▁sett lers ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 8 6 1 . ▁They ▁had ▁eight ▁children , ▁four ▁boys ▁and ▁four ▁girls . ▁ ▁Short ly ▁after ▁his ▁marriage ▁he ▁started ▁the ▁So ho ▁Found ry ▁with ▁Mr ▁M out ray . ▁The ▁partners hip ▁dissol ved ▁and ▁Le vest am ▁established ▁his ▁own ▁engineering ▁concern ▁off ▁Col ling wood ▁Street . ▁ ▁Political ▁career ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 1 , ▁when ▁Act on ▁Adams ▁res igned ▁due ▁to ▁ill ▁health , ▁Le vest am ▁announced ▁his ▁candid ature , ▁supporting ▁the ▁Liber als . ▁James ▁Cro we ▁Richmond ▁stood ▁against ▁him , ▁but ▁Le vest am ▁won ▁with ▁a ▁substantial ▁majority . ▁He ▁stood ▁again ▁in ▁, ▁defe ating ▁Mr ▁Pi per . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ ▁he ▁was ▁opposed ▁by ▁Mess rs ▁Pi per ▁and ▁Gib bs , ▁but ▁again ▁was ▁successfully ▁re - elect ed . ▁Despite ▁English ▁being ▁his ▁second ▁language , ▁Le vest am ▁was ▁considered ▁a ▁fl uent , ▁although ▁not ▁el o quent , ▁speaker ▁in ▁the ▁house . ▁He ▁was ▁also ▁appreciated ▁for ▁his ▁services ▁by ▁his ▁elect or ate ▁who , ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 8 8 7 , ▁presented ▁him ▁with ▁a ▁pur se ▁of ▁so ver eign s ▁as ▁testim ony ▁of ▁the ▁este em ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁was ▁held ▁by ▁them . ▁ ▁He ▁represented ▁the ▁City ▁of ▁Nelson ▁elect or ate ▁from ▁ 1 8 8 1 ▁to ▁his ▁death ▁from ▁a ▁heart ▁attack ▁on ▁ 1 1 ▁February ▁