George Livermore
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George Livermore (July 10, 1809 – August 30, 1865) was an American
antiquarian An antiquarian or antiquary () is an fan (person), aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifact (archaeology), artifac ...
,
bibliographer Bibliography (from and ), as a discipline, is traditionally the academic study of books as physical, cultural objects; in this sense, it is also known as bibliology (from ). English author and bibliographer John Carter describes ''bibliography ...
, and historian, known chiefly as a book collector. He developed in his lifetime what was recognized as one of the finest private libraries in the United States and his library included many rare and one-of-a-kind bibles like some printed by
Johannes Gutenberg Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg (; – 3 February 1468) was a German inventor and Artisan, craftsman who introduced letterpress printing to Europe with his movable type, movable-type printing press. Though not the first of its ki ...
. Livermore owned twenty-six volumes (almost a complete set) of the Massachusetts Historical Society’s Collections. He wrote newspaper articles from time to time.
Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...
awarded Livermore an honorary
Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
, although he dropped out of school at the age of fourteen.


Early life

Livermore was born July 10, 1809, at
Cambridgeport, Massachusetts Cambridgeport is one of the neighborhoods of Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is bounded by Massachusetts Avenue, the Charles River, the Grand Junction Railroad, and River Street. The neighborhood contains predominantly residential homes, many of the ...
. His parents were Deacon Nathaniel Livermore and Elizabeth (Gleason) Livermore. His English ancestor, John Livermore, who emigrated from
Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England, of which it is the county town. The town is located in East Anglia about away from the mouth of the River Orwell and the North Sea. Ipswich is both on the Great Eastern Main Line r ...
, England, to the United States in 1634, settled in
Watertown, Massachusetts Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, and is part of Greater Boston. The population was 35,329 in the 2020 census. Its neighborhoods include Bemis, Coolidge Square, East Watertown, Watertown Square, and the West End. Watertown ...
, and was believed to be the progenitor for the Livermore family members in the United States. Livermore attended both
public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...
and private elementary schools at Cambridgeport. He pursued college-prep courses in addition to the normal elementary school courses. One of his private school classmates was the poet
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. (; August 29, 1809 – October 7, 1894) was an American physician, poet, and polymath based in Boston. Grouped among the fireside poets, he was acclaimed by his peers as one of the best writers of the day. His most fa ...
. Others at his school included Richard H. Dana and
Margaret Fuller Sarah Margaret Fuller (May 23, 1810 – July 19, 1850), sometimes referred to as Margaret Fuller Ossoli, was an American journalist, editor, critic, translator, and women's rights advocate associated with the American transcendentalism movemen ...
. He began to purchase books from Boston sales in his spare time.


Mid-life and career

For reasons of health, in 1823, at the age of fourteen, Livermore decided to go directly into the workplace rather than attending college. He left school and went to work with his older brothers, Isaac and Marshall. They were merchants at Cambridgeport, where they ran a store. The only additional schooling Livermore had was in 182728, when he was 18 years old. He took some courses in English and Latin at
Deerfield Academy Deerfield Academy is an elite coeducational preparatory school in Deerfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1797, it is one of the oldest secondary schools in the United States. It is a member of the Eight Schools Association, the Ten Schools Admissi ...
. In 1829 Livermore went to
Waltham, Massachusetts Waltham ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, and was an early center for the labor movement as well as a major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, th ...
, some miles away, and became a dry-goods clerk and salesman in a store for a year. He returned to Cambridge in 1830 and went to work in his father's shop making fancy soaps. In the latter part of 1830, the owner of the dry-goods store asked Livermore to return, offering higher pay. Livermore accepted the offer and returned to Waltham. In the spring of 1831, the owner of the dry-goods store offered Livermore a two-year lease to operate the business on his own. With encouragement from his friends, he took the opportunity to operate this business and started officially in April 1831. Livermore ran the business with profit for the two years and returned the business to the original owner as per the lease agreement. Since he had never left the state of Massachusetts, he decided to do some traveling in 1833. Livermore went first to Maine, then New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. While returning to Massachusetts, he went to
West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...
and
Saratoga, New York } Saratoga is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 5,141 at the 2000 census. It is also the commonly used, but not official, name for the neighboring and much more populous city, Saratoga Springs. The major villa ...
. On his travels to Washington D.C., he visited the US President and spent a day at
Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is on ...
, the estate of
George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
. Livermore was employed in the shoe and leather business in Boston in 1834. He traveled extensively for work. In the winter of 183435, he traveled to New Orleans for several weeks. In 1838 he went into partnership with his older brother Isaac as wool merchants. This afforded him the means to collect more books, as his diary showed. He enjoyed books throughout his life and collected them from an early age. He obtained books on history, antiquities, biblical studies, and the history of printing and book binding. By 1841 he owned twenty-six volumes (almost a complete set) of the Massachusetts Historical Society’s Collections and
John Winthrop John Winthrop (January 12, 1587/88 – March 26, 1649) was an English Puritan lawyer and one of the leading figures in founding the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the second major settlement in New England following Plymouth Colony. Winthrop led t ...
's "
History of New England New England is the oldest clearly defined region of the United States, being settled more than 150 years before the American Revolution. The first English colony in New England, Plymouth Colony, was established in 1620 by Pilgrims fleeing religi ...
". He had developed, what was recognized at the time, as one of the finest
private libraries A private library is a library that is privately owned. Private libraries are usually intended for the use of a small number of people, or even a single person. As with public libraries, some people use bookplates – stamps, stickers or ...
in the United States. By 1850 he had some 3,000 books which he significantly increased over the next 15 years of his lifetime. Livermore wrote articles for newspapers; for instance, in 1849 he wrote a series in the "Cambridge Chronicle"' on the ''
New England Primer ''The New England Primer'' was the first reading primer designed for the American colonies. It became the most successful educational textbook published in 17th-century colonial United States and it became the foundation of most schooling befo ...
'' that were gathered together and published for private distribution in 1850. In 1849, he wrote an article for the ''
Christian Examiner ''The Christian Examiner'' was an American periodical published between 1813 and 1869. History and profile Founded in 1813 as ''The Christian Disciple'', it was purchased in 1814 by Nathan Hale. His son Edward Everett Hale later oversaw publicati ...
'' on Strickland’s ''History of the American Bible Society''. In 1850, he wrote an article in the ''
North American Review The ''North American Review'' (NAR) was the first literary magazine in the United States. It was founded in Boston in 1815 by journalist Nathan Hale and others. It was published continuously until 1940, after which it was inactive until revived a ...
'' on
public libraries A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also civil servants. There are five fundamenta ...
. In 1855 he created at his expense for private distribution a work titled ''A Tribute to the Memory of James Johnson, a Merchant of the Old School.'' In 1851, Livermore wrote an article for the ''
Cambridge Chronicle The ''Cambridge Chronicle'' is a weekly newspaper that serves Cambridge, Massachusetts. The newspaper was founded by Andrew Reid in May 1846 and is the oldest weekly newspaper in the United States.Cambridge Chronicle, May 30, 1996 Owned by Ganne ...
'' entitled ''John Wycliffe and the first English Bible'' which historian Charles Deane praised as an outstanding work of research. In August 1862 Livermore wrote a historical research pamphlet on the opinions of the
Founding Fathers of the United States The Founding Fathers of the United States, known simply as the Founding Fathers or Founders, were a group of late-18th-century American Revolution, American revolutionary leaders who United Colonies, united the Thirteen Colonies, oversaw the Am ...
of Negroes as slaves and as free citizens.
Charles Sumner Charles Sumner (January 6, 1811March 11, 1874) was an American statesman and United States Senator from Massachusetts. As an academic lawyer and a powerful orator, Sumner was the leader of the anti-slavery forces in the state and a leader of th ...
, the Republican senator from Massachusetts, presented
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
with a copy of Livermore's pamphlet in November 1862. The research work is thought by some historians to have influenced Lincoln's decision made between the issuance of the preliminary
emancipation proclamation The Emancipation Proclamation, officially Proclamation 95, was a presidential proclamation and executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the Civil War. The Proclamation changed the legal sta ...
on September 22, 1862, and the finalized law decree of the proclamation on January 1, 1863, to include endorsing the use of former slaves as soldiers in the Union Army. Livermore's research goes into detail as to attitudes of the country's Founding Fathers as to slavery showing that
George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
,
Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...
,
Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...
and the colonial principal leaders opposing the concept.


Church

Livermore's diary shows he participated in church activities throughout his life, including being a
Sunday school A Sunday school is an educational institution, usually (but not always) Christian in character. Other religions including Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism have also organised Sunday schools in their temples and mosques, particularly in the West. Su ...
teacher from time to time and writing hymns for Sunday school children. He bought various Bibles for his library book collection. About a quarter of his personal library consisted of Bibles or related Bible literature. One of these was a rare copy of '' Cromwell's Soldiers' Pocket Bible'' (1643). This Pocket Bible was a condensed version of the
Geneva Bible The Geneva Bible is one of the most historically significant translations of the Bible into English, preceding the King James Version by 51 years. It was the primary Bible of 16th-century English Protestantism and was used by William Shakespear ...
, containing chiefly war-related verses to inspire the troops, as well as provide moral guidance. Given the printing methods of the time, a complete Bible would have been too bulky for a soldier to carry. Livermore's copy of the 1643 Pocket Bible is one of two copies that have survived into the 21st century. The 16-page pamphlet was the first of many condensed versions of the Bible, a form that would become popular for use by military authorities and by individuals. There were only two copies of the bible in existence when Livermore's copy was sold out of his library for $1,000 in 1894 (). In 1838, Livermore obtained a copy of the Coverdale's Bible. Another example of a rare Bible he purchased was a 1478 Venice edition of the Latin
Vulgate The Vulgate (; also called (Bible in common tongue), ) is a late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. The Vulgate is largely the work of Jerome who, in 382, had been commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Gospels u ...
, once owned by
Pope Pius VI Pope Pius VI ( it, Pio VI; born Count Giovanni Angelo Braschi, 25 December 171729 August 1799) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1775 to his death in August 1799. Pius VI condemned the French Revoluti ...
(with his
coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...
on the cover). Livermore purchased a copy of the Geneva Bible from Rev. Dr. Homer's personal library in
Newton, Massachusetts Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is approximately west of downtown Boston. Newton resembles a patchwork of thirteen villages, without a city center. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the population of Ne ...
, which had been presented by Admiral Sir Isaac Coffin to Dr. Homer. This is purportedly the same 1576 copy (with a ghostly outline of the royal arms) given to
Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". El ...
by the printer. Livermore's library included a bible that had been owned by Adam Winthrop (father of the first Governor of Massachusetts); this copy is now held by the
Massachusetts Historical Society The Massachusetts Historical Society is a major historical archive specializing in early American, Massachusetts, and New England history. The Massachusetts Historical Society was established in 1791 and is located at 1154 Boylston Street in Bost ...
. By 1861 some of the oldest printed bibles in the United States were owned by Livermore, including a copy of the ''Catholicon'' printed by Gutenberg in 1460, and a Faust and Schoffer’s Testament of 1462. A single leaf on
vellum Vellum is prepared animal skin or membrane, typically used as writing material. Parchment is another term for this material, from which vellum is sometimes distinguished, when it is made from calfskin, as opposed to that made from other anima ...
of the 1455
Gutenberg Bible The Gutenberg Bible (also known as the 42-line Bible, the Mazarin Bible or the B42) was the earliest major book printed using mass-produced movable metal type in Europe. It marked the start of the "Gutenberg Revolution" and the age of printed b ...
that Livermore owned was sold out of his library in 1894 for $95 ().


Family

Livermore married Elizabeth Cunningham when he was thirty years old, on October 1, 1839, in
Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...
. Their children were Frank (b. April 11, 1841), William Roscoe (b. January 11, 1843), and Charles (b. April 11, 1848).


Works

*
Catalogue of the Valuable Private Library of the Late George Livermore
' *
Historical Research
' self published (200 pages). *
Remarks on Public Libraries 1850
' Bolles and Houghton (1850) for private distribution. *
Tribute to Memory of James Johnson"> Tribute to Memory of James Johnson
' (1855) Selfpublished for private distribution. *
An Historical Research Respecting the Opinions of the Founders of the Republic on Negroes as Slaves, as Citizens, and as Soldiers
', Read Before the Massachusetts Historical Society, August 14, 1862 *
Oigin, history & character of New England primer
' C.F. Heartman (1915)


Death

Livermore died August 30, 1865, at age 56, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.


Societies and legacy

Livermore was a member of the Massachusetts Historical Society beginning in 1849. He was also elected a member of the
American Antiquarian Society The American Antiquarian Society (AAS), located in Worcester, Massachusetts, is both a learned society and a national research library of pre-twentieth-century American history and culture. Founded in 1812, it is the oldest historical society in ...
in 1849, and served on its board of councilors from 1853 to 1865.Dunbar, B. (1987). ''Members and Officers of the American Antiquarian Society''. Worcester: American Antiquarian Society. He became a member of the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and ...
in 1855. Livermore was a trustee of the
Boston Athenaeum Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most ...
from 1851 to 1859, chairing its Library Committee, and later served as its vice-president until his death. He became a trustee of the Massachusetts State Library in 1850. The
American Unitarian Association The American Unitarian Association (AUA) was a religious denomination in the United States and Canada, formed by associated Unitarian congregations in 1825. In 1961, it consolidated with the Universalist Church of America to form the Unitarian Uni ...
elected Livermore a member of the Executive Committee in 1859. Harvard College awarded Livermore an honorary
Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
in 1850 and at that time he was elected a member of the
Phi Beta Kappa Society The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal ar ...
. He was also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Anna Morton Waterston, reporter for the ''
Atlantic Monthly ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
'', wrote a memorial article in November 1865 titled "The Visible and Invisible in Libraries" on the death of Livermore. She said that the library of Livermore spoke eloquently of him. His collection of books, gathered as a labor of love, increased in size over the years. Waterston described his life as a book written with good deeds and pure thoughts and illuminated by specially recognized aspirations.


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Livermore, George 1809 births 1865 deaths 19th-century American memoirists American merchants American businesspeople in retailing Writers from Cambridge, Massachusetts Members of the American Antiquarian Society 19th-century American businesspeople