John Gulson

I am undertaking some research into poverty and philanthropy in nineteenth century Coventry. Apart from the obvious names like Charles Bray, the names of the Rev S H Widdrington and John Gulson keep cropping up. Your members have kindly offered me some very useful information regarding the Rev Widdrington but I wonder if they can help with John Gulson? Apart from the Hospital and the fact that he was an Alderman there appears to be very little about him surfacing. Can any of your kind members help? Many thanks Frances

Hi Frances, I don't know much about John Gulson myself, but these are a few things I found: * A painting of John Gulson (BBC site) can be seen on the wall inside the Gulson Reference Library here. * He funded the Gulson Library (https://theherbert.wordpress.com/tag/john-gulson/) and also provided funds for a reference library (Wikipedia, Historic Coventry). * He was mayor twice, in 1867 and 1868 (Historic Coventry.2) and lived at 7 Priory Row, Coventry (digital midlands site, google maps); outside 7 priory Row there's a black plaque in memory of him "...A generous public benefactor lived here...". * He was married to Sophia Louisa Miller (who was born in Ireland) (unable to reference as ancestry.co.uk; but was able to find this on thepeerage.com). *He was a quaker manufacturer and liberal reformer (according to a post on rootschat.com (not referenced by author of post)). I assume he manufactured or sold silk (thepeerage.com -"Silk Merchant". *Born: 1813, Died in 1904, aged 91. *He is buried in the old part of the London Road Cemetery: His grave is the "coffin-shaped cross stone", unfortunately it is in a particularly dark and dingy location on a hill next to the Anglican chapel - a shame that an amazing guy like John Gulson has such a neglected grave.
I think this book, I came across here (Google books [which is found here on Amazon (Amazon.co.uk)]), may be of some use. Good luck with your research , people often forget philanthropists like Gulson or David Spencer (earlsdon.org.uk). Luke.

Also: ~ A Book quoting John Gulson (http://archive.org/...) saying "..." The old Coventry weaver was a gentleman,"..." Also found here (forgottenbooks.com/...) ~ The exact quote from the plaque on 7 Priory Row (openplaques.org...). ~ a site referring to John Gulson's charitable acts (http://rainbowfamily.co.uk/archives/350) ~ and a article about him, originally from the Coventry Evening Telegraph (17 AUG 2000) ( http://www.thefreelibrary.com/...... ). The Cov Telegraph article really shows what a difference he made to this city. Edited by member, 18th Jan 2015 9:21 pm

~ A Thesis written by P. Searby (1972): WEAVERS AND FREEMAN IN COVENTRY, 1820 - 1861: SOCIAL AND POLITICAL TRADITIONALISM IN AN EARLY VICTORIAN TOWN (warwick.ac.uk/). (pages: 327, 450, 512 and others, mention John Gulson). # According to his will he died on Christmas day 1904 and left £87,287. 13s. 11d. (worth just over £5 million by today's standards (if I worked it out right )) to John Gulson Burgess (Barrister-at-law), Edward Burgess (architect) (this Edward Burgess???? - http://oxfordindex.oup.com/...??) and Alfred Kirby (Solicitor). ( unable to reference this probate but did find this instead (thegazette.co.uk/London/...)). Edited by member, 21st Jan 2015 2:45 pm

John G. Burgess and Edward Burgess were his nephews. His sister, Elizabeth, was their mother or so I believe from Ancestry.