Fiery Elijah

I hadn't heard of this man before and had to share his life with you, if you do know of him, then I apologise for duplicating information. I was looking into the history of Freeth Street and then the beginnings of the Salvation Army history came up and I found him. His name was Fiery Elijah and the link will give details of him. His life was one which Dickens could have written, a marvellous novel about child chimney sweep, ex boxer and drunkard. Oh, I did find out that he was living in Gosford Street when he was seven years old with his mother (1851 census) but don't know the number.

A very interesting post Foxcote. I followed up on it via the link and find Elijah's story inspiring. There are some interesting stories about him in other articles. I suggest that his name should be added to famous Coventrians.

Thanks argon, so glad you agree, I thought he was remarkable too

Now added to our list of Famous Coventrians

Thanks Midland Red for your decision to put Elijah on the Famous list Oops, he wouldn't have approved of my choice of emoticon with the beer mug, though I wonder what number he lived at in Gosford St, I couldn't find it on the census, would be nice to know.

It's not very clear but looks like 67 to me Foxcote.

Thanks for checking Argon, you know on the census they had a schedule number and sometimes a house number and you are lucky on the early stuff to get both. I'm not sure whether that 67 (I think you are right and it is 67) is Schedule or house. I reckon somewhere there are enumerator's plans of the schedule nos relating to the house number, held in records offices I should think. Can't get that plaque up if we don't trace the number

Oh Argon, I did go back and look at some more details via the link, did you read the one about his boxing days at Rugby, written by someone called 'Blackwell'? That was great and all about his chimney sweeping days?

It is definitely "Household Schedule Number" 67

Almost all of the buildings fronting directly onto Gosford Street were business addresses. Private residences were invariably located in courtyards running off the main road. These had all but disappeared by the 1960s.

Thanks all, he definitely seemed more of a 'Courtyard' resident in the early days judging from his biography. Schedule and House Number is frustrating but I suppose we should be grateful of finding any information of the poorer inhabitants from 1851. Maybe the Herbert has enumerators' records?

From the initial link I found an article in the Montreal Gazette that states that after the death of his father, Elijah, was sent to the poor-house, so it would have been about 1846/7, I don't know if there are any records, I checked the Coventry History Centre site and the admissions records start later than that. He was certainly back at home with his mother somewhere in Gosford Street by 1851.

Just a bit more of Elijah's early life in Coventry. 1841, mother and father were living in Paynes Lane Elijah born 1843 Baptised in 1844, abode, Whitefriar Street Father died approx 1846 and 1851 the mother and family were in Gosford Street. Married 1865, abode Waterloo Street, I think they left Coventry for working with the poor in London.