Dr. John Dunleavy (to the right) with Bryan Yorke at the Davitt 100 years celebrations (2006)
photo taken by our mutual friend the late Father Peter Knowles.
It is with much sadness to have learnt of the passing of Dr. John which was last November (2021) down in his home at Abingdon, Oxford.
Dr. John helped me so much especially with the research on Davitt of which he was an authority. He also made regular contributions to the Haslingden Old and New blog with articles from his early days when he worked at the Haslingden Printing Works and stories about the Borough News (or selling news). He will be sadly missed.
I found this lovely piece that Michael Cruise of Bury Road, Rawtenstall, wrote about him:
JOHN GAVE HIS TIME FREELY
I THINK it appropriate that tribute be paid to Doctor John Dunleavy who has died recently.
A historian, formerly from Haslingden and living more recently in Abingdon, Oxford, John's contribution to the local and, indeed, wider community is of significant value and will remain a continual source of reference.
He produced a number of publications including, Haslingden Catholics, Dr. John Binns, Haslingden's forgotten reformer.
Remembering Michael Davitt; The Organ at St. Mary's Haslingden, The Fall and Rise of Haslingden Library, from White Elephant to Town's Museum, The Changing fortunes of Abingdon County Hall and a History of St. James the Less Church, Rawtenstall.
His career began in the local printing industry, working for the Haslingden Borough News, later, he won a scholarship and entered Plater College, Oxford. During this period he developed an interest in politics and, for a while, shadows the then MP for Rossendale, Tony Greenwood, who used the family home as a committee room during election periods.
Throughout his younger days John was a member of the Young Socialist.
One of his greatest works was the study of Michael Davitt, who migrated to Haslingden in 1850.
Davitt worked earnestly for the rights of many impoverished groups, and was instrumental in the formation of the Land League, the first collection point being the Irish Democratic League Club in Haslingden.
More recently John was pivotal to the celebrations organised to commemorate the centenary of Davitt's death in 2006, when the then president of Ireland, Mary McAleese, visited Haslingden.
A most unassuming person, he gave freely and humbly. He simply wished to be a curator and disseminator of facts to pass on for the greater good.
(Michael Cruise, Bury Road, Rawtenstall)
