Thomas Livezey (259)

Thomas Livezey (25 March 1724–11 September 1790) was a miller, poet, and winemaker, and a member of the American Philosophical Society via his 1768 election to the American Society. Born in Lower Dublin Township, Pennsylvania, he learned the miller’s trade from his father before purchasing a mill on Wissahickon Creek. Over the years he acquired a number of other properties, some of which were leased for an unsuccessful gold-mining expedition. Livezey dabbled in poetry, sending APS member Thomas Wharton a sample of his flour with a playful verse attestation to its quality. He also presented his friend, APS member Joseph Galloway with a poem extolling the virtues of his rural home. Around 1766 Livezey began making wine from the region’s wild grapes. He sent some to Benjamin Franklin in London, but despite the latter’s praise and the interest of English merchants, he never planted a vineyard to expand production. Livezey was one of the first contributors to the Pennsylvania Hospital. He was also a donor to the Silk Society and a founding trustee of the Union School of Germantown. He was elected to the Assembly as a member of the anti-proprietary party in 1765 and reelected annually through 1771. There, he served on a significant number of committees, including the Committee of Correspondence. But despite this role, he was not an active patriot. In the first place, his Quakerism prevented him from bearing arms; moreover, another surviving poem, this one addressed to APS member and prominent Loyalist William Franklin, promoted moderation in response to the mounting tensions between England and the colonies. Just before the 1777 Battle of Germantown, Livezey was seized as a suspected Loyalist. Following his release he retired from business and devoted his energies to his faith. (PI)