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

SOLES Co-ordinator's Report July 1996

By Bill Soles

In my report ‘My search for the roots of the Soles family’, I related the details of the life and death of Edward Oscar Soles, who emigrated to Massachusetts in 1842 with his brother William H Soles. Then, I was unable to say what happened to William H Soles and his son also called William H Soles. With the help of Sole Society member, Mrs Betty Gay (nee Soles) of Cincinnati, I am now able to report some interesting material on the life of William H Soles and his family.

William H Soles and Edward Oscar both worked for a firm of saw makers in West Cambridge, now Arlington. After a few years Edward Oscar went into business for himself as a purveyor of meal and provisions. William H stayed in the saw making business, became a foreman, and developed a ma­chine for grinding saw blades with great accuracy, an operation previously only done by hand. William, H Soles married twice. He had three daughters and one son (also William H Soles). He died in Arlington on 24 August 1888 after a long illness.

In his will, William H describes his son as being of Chicago. A search of the Census records of 1900 show William H Soules (a change of spelling) married to a German girl. He was born in Massachusetts with parents born in England. William H had a son George age 22 who was in business with William J Dorgan, artists' supplier.

The 1920 Census (Chicago) shows William H Soules age 64 and his wife Henrietta age 61, with daughters, Adaline age 37 and Mayme age 34, at home. The 1920 Census also shows George Soules age 41, with his wife Edith age 31, with daughter Adeline age 7 and sons Kenneth age 14 and Edward age 12. George appears to be a buyer for the Artists Supplies Company.

I now hope to do further research on this branch of the family.

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