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

SAUL Co-ordinator's Report - April 2001

By John Slaughter

 

When writing my research update, I always look back to my previous report. So when I read my report in the December 2000, the following paragraph in particular caught my eye.

"Time and space does not permit me to detail here all the enquiries I have received over recent months. Where these have shown connections to others I have put people in touch. If these connections flourish, they will be mentioned in later updates/articles."

This is precisely what has happened. Several of these enquiries have indeed flourished and I have been pleased to welcome four new members to the Society.

Patricia Saul made contact after seeing our advert in the Family Tree Magazine. She believes she is connected to the Oldbury Sauls, though her exact connection is a little unclear at the present time. Patricia’s grandfather was a Samuel Saul who married Catherine Pilsbury at Oldbury on 25 December 1911. The origins of this Samuel require further research and Patricia is sending for the 1911 marriage certificate. If connection to the Oldbury Sauls can be established Patricia should be related to Rosemary Bailey and Gordon Saul.

The Sauls in the Doncaster area continue to a major source for finding the origins of Saul descendants. This almost certainly is the case with the Saul line of Angie Marshall. Angie’s great grandmother was Annie Saul born in Swillingon, Leeds in 1876. By means of obtaining birth and marriage certificates we have traced back a few generations and are now only one piece of information away from proving a connection with Charles Saul and Mary Seniour of Norton, Yorkshire. This then connects with other members and enables us to join another branch onto the ever-expanding trees.

I always enjoy receiving new enquiries from people just starting out on their family history venture and it is particularly pleasing when, after some research, I can link them to existing data. When Sandie Willoughby made contact she was able to tell me that her grandfather was a Charles Saul born in Norwich in 1892, that he had three sisters Virtue, Caroline and Harriet and that his parents were Charles and Susannah Charlotte Saul. This was enough to enable me to make tentative connections and speculate that this line would connect to a Norfolk tree that had its origins in Little Plumstead, a village a few miles north of Norwich. I had drawn up quite a large family tree from my research several years ago, but I had not previously found any present-day descendants. These charts go back to 1696. Sandie’s research has so far confirmed the speculation. One final piece of evidence is required, a baptism entry from a parish record. Sandie has volunteered to help with the GRO indexes programme. Tony tells me that we now have volunteers to enable us to take the Saul GRO indexes up to 1950.

Last but by no means least Carole Saul has joined the Society. Carole connects to another member, also named Carol. They had corresponded some years ago and have now re-established contact. Their family tree connects to Cumberland and Scotland. Carol has recently made a breakthrough with the help of a researcher and made progress on the Scottish side. Indications are that the earlier generation jumps back again to England and we are now on the look out for a Robert Saul and Mary JOHNSTON who had a son William born in England c1801.

Member Clive Saul has been very active in researching the Cumberland Sauls. His ancestors were mostly of the Quaker tradition and recently Clive has sent me a family tree showing the results of his research. I believe he has been collaborating with a Dr Orme, with whom I had correspondence some years ago. I have done a good deal of research myself on the Quaker Sauls so Clive and I are currently comparing notes. The large number of Sauls in Cumberland makes research difficult and I believe both our charts contain a certain amount of speculation. However they form a very good base upon which to build.

Several new interesting enquiries have been received. A particularly interesting one was from a Marcus Prior Saul. After an initial hiccup I have now been able to speculate on the connection. Marcus’ great great grandfather was George Prior Saul who married in West Ham in 1907. It looks at though he was originally of Nottingham and if my speculation is correct was the son of a James and Emma. James was born in Askern, Yorkshire around 1836 so looks like the son of James Saul and Isabella Hemsworth. I have given Marcus the GRO references he will need to confirm my speculation. Askern is in what I call the "Doncaster area".

Another enquiry came from Kathy Saul in Canada whose grandfather was Donovan Charles Saul. All she knew was that he might have come from Yorkshire. I knew exactly who her grandfather was as it connects with the family tree of Les Saul. I was therefore able to tell Kathy that the connection was Norfolk and not Yorkshire. I understand that Kathy and Les have now been in contact.

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