The Sole Society, a Family History Society researching Sole, Saul, Sewell, Solley and similar names

SOLLEY Co-ordinator's Report March 1993

By Elizabeth Hughes

Work on making SOLLY charts has continued. I have abstracted the 1851 SOLLY and SOLLEY entries for the Thanet area ‑ much helped, I may say, by a valuable published index made by the Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies ‑ and integrated some of the material onto charts made mainly from parish registers and made new charts of the rest. SOLLY charts now total around 60.

We have had several new members with a SOLLY interest, who have contributed basic information which is being evaluated and researched. We are particularly grateful to the SOLLY member who has contributed a donation on top of his subscription, and to a to non‑member, Mrs Frances Barker, who has not only sent us information but also a donation.

Hamish Robertson, who has contributed an article about Richard Heaton SOLLY of St Margarets‑at‑Cliffe, has pointed out a couple of slips in my report in the last journal. George Christopher SOLLY should be George Christopher SOLLEY. The information from Caroline Baynes (nee Candy) was relayed to him not via George as I thought but by a Miss Margaret Candy. Caroline's belief that the first Richard of Sandwich was a younger son of Richard SOLLY of Moat Farm, Ash, in Kent, was discovered by Hamish himself in a paper deposited by Margaret at the Society of Genealogists in London. As I mentioned, the fact that Caroline was correct was established when we discovered Prof. Solly's work. This drew upon a contemporary family history written by Richard of Sandwich's brother John, who can surely be relied upon to have known his own father and brother! The pedigree shows that Caroline Baynes was descended from Richard of Sandwich's daughter Mary, who married Stephen Long.

Hamish also points out that Prof. Solly was wrong in saying: "William Henry and Joseph, sons of the first Richard, died unmarried and the male line ceased." Hamish himself is, in fact, descended from William Henry who was Mayor of Sandwich in 1747. However, although the statement was technically inaccurate, another chapter written by Ridlon but undoubtedly derived from information supplied by Prof. Solly concludes with:

"William Henry Solly, son of Richard Solly, married Christian, daughter of Wickes. Born 1714, died 1770. Mayor of Sandwich 1737‑47. Issue: James, born 1745, died 1749; William‑Henry, born 1747, died 1764, unmarried; Joseph born 1751, died 1803, unmarried. He had a natural son who took the name of SOLLY, married and had a large family."

Clearly in his own chapter Prof. Solly was discounting a descent which was allegedly illegitimate. Presumably George was the natural son referred to, but the whole pedigree needs careful verification.

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