Edward George Downing LIVEING [457]

  General Notes:

Bradfield College Register; 2567 Sept. 1909.
Liveing Edward George Downing. b Mar 1895; a. Sept. 1909; l. Jul 1912; St Johns Coll. Oxon; Exhr., 1914; BA 1920; MA 1925; 2nd Lieut 12th Lon. Regt., served in France, Palestine, Egypt. Capt., North Regional Director BBC.

Edward at St Johns College Oxford, could claim Founders Kin. He was an author and had a distinguished career with the BBC.

The Times 1 July 1937 pg 14 col D.
Mr E G D Liveing.
Mr E G D Liveing, North Regional director of the BBC., formerly a station director at Manchester, and previously connected with the now discontinued Nottingham station, retired from the service of the corporation last night after nearly 13 years.

In 1942 aged 47 Edward George D Liveing sailed from Liverpool to Freetown Sierra Leone on the Ashantian. He is described as a BBC official. Ref: findmypast - 2011

The Times 6 December 1947 pg 5 col E.
BBC Officials.
To the Editor of The Times.
Sir, The BBC's recently announced establishment of a board of directors under the chairmanship of the Director General raises certain issues which deserve public attention. Of the four members whose names have hitherto been published only two have seen a long service in the BBC, one has only become associated with it comparatively recently, and the fourth is an entire newcomer. If one takes into account the fact that the Director General himself, admittedly a most able administrator, joined the BBC as editor in chief in 1943, it will be seen that length of experience in broadcasting is not one of the assets of the new board.
The BBC has been in existence for 25 years. It is no longer a newly fledged organisation and it has long since developed into a professional service. An official's relationship with broadcasting, even if it is concerned with administration or publicity - I purposely mention those two branches of the service most remote from the studios - requires intimate knowledge of the art of radio, and this knowledge can only be acquired through some considerable length of employment in a broadcasting institution. The introduction of persons in experienced in broadcasting matters into the higher executive posts of the BBC has, with a few exceptions, been unsuccessful in the past; and it seems unfortunate that the BBC should not have learned wisdom in this respect from earlier mistakes. It is difficult enough, even for a newcomer brought into the BBC had a low grade, to master the nature of his work within one or two years. It is much more difficult for someone brought in at a high level to assimilate the complexities both of the organisation and radio technique; and during the period of such assimilation he must rely largely on the men beneath him, thus creating them an added burden.
There is another aspect which should be noted. This is the unfortunate effect on the morale of a public institution in which employees must realise by now that they have very little opportunity for rising to the top. A morbid atmosphere group sent to any organisation whose officials know that they cannot carry field marshals battens in their knapsacks. There are a number of extremely able man in the BBC today who could take over work in higher posts than those which they are holding now, and this particularly applies to that of Director of Administration, now allotted to an air chief marshal. No one would dispute this officer's great abilities, but he has yet to prove himself in an entirely new field of professional activity. One wonders what effect it would have if the position were reversed and a BBC official were introduced into the Air Ministry in a similar appointment. The name of the new Director of the "Spoken Word" has not yet been disclosed, and it can only be hoped that it will be filled from the ranks of the BBC.
It will be contented, and rightly, that fresh blood should be brought into the management of the BBC from time to time. The proper place for this is the Board of Governors, the composition of which is subject to periodical changes in accordance with the provisions of the BBC's Charter. But to introduce amateurs, however distinguished, into the executive is altogether another matter. I venture to say that the issues raised in regard to the BBC go far beyond that organisation, since there is a regrettable tendency in public life today for vacancies to be filled by persons who have made names in their particular spheres of life, but may be quite unfittered for others.
I am, Sir, yours faithfully,
E G D Liveing.
Savile Club, 69 Brook St. W1, Dec 4.

Steve Purkis writes 2021
Edward wrote and published "Attack" and "Walking into Hell" which were two of the earliest books by a serviceman about the First World War. It detailed his experiences in the First World War at the Battle of the Somme and later daughter Jenny's then husband Ian recorded it onto a tape. He was in France and Palestine serving as a lieutenant with the London Regiment in the First World War, wounded in Battle of Somme and was Assistant to the Military Censor in Egypt in 1918-19. He joined the BBC in 1924 after having edited "Discovery" for two years.
As director of the relay station at Nottingham he gained experience which was useful in the wider activities of helping to create the BBC North Region in the late twenties. Until 1937, when he resigned from the Corporation, he was its North Regional Director. He was a member of the Lancashire Industrial Development Council, 1935-1937 and Managing Director of Motoring Abroad Publications Ltd, 1938-1939.
In the 1939 register he was living at 31-33 Lowndes Street, Chelsea and described as a Director of Publishing. During 1939-1945 he returned to the BBC for special war-time activities including establishment of a Staff Welfare Unit in 1941, when appointed West Regional Director (1941-1942).
He was assigned to the Middle East in 1942 for liaison between BBC, the Minister of State's office, the service authorities, and Arab governments during El Alamein period. He was the first Middle East Director establishing the BBC Office in Cairo (1943). He was Joint Secretary of the Educational Interchange Council (1946-1947).
He also wrote "The House of Harrild", "Adventure in Publishing", "Pioneers of Petrol", "A Century of Insurance", "Across the Congo" and made contributions to Blackwood's Magazine, called "Fortnightly Review".
At the time of his death on 31 Jan 1963, his address was 28 John Street, London WC1 with telephone number Holborn 0955 and he was a member of the Savile Club which was established in 1868 in Mayfair by a group of distinguished artists and authors.

Liveing, Edward George Downing, 1895-
The House of Harrild, 1801-1948
Subject: Harrild and Sons, Ltd (Printers & Printing Machinery)
Published London : Harrild and Sons Ltd 1949
Available at GUILDHALL LIBRARY.
Physical Description: ix, 69 p : ill. ; 30 cm

Liveing, Edward George Downing, 1895-
Pioneers of petrol: a centenary history of Carless, Capel and Leonard, 1859-1959. (Distillers & Refiners who tradenamed petroleum distillate as Petrol)
Subject: Carless, Capel and Leonard, Ltd. Gasoline. Petroleum industry and trade History Great Britain
Published London : H.F. & G. Witherby 1959
Available at GUILDHALL LIBRARY.
Physical Description: xxiii, 94 p : illus ; 23 cm

Liveing, Edward G. D. (Edward George Downing), 1895-1963
Adventure in publishing : the House of Ward Lock, 1854-1954
Subject: Ward, Lock and Company, Ltd. Publishers and publishing Great Britain. (Renowned for the Red guides)
Published London : Ward, Lock 1954
Available at GUILDHALL LIBRARY and ST BRIDE LIBRARY.
Physical Description: 108 p : ill. ; 22 cm. 108 p : illus ; 22 cm

Liveing, Edward G. D. (Edward George Downing), 1895-1963
A century of insurance : the Commercial Union group of insurance companies,1861-1961:a centenary history
Subject: Commercial Union Assurance Company
Published London : Witherby 1961
Available at BARBICAN STACK and GUILDHALL LIBRARY.
Physical Description: 320 p : illus ; 26 cm. 320p.,ill.,26cm

Liveing, Edward G. D (Edward George Downing), 1895-1963
Burrup, Mathieson & Company Ltd., printers & stationers in the city of London, 1628-1950
Notes: Typewritten. Published 1950
Physical Description: 29 p ; 34 cm
Available at GUILDHALL LIBRARY.

A history of Edward's residential address's via the English telephone directories.

Victoria 3140 Liveing EGD 32 Morpeth mans SW1
Ancestry: London Phone Book 1907/20

Nottingham 6807 Liveing E 47 Highfield rd WB
Ancestry: Birmingham Nottingham Sheffield etc Phone Book 1925

Chorlton-c-H 1130 Liveing EGD 56 Alexander rd S Whalley Range
Ancestry: Liverpool Manchester Cumberland etc Phone Book 1925

H Broughton 1131 Liveing E G D Heath Mount Vine st Kersal
Ancestry: Liverpool Manchester Cumberland etc Phone Book 1926/27

Liveing E G D Dawn cott Hr Disley Disley 125
Ancestry: Liverpool Manchester Cumberland etc Phone Book 1928/29/30/31/32/33

Liveing E G D 16 Kingston rd Didsbury 1977
Ancestry: Liverpool Manchester Cumberland etc Phone Book 1937

Liveing EGD9 Addison tce 14 Rusholme 1559
Ancestry: Liverpool Manchester Cumberland etc Phone Book 1934/35

Liveing EGD Little Timbers Black corner Crawley Pound Hill 123
Ancestry: Essex Norwich Bedford etc Phone Book 1939

Liveing E G D Cottage-by-the-Stream Chideock Chideock 309
Ancestry: Southampton Exeter Bristol etc Phone Book 1942/43/44/46

Liveing E G D Flat 4 Newton hall Gt Dunmow 433
Ancestry: Colchester Cambridge Oxford etc Phone Book 1954

Liveing E G D 28 John st WC1 Holborn 0955
Ancestry: London Phone Book 1959/60/61/62/64

The Times 2 February 1963 pg 12 col C
Obituary.
MR E. G. D. LIVEING.
Mr. Edward George Downing Liveing who died in London on Thursday at the age of 67. was a pioneer of BBC development in the Midlands and North who returned to serve the corporation during the last war.
Born in 1895. he went to Bradfield and St. John's College. Oxford, where he was an Exhibitioner in English Literature. He was in France and Palestine with the London Regiment in the First World War and Assistant to the Military Censor in Egypt in 1918-19.
He joined the B.B.C. in 1924 after having edited "Discovery" for two years. As director of the relay station at Nottingham he gained experience which was useful in the wider activities of helping to create the B.B.C. North Region in the late twenties.
Until 1937, when he resigned from the corporation, he was its North Regional director.
After travelling in northern Europe he was recalled by the war to broardcasting. The establishment of the Staff Welfare Unit in 1941 was followed by a brief spell as West Regional director. Then Liveing was sent to the Middle East in 1942 for liaison work between the B.B.C., the Minister of State's office. and the service authorities.
As first Middle East director he established the B.B.C. Cairo office in 1943.
After the war he acted as Joint Secretary of the Educational lnterchange Council and wrote several commercial histories. He was a contributor to Blackwoods magazine and The Fortnightly Review. His "Attack" was one of the earliest books by a serviceman about the First World War.
He was a member of the Savile Club He married in 1923 Gladys Constance Baker. who died in 1959. There was one daughter of the marriage who survives him.
Pg 404 Alstoniana.

LIVEING, Edward George Downing (1895-1963)
Details: LIVEING, Edward George Downing, MA; Author and commercial historian; born 24 March 1895; son of late Rev. H. G. D. Liveing and Margaret Rands; married 1923, Gladys Constance Baker (died 1959); one daughter.
Education: Bradfield Coll.; St John's Coll. Oxford (Exhibitioner in English Literature).
Work: Served during 1914-1918 War with London Regt in France and Palestine (wounded in Battle of Somme); Asst to Military Censor, Egypt, 1918-1919. Editor of Discovery, 1921-1923. Joined BBC in 1924; entrusted with creation of BBC's N. of England Region in 1928 and was its North Regional Dir till 1937. Mem. of Lancashire Industrial Development Council, 1935-1937. Managing Director, Motoring Abroad Publications Ltd, 1938-1939. During 1939-1945 War returned to BBC for special war-time activities including establishment of Staff Welfare Unit, 1941, appt as West Regional Director, 1941-1942, assignment in Middle East 1942 for liaison between BBC, the Minister of State's office, the service authorities, and Arab governments during El Alamein period; as its first Middle East Director established BBC Office in Cairo, 1943. Joint Secretary, Educational Interchange Council, 1946-1947.
Publications: Attack; The House of Harrild; Adventure in Publishing; Pioneers of Petrol; A Century of Insurance; Across the Congo; contributions to Blackwood's Magazine, Fortnightly Review, etc.
Recreations: travel.
Address: 28 John Street, London WC1. Telephone: Holborn 0955.
Clubs: Savile.
Died: 31 January 1963
Ref: Know UK CD

  Research Notes:

There are 7 pictures of Edward in the NPG

  Other Records

1. Census: England, 2 Apr 1911, Hyde Vicarage Winchester. Edward is recorded as a son aged 16 single at school born Romsey HAM However the entry is struck out

2. Edward George Downing Liveing: Images from his life.
His childhood, WWI Army service, 1920's with University friends, with Gladys and their Bull Nosed Morris [?], BBC executive 1960.

3. Edward George Downing Liveing: Letter to Edward H T Liveing, 29 Jan 1928, Cheshire.
Liveing Archive: Images 3708 - 3711

Fir Hill,
East Downs Road
Bowden,
Cheshire,
East Downs
January 29, 1928
My dear Uncle Eddie
I send you with this letter a very interesting letter which I have just received from Mr Hedley Hope-Nicholson. I am also sending a copy to my father who, as
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you know, has recently been making investigations of the Harwich registers. I am writing to Mr Nicholson today saying how interested we are in his letter and (with which I am sure you will agree) suggesting that he should get into touch with yourself and my father. It is quite likely that the papers
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in his possession may be of use to you from the point of view of amplifying details in the family genealogy. We were both delighted to hear that Aunt Emily was progressing so well and hope that she is now able to read again. I suppose that it takes some time before the full benefit of the
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operation is felt. Please give her our love and best wishes. I believe that you are now busy making wireless sets of your own, and would very much like to come over at a weekend when the good weather begins to set in, and listen to foreign stations, with you. I shall never forget that dreadful super heterodyne
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that I brought over and how it kept us up into the early hours of the night!
We left our flat at Kersal a fortnight ago and are living in the rooms here for a few weeks until we move into a small house, which we are buying, in Disley. I have decided that it is
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better to pay off a mortgage to a reputable building society than an exorbitant rent to a profiteering Manchester landlord. The majority of one's money becomes capital which it certainly does not when one is a tenant. I hope that you are keeping well and should very much like to have your news.
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Our love to both of you,
Your affectionate nephew
Ted
Edward George Downing Liveing.

Edward married Gladys Constance BAKER [2043] [MRIN: 131], daughter of Richard BAKER [35011] and Blanche KILMINSTER [35012], on 12 Apr 1923 in St James Winscombe. (Gladys Constance BAKER [2043] was born on 9 Oct 1901 in Bristol SOM, baptised on 15 Nov 1901 in St Francis Ashton Bristol and died in 1959.)