Pell family - Tent Makers

I would like to find out more about a family called Pell who were tent and sheet makers. Thomas William & wife Emma Elizabeth residing 1881, 1891 and 1901 at 71 Much Park Street. After Thomas' death (1909) Emma is at 46 White Friars Street with their son August Walter Anthony - still listed as tent makers. I also came across an Agreement for Emma & her son as tenants of a building in Hales Street in 1910 - the agreement appears to be about access across other land as they wanted to open their premises for an Electrical Picture Exhibition. Haven't been able to find out any more about their tent business or this Exhibition so any help would be much appreciated. Regards Sue

They are advertising quite a lot in 1914/1915

Thomas (d.1909), Emma (d.1920) and their four month old daughter Ada (d.1876) are all buried in the same plot in London Road Cemetery.

Hi all. Is this an error in a Coventry for 1886 then? Bell not Pell? Which should it be? It wouldn't be the first I have come across. It is an entry for Much Park Street.

It looks like an error. Here is the entry in Spennell's Directory for Whitefriars Street in 1912:

And this from Coventry 1884 Directory, 5 Portland Terrace, Lower Ford Street.

And this from Coventry Directory 1935, Pell's, all, eight in total. Not many so they may be relevant.

Another Pell (W.F.) of 17 Dean Street was an active Godiva Harrier athlete in the early 1920s, 'F.' being a cyclist with the club before WWII - Godiva besides being a 'harrier' club was also a strong walking club, and had a good cycling section, the latter splitting away to form a new club (the Godiva Road and Path Cycling Club for which another F. Pell and an A. Pell rode in the mid 1950s) following a fall out between the governing bodies of athletics (AAA) and cycling (NCU) in the early 1950s.

Just to say thanks to all who have answered this message. I will follow up this information. Sue

Dutchman: The opening post of this thread refers to the Pell family's wish to open a cinema (electric theatre) on Hales Street. In post 421 of the Coventry Cinemas thread you refer to the Hales Street Electric Theatre, a cinema that later became the Royal Electric Theatre. This must be the cinema operated then by the Pells, wouldn't you say?

In a Coventry Herald 1916, Augustus Walter Pell is listed as the Opera House, Hales Street. Would this be the same place? In 1915 he was running the Imperial Picture Palace, Earlsdon with Emma Elizabeth Pell, but this partnership was dissolved. He also applied for a music licence for the Palladium, King William Street.

Yes, absolutely! Well spotted LongfordLad From Spennell's Directory 1912-13:

I think that's a generalisation Anne? The Electric Theatre was next door to the Opera House but was not a part of it. Spennell's give the occupant of the Opera House as being Isaac Spencer.

I stand corrected Dutchman, I have read it wrong, the name appears after the name of the picture house, not before! Augustus Walter Pell applied for a licence for The Palladium Picture Theatre in King William Street and The Imperial Picture House in Earlsdon.