livesey adopted an even more stringent rule for himself, refusing to take any medicine that contained alcohol, even when urged to do so by his doctor during a bout of illness, as he recounts in his autobiography.

‘Dr. Clowes was my medical adviser, and having attended upon me for some time my case was becoming serious, and one morning … he said: —”I know your principles, that you have a strong objection to stimulants, but I feel it my duty to be candid and to say that unless you consent I should not like to be responsible for the consequences.”

‘In reply, I answered—”Well, what is it you wish me to take?” He said—”I should recommend a little brandy, but perhaps in your case claret might answer”.’

Livesey was having none of it, and resolutely continued to abstain

‘I said to myself—”If need be I am prepared to die, but I am not prepared to bring a scandal upon the good cause for which I have laboured so hard;” and this resolve I should repeat again if I were placed under similar circumstances.’

In spite of the lack of medicinal brandy or claret, Livesey recovered:

‘I did not fail afterwards to “chaff” the doctor about my refusing to take any of his stimulants; I said—”If I had taken your claret, you would have repeated it all around that Mr. Livesey, notwithstanding his teetotalism, was obliged to take alcoholic liquor, and that it had saved his life, but as I did not take it—depending upon nature and assisted by water—and have recovered, you are quiet and say nothing”.’

According to Livesey, the doctor went on to become a ‘sound teetotaller’ himself.

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Sources
Hewitson’s History of Preston
Chapter 17 of Livesey’s autobiography