Dictionary of National Biography, 1912 supplement/Livesey, George Thomas
LIVESEY, Sir GEORGE THOMAS (1834–1908), promoter of labour co-partnership, born at Islington on 8 April 1834, was the eldest of three children of Thomas Livesey (1806-1871) by his wife Ellen Hewes (1806-1886). His father, at first in the employ of the Gas Light and Coke Company, in Brick Lane, Shorditch, was from 1839 till his death chief clerk and secretary of the South Metropolitan Gas Company, and inaugurated many reforms in the status of the workmen, starting a sick fund in 1842 and a superannuation fund in 1855. A younger brother, Frank (1844-1899), was chief engineer of the same company from 1882 to 1899.
George at the age of fourteen entered the South Metropolitan Gas Company, and gradually became expert in all branches of gas technics and soon devised many improvements in its manufacture and purification. He was made assistant manager in 1857, engineer in 1862, and on his father's death in October 1871 was appointed to the dual post of engineer and secretary. In that position he continued the beneficent policy inaugurated by his father towards the company's workmen, who thenceforth received, for example, an annual week's holiday with double pay. He became in 1882 a director and in 1885 chairman of the board. Under Livesey's long and energetic control the company prospered greatly. From 1862, when he became engineer, to his death in 1908 the annual gas output of the company rose from 350 million to 12,520 million cubic feet. Gradually the company absorbed almost all the London gas companies south of the Thames.
An engineer of great ability and originality, Livesey soon enjoyed a world-wide reputation on matters connected with the gas-industry; the modern design of gas-holders is based upon his models. But it was in the economic organisation of industry that Livesey's chief work was done. After adopting in 1876 the principle of the sliding scale, whereby a decrease or increase in the price of gas to consumers regulated inversely the shareholders' dividends, Livesey proved his growing faith in the community of all industrial interests by admitting in 1886 officers and foremen to a share in the profits along with consumers and shareholders. In 1889, a year of much labour unrest, of which the dockers' strike was the first outcome, Livesey felt that the time was ripe to inaugurate a system which he had long had in his mind of profit-sharing among his workmen. The national union of gas-workers with other trade unions opposed Livesey's policy, to which he resolutely adhered. In the result the unions ordered a strike in December, but after two months Livesey won a costly victory (5 Feb. 1890). Livesey's workmen were ultimately unanimous in favour of his plan, and in spite of opposition from trade unions outside, his system was permanently adopted, with very satisfactory results. In 1894 mere profit-sharing was replaced by the capitalising of the workmen's bonus ; the workmen became shareholders, and entered into a well-considered scheme of labour co-partnership. Livesey's proposal for the betterment of industrial conditions culminated, after some struggle with the shareholders, in the election by the employees of two workmen shareholders to seats on the board of directors on 28 Oct. 1898. Two years later the salaried staff elected one of their number to the board. The innovation was fully justified by its success. In 1906 a record bonus of 9¾ per cent, was paid on wages and salaries ; in 1910 nearly 5500 employees had more than 340,000l. invested in the company, and three of the number had seats on the board of ten directors. Subsequently all the London gas companies and a number of provincial gas companies accepted Livesey's industrial system. Thus Livesey by his strong personality, excellent judgment, and organising capacity, did much to promote industrial stability.
Livesey sat on the Labour Commission of 1891-4. He was also a member in 1906 of the war office committee for the employment of ex-soldiers. He was a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers (councillor 1906), of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, of the Institution of Gas Engineers, and many kindred societies. He was knighted in June 1902, on the coronation of King Edward VII. Livesey was a keen churchman, and contributed generously to religious and philanthropic movements. He erected in 1890, at his own cost, the 'Livesey' library, Old Kent Road, the first public library in Caraberwell.
Livesey died at his residence, Shagbrook, Reigate, on 4 Oct. 1908 ; 7000 working men attended his burial in Nunhead cemetery. He married in 1859 Harriet, daughter of George and Harriet Howard ; she died in 1909 without issue.
A portrait of Livesey (in oils) by W. M. Palin, presented in 1890 by the shareholders, is in the board room of the South Metropolitan Gas Co., Old Kent Road ; a bronze statue by F. W. Pomeroy, A.R.A., subscribed for by shareholders and employees, was erected in 1910 in front of the company's offices, and was unveiled by Lord Grey on 8 Doc. 1911. The Livesey MemoriaI Hall, erected in his memory on the premises of the South Suburban Gas Company at Lower Sydenham, was opened on 18 Aug. 1911. In May 1910 the 'Livesey professorship of coal gas and fuel industries' was founded at Leeds University, the endowment fund of 10,700l. being raised by subscriptions of gas engineers and manufacturers.
[Engineering, 9 Oct. 1908; Journal of Gas Lighting, 6 Oct. 1908; Gas World. 10 Oct. 1908; The Times, 2 Jan. 1897, 17 Feb. 1898. 5 Oct. 1908; Proc. Inst. Civil Engineers, 1907-8, vol. clxxiv. pt. iv.; Proc. Inst. Mech. Engineers. 1908; Trans. Inst. Gas Engineers, 1908; Edinburgh Review, April 1909; H. D. Lloyd, Labour Co-partnership, New York, 1898. ch. x. pp. 191-213 (summarised in N. P. Oilman's A Dividend to Labour, Boston, 1899, pp. 317-323); David F. Schloss, Methods of Industrial Remuneration, 3rd edit. 1898, pp. 358–9; R. H. I. Palgrave, Dict. of Political Economy, vol. iii.. Appendix, 1908, arts. Co-partnership and Profitsharing; Report on Gain Sharing, Bd. of Trade (Labour Department), c. 7848, 1895; numerous arts, by Livesey in Co partnership Journal publ. by South Metropolitan Gas Company, vols. i.–v. (1904–8); papers by Livesey in Proc. Brit. Assoc, of Gas Managers, Trans. Gas Institute, and Trans. Inst. Gas Engineers; private information.]