By George Solly
By George SollyI have had various interesting email correspondence in the last few weeks, including:
From Dr. Elizabeth Weiser of Ohio;
Hello. I seem to have picked up at my parish book give-away the handwritten 1833 travel journal of one of the daughters of Edward Solly the merchant. I am not 100% sure, but someone in the past (not the original author) has written their names in the front of the journal, and the journal itself is written by a young woman in an educated, connected British family spending many months in Germany in 1833, with the names Papa, Edward, and Annette mentioned frequently. An enclosed note from her also indicates that “We left England in June 1826 and stayed at Berlin till the beginning of June 1828. The same year we went at the beginning of August to Holland, and returned about the middle of October. The end of June 1833 – end of October 1833” (these last are the dates of the journal as well). I would guess the writer is in her late teens/early 20s, with Annette a bit younger and Edward a child. Your family website has given me enough clues into them all that I imagine they are likely to be the Solly family. I would be happy to scan the journal for you all, but I also wonder if you have further information on the lives of the daughters of Edward Solly. It seems Annette married in 1839(?) and Sarah & Lavinia sold the family art collection in 1847, but that is all I see of them on the website. Having read the delightful musings of this Sarah or Lavinia, I am quite curious to see how they lived the rest of their lives.
My response:
I’ve done some research on Edward Solly 25.04.1776 – 2.12.1844:
He was the 5th son of Isaac Solly, Baltic Merchant and married:
- Maria-Lavinia Pohl of Danzig (then Germany, now Poland), resulting in
Lavinia 1802-1871, unmarried born Middlesex
Sarah 1804-1879, unmarried born Danzig
2 further children died in infancy - Charlotte-Augusta Krugar, three children:
Annetta married Dr Royle
Louisa-Augusta died infant and
Edward
Few official records can I find except for the 1861 Census, where both Sarah and Lavinia were living in 12 Caledonia, Clifton, Bristol with Elizabeth A. Solly born Middlesex 1828 and all described as ‘Landed Proprietor’
By the 1871 Census only Sarah remains in Clifton, now in 13 West Street described as ‘Fundholder and Householder.’ Previous census returns for 1841 and 1851 have no record of Lavinia.
From new member, Susan Allen;
I am interested in a son of George Solly of Sandwich – Joseph Solly 1809-1871, hosier, who married Sarah Cooke 1808-1891 on 2/10/1832 at St. Marks, Kennington.
St Mark’s, Kennington, where Joseph Solly and Sarah Cooke married. Reproduced with kind permission of the church
She was a sister of Benjamin Cooke of Heath House, Blackheath, Lewisham, ship owner, and I have done a lot of research about his family. (His eldest daughter married one of my husband’s great Uncles and the connections are fascinating – Brunel, Steavenson, Mitford,Kearsey. Heath House was owned by Joseph Solly (as well as properties on Shooters Hill and Gweedore Lodge, Lee) and I wondered if anybody has done any work on his life.
Sarah’s father was a George Cooke of Saracens Yard in the East End and I think the families must have known each other quite well. George married an Elizabeth but I don’t think she was the father of his children.
I wondered if you are aware that In Powys there is an archive known as the Lewis Lloyd collection and there are quite a few items in the catalogue that may interest members. It was there I found out Sarah and Benjamin Cooke’s sister Mary Ann, married Josiah Nice a vet from Great Bradley Hall near Newmarket, Suffolk.
Joseph died on 25th June 1871 and in the Probate Index George Whiteus Cooke is one of Benjamin’s sons, hence Joseph’s nephew, as stated.
Any information about Joseph Solly would be very helpful.
My response:
Our records hold little on Joseph Solly other than he was married to Sarah Cooke as stated 2/10/1832 (our ref 3933)
My own research indicates that George, his father (1780-1842) was married to Sarah Elgar 24.04.1802, and George’s father Joseph was born in Wingham 1751 -1806.
It is perhaps likely that your line and mine are related (common ancestor John Solly, 1660-1745?) but I need to do a lot more research on that when I have time before I can confirm anything.
But for Joseph himself I’m afraid I have very little. Hope this is of some help.