SOLE HERALDIC EVIDENCE

by Armando Framarini

 This article was originally published in the August 2010 edition of Soul Search, the journal of The Sole Society

In my previous letter I included the Will of John Sowle, the wax seal of "de Sole" merchant recorded at CBG Archives(CBG.nl website) and arms of Saulisse family recorded in:

"Le jardin d'armoiries contenant les armes de plusieurs Nobles Royaumes & Maisons de Germanie Inferieure" by Jean Lautte in 1567.

In no way do I imply that any of these in my opinion are connected to George Soule of the Mayflower. I simply donated the information to the Sole Society in case it may help in research of any of the many variants that are being researched. The will of John Sowle may be connected but must be researched first. I have also donated the wills of a John Soll and the will of John van Soldt to a member who requested them. These also have to be researched.

Please forgive me for not being a member of the Sole Society, Soule Kindred, and any Mayflower organizations. I am currently unemployed and simply cannot afford to join. My unemployment has given me the time to research and things that I cannot find a link to my "van Soldt/Solt/Sold family" but may be connected to your Soule/Sole research, I just simply contribute to you.

Today I contribute the following from the 1405 "Wapen Boeck" of Cornelis van Aeken ( known as the Armorial Bayeren it was incorrectly bound in 1581). 2 arms with both individuals name "her Willam van Soles".

1) Willam van Soles> 14 bars (stripes) SILVER and BLUE, upon it a Rampant lion RED with a crown and claws of GOLD....To me this arms indicates a strong relation to Belgium/Luxembourg region. Not sure if connected to the second Willam van Soles, but I think a strong possibility!

2) Willam van Soles> 6 bars(stripes) Silver and Red.

This one may be of interest to you and is of great interest to me because "van Soldt" family arms has Silver and Red bars in its arms. On the same page you will notice the of "her Richaert van Bruis". I think this is a connection to the Scottish arms of the Soules and Bruce(de Brus) families who I believe were of the Flemish region. In the 2006 book "Scotlands Historic History" by Bruce A. McAndrew is identical to SIR William de Soules, Lord of Liddesdale who died in 1292/3. This picture maybe of the recording a Major tournament in 1278 in which 4 Scottish Knights took part in, called Tournoi de Compiegne. Here "SIR" William (english) or "her/heer"Willam (dutch) is recorded in french, "Le Sire" Guilame de Soles arms; Barry of Six Argent and Gules. In the same Wapen Boeck is the arms of van Loon/Loen which arms is a Barry of 10(stripes) Gold and Gules, and is connected to the "van Solt' family arms. English history records the van Loon name under variants. 

3)Soules Arms> (Argent 3 bars Gules) as described in the 1830 book "The British herald, or Cabinet of armorial bearings of the nobility & gentry of Great Britain & Ireland" by the ENGRAVER Thomas Robson. This under the first Soules arms description which is "Soules[Lord Liddesdale] Ermine 3 chevron Gules"

Scottish Soules may have migrated towards England. If they are like my Merchant van Soldt/Solt family who travelled to all parts of Europe, England would have been a short journey from Scotland.

Soules Arms (Argent 3 bars Gules)

One final contribution is of John Solt of Dulwich Manor which may be a Sole or Soule and warrant's further research. If John Solt is a "van Soldt/Solt" who had a 50 year lease on Dulwich Manor which expired in 1546, this means 1496 would be earliest evidence of van Soldt family in England. It may have been a brother or relative to Paulus van Solt's(b1514) father Willem. But I presently cannot confirm this and actually may think Solt maybe SOLE.

A little research on Dulwich Manor and surrounding area reveals Edward Allen (should be Allyen I think Dutch) buys it from Calton a goldsmith (who bought it from John Solt) and loads the place with Dutch and Flemish art which it still has at Dulwich College. In the area is a Mill Pond and a Mill. A large Flemish community came there in 1400's. In the 1500's made bricks, tile, and delftware in the kilns there. Henry Jacob in this area gets a group of persecuted protestants permission to leave England and head to Plymouth Rock in America on the Mayflower. This area also a ship building area which built several for the Dutch East India Company! During 1500's Dutch craftsmen set up many businesses here to sell there craft's.

The van Soldt merchant family were art dealers, dealt in jewels and precious metals, ran Mill operations, Silk weavers, and operated printing presses. Also a major share holder of the VOC/Dutch East India Company and insured a few of there ships.

David Otgher (family also recorded as Otger/Otgar/Odger/Ootgheer/Otgeer from Flanders) married to a van Soldt worked for the VOC and had a difficult time trying to sell a ship called the "MAYFLOWER". After selling it another acquired ship by the VOC may have taken on the same name.

I do wonder if Henry Jacob is related to Phillip Jacobson which was the Kings Jeweler and also married to a van Soldt. He was from the Jacobs/Jacobs/Jacobsz family from Antwerp.

I hope you find this of interest.