Two Isaac Sollys
By George Solly
This article was published in the August 2016 edition of Soul Search, the journal of The Sole Society
Following on from the report in the December issue of Soul Search of Bob Solly's talk on Isaac Solly which he gave at the Annual Gathering article I recently visited the impressive family tomb in the graveyard of St Mary's, Walthamstow.
Solly Family tomb in the graveyard of St Mary’s Walthamstow
The photograph shows its unusual lion's feet design and a now
illegible legend on the side detailing children and spouses also
there interred. In fact there were three generations of Isaacs, the
one featured prominently here is Isaac, the first of the family's
Baltic merchants who died in 1802. He was the father of Isaac (II)
who was director of the London and Birmingham Railway as described
in Bob's talk. Perversely, although the first Isaac predeceased his
wife by 17 years she is simply described as Mrs. Solly (whom we know
to be Elizabeth, neé Neal) which may be indicative of the status of
women in the late Regency period!
The vault's lions' heads
and feet symbolically mean 'the power of God guarding against
evil.' Isaac (I) and Elizabeth had six sons and six daughters, some
of whom are buried there. I am related to these Isaacs by common
ancestor John Solly, 1660-1740 who married Martha LeGay. I am the
eighth generation following John, and Isaac(II) is the third. This
tomb is quite photogenic through its uniqueness and several
instances of it occur on the Internet on photographic not
genealogical websites. This tomb is further unusual in being a
listed monument, Grade II. Also of note is the degraded coat of arms
on the tomb which appear to show the crest my part of the family
uses quartered with those of another families, perhaps including the
Neals.
In St. Mary's the verger told me that Walthamstow was
once a secluded village in Epping Forest much favoured by merchants
such as my Baltic Merchant forebears whose place of business in the
City of London is now the site of the Gherkin which Tony Storey
wrote about some time ago. All three Isaacs (the third died in 1870)
would have had to go the 10 miles by road to their office, as the
railway didn't reach Walthamstow until 1870 and the second Isaac's
London to Birmingham Railway of 1838 ran far too far to the west to
be any use.
Nearby, the Sollys lived at Layton House from
about 1801 to 1838, which was subsequently owned by William Morris
of Arts and Craft's fame, but later demolished at the start of the
last century. Henry Solly, founder of the Working Men's Clubs was
great grandson of the first Isaac. In his memoirs Henry talks about
his grandmother ' ...a stately and rather severe old lady, attired
in magnificent yellow silk brocade, as she appeared at Layton House
on the Christmas Day when I was five years old, and was led up to
her to receive the Golden Guinea which she gave all her numerous
grandchildren every Christmas Day till her death. Unfortunately for
me, being the youngest of my father's family, she died before
another Christmas Day came around. 1
Reference: 1. These
Eighty Years, or The story on an unfinished life’ by Henry Solly,
published 1893 by Simpkin, Marshall & Co.
St Mary’s Walthamstow
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