CovSoc member and historian Peter James, tells us the story of John Gulson, one of Coventry’s best known philanthropists. Peter writes…..
John Gulson Senior was a leather worker who lived with his wife Elizabeth at 150 Spon Street. Their son John Junior was born there on 23rd October 1813, he and his three sisters lived at this address until 1837. His early education was at a Dame school in Spon Street run by Mrs. Gibbs. He studied there until he was ten years old before moving to The Coventry Free School in Hales Street. Aged fourteen, after a year in a boarding school in Essex he became an apprentice at a banking firm where his father was a partner. The partnership was dissolved in 1835 and the business was transferred to the Coventry & Warwickshire Bank. John became a director in 1866 and chairman a year later in 1867. When it merged with Lloyds in 1876 he was made a director, a post which he held for two years.
Business Life
John became joint secretary of the Coventry Mechanics Institute in 1833 and was a major fund raiser for the building when it was located in Hertford Street.
In 1837 the family moved from Spon Street to Priory Row where John lived for the rest of his life. A year later in 1838 he set up as a silk merchant in partnership with a Mr. Merrick in Vicar Lane. When Merrick moved to Manchester John continued alone but moved to an office in the High Street. Eventually in 1850 he went into partnership again with Richard Caldicott until the business was finally dissolved in 1872.
Public Life
John Gulson was made an alderman in 1847 without his knowledge. Something that really annoyed him as he was extremely busy at the time with his various business ventures. He served for six years but was not re-elected, this time his wishes were respected. From 1866 until 1869 he was the Ward representative for Earl Street when he was elected as an alderman. Fortunately this time it was with his consent. In fact he remained an alderman for over thirty years. During this time John served as Mayor of Coventry for two years commencing in November 1867. His interest in education is illustrated by the fifteen years he spent as Chairman of the School Board from 1870.
Benefactor
While John was Mayor the corporation embraced the Public Libraries Act and the first library opened in Hertford Street in 1868. His greatest gift to the city in 1871 was money and land previously occupied by the city gaol. It became the site of the Central Library and opened on 8th October 1873. A further donation in 1887 was used to build the Reference Library which opened on 8th July 1890.
In 1862 John Gulson married Sophia Louisa Miller from County Derry in Ireland. During her life in Coventry she also did much work for charity. As well as helping to establish a new department at Coventry & Warwickshire Hospital she raised £5,000 to help maintain children’s wards. John and Sophia were both kind people and made a generous donation to the relief fund when the silk weaving industry collapsed in 1860.
Sophia died in 1895 nine years before John who died at home in Priory Row on Christmas Day in 1904 at the age of 91. He was buried at London Road Cemetery in Coventry.
