This article was originally published in the March 1997 edition of Soul Search, the journal of The Sole Society.

At one point in the last magazine it was mentioned about the name SOULE being changed in spelling to SOUL, and when?

My line goes thus in the Olney, Buckinghamshire group:

William Soule,1635‑1669

Cornelius Soule, 1665‑1732

William Soule, 1691‑1751

Richard Soule (lace‑buyer), 1734‑1783

John Soul, 1775‑1858

Thomas Petit Soul, 1809‑1885

Joseph Brooks Soul, 1843‑1901

Ellen Josephine Soul (m. Brown), 1886‑1969

Helene Brown (m. Weaver), 1927‑

Dr. Carl Weaver, 1949‑

Kaiden Weaver, 1987‑

This seems to indicate when our line changed the spelling.

Helene Weaver

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I am currently reading a fascinating (to me) book called The Stripping of the Altars, an account of traditional religion in England in the late mediaeval and early post Reformation times. The author quotes the will of a York metalworker in 1516 who stipulated that:

I wit to be done for my saull and all Christyn saulles the day of my beryall v masses of the v woundes of our Lord Jhesu.

An interesting example of an overlap between SAUL and SOUL in a context other than that of surnames! 

John Saul

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