By Bob Solly
Continuing on from the February 2010 report about Michael Becker Solly and further to previous references to Hannah Becker (Solly), Peter Wilkinson has done further investigation. Using the records found by LucyAnn Curling in her recent (15-18 Feb 2010) visit to the Canterbury Archives one tentative reconstruction of our Hannah Solley’s origins may be as follows:
Father: Stephen Solley – born ?; married Elizabeth Chandler, 23 June 1783 at ?; died ? Note: Name of father is confirmed in death record (Victoria, Australia) of Hannah Becker (Solley) in 1874
Mother: Elizabeth Chandler – born ? at Preston, Kent ; married Stephen Solley, 23 June 1783; died ? Note: That Elizabeth is Hannah’s mother is not yet confirmed, but it is quite possible that she is.
Siblings: Stephen Solley – baptized 22 May 1785
Thomas I Solly – baptized 1 November 1786
Thomas II Solly – baptized 20 April 1788
Elizabeth Solly – baptized 1 May 1791
Ann Solley – baptized 20 January 1797
James Solley – baptized 27 October 1799
It is quite possible that ANN SOLLEY, baptized 20 January 1797, is our HANNAH SOLLEY. In my narrative, after examining all the potential dates for Hannah’s birth, I come to the conclusion that 1795 or 1796 are the most likely years of Hannah’s birth which closely corresponds with the birth year of Ann Solley.
It should also be remembered that Hannah Solley’s daughter, Hannah Becker, who died at Geelong in Victoria, Australia was recorded as “ANN Becker” in her death record. However amongst the records unearthed by LucyAnn there is a Burial Record for an Ann Solly, age 11, on 26 November 1807 at Ash-next-Sandwich, which could be the Ann Solley baptized in Jan 1797.
Regarding Thomas I and Thomas II, this renaming of a subsequent child with the same name of a sibling who had died as an infant, is quite common. However, I cannot find a record of the death of the earlier Thomas among LucyAnn’s notes.
We were also sent the early Ash Parish records and I wrote back about how we acquired the original family group records:
I went some years ago to meet with the lady in charge of the records for Ash who at that time would not let anyone copy them. She did however allow me to look at all the records up to about 1700 which she had arranged into families of Solley. By virtue of letting Elizabeth keeping her in conversation, I managed to copy by hand most of those early records. We later checked them with the BT’s in Canterbury and they form the basis of the early family trees
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From Della Edrington:
I am researching my great-great grandfather, Frederick Flood, and found your contact information on the Sole Society webpage. I suspect my Frederick Flood is not the subject of the article printed in November 1999, but wanted to confirm this. My ancestor was Frederick Swift Flood, son of Valentine Flood, MD. Frederick was born on 31 August 1834 in Dublin, Ireland. He married Sarah Ann Maudsley in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia on 2 April, 1856. He died on July 17, 1907 in Sydney, Australia.
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From Tony Broomfield:
I came across your website when somebody sent me a notice about the death of Sarah Solly who died in a fire in 1877. I got that because I am researching the Pritchard family and Sarah was daughter of Thomas Pritchard. Research Reports 16 I am now e-mailing you because I came across a reference that you probably have but just in case you don’t I thought to contact you.
Bob Solly replied: I don’t have any details of the incident relating to the fire, but have a record of the marriage of Thomas Solley and Sarah Pritchard on 11 Oct 1769 (Minster on Thanet ) – so I guess the incident was not connected. I also show three children Thomas, Sarah and Mercy – she had two children but I have no information on the father. We are always interested in any Soll(e)y connections so let me know any more info.
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From Lucy-Ann Curling: The photo postcard is from 22 December 1913 – 37 Buckland Avenue, Dover – and features Mr & Mrs G Solly and dog. It celebrates the Golden Wedding of Mr & Mrs G Solly who were married at Hove Church, Brighton on 22 December 1863
From Sue Sutton: I have been a member of the Sole Society since its inception – because my maiden Research Reports Mr & Mrs G Solly and dog 17 name was Susan Sole. I am a Kentish Sole so have been in touch with Bob Sheldon and he has visited us here in New Zealand. So obviously the Soles are on my paternal side.
I also have Solleys in my family. These are on my maternal side and I have only recently discovered them. My mother’s gt-gt-gt grandfather was a John Eastland and a researcher has recently found his marriage to Elizabeth Solly in Woodnesborough on 12 Oct 1807. I have always known the rough marriage date but not her maiden name so this is exciting as my mother’s family tree is very sparse!!
Of course there is an immediate problem as Elizabeth says her birth place is Ash next Sandwich so I have to try and find her baptism as her age varies on the 1841 to 1871 censuses, suggesting a birth date of 1784 to 1787. I think she is possibly the daughter of John Solley and his 2nd (?) wife Sarah Lawrence, bap 28 Dec 1783 in Ash. I wonder if you have her on your records.
Moreover, I am researching my husband’s family and he has Solleys too, so there is yet another connection with the Sole Society!! Good value for money. My husband is connected through Harriot Solley, bap 2 Mar 1823 in Preston. She married John Sutton in Preston on 1 June 1846. I have Harriot as the daughter of John Solley, born 1782 in Preston, and his second wife Martha Prett. Can you confirm this for me?
Bob replied: I have started checking the records. First the easy one – Harriot Solley is the daughter of John Solley & Martha Prett. He was shown as a widower when he married Martha, but we do not know who his first wife was. I have found an Elizabeth Solly who was born in Woodnesborough on 9 March 1788. She was the daughter of James Solly b 19 Apr 1761 and Anna Pay. A John Solley was a witness to this marriage in Ash on 30 October 1784. You are also correct about the other Elizabeth’s details. I can give more ancestral details if you wish.
Sue Sutton replied: The other Solley family was a surprise. When I read the Ash film at our local Family History Centre it appeared to have most of the marriages for the period about 1780 missing. Because my mother’s family (BUBB) had a marriage in that period I got a researcher to check the records at Canterbury but she didn’t pick up the Solley marriage (probably because I didn’t ask her!!).
Anyhow, if it is possible I would like some further details about John Solley who married Anna Pay. There seem to be so many Solleys and I know someone in Ash has done a lot of research into the family.
I have been looking at my records regarding John Solley who married Martha Prett. I have a copy of a Solly Genealogy from the Society of Genealogists – I believe this was sent to me by someone else doing the Sutton research (my husband’s name) and the family that Harriett Solley married into.
On this family chart it shows that John Solley (bap 4 Aug 1782 in Preston) was married to Sarah Fagg (born about 1787) on 10 Nov 1804 in Preston next Wingham. They had two children, John bap about 1806 and Sarah bap 31 Jul 1808 both in Preston. Both John and Sarah (children) were buried on 28 April 1815 at Preston. Sarah Solley nee Fagg was buried 11 Jan 1815 at Preston aged 28. Presumably they all died of smallpox or some such disease. John then married Martha Prett on 16 Oct 1816 at Preston.
Bob Solly replied: I do have the same information and John Solley’s chart goes back a great deal further. I am not sure where the chart came from – it was one of those constructed from an original chart together with information about Stephen Sollye and Mildred Cocke whose marriage was in 1578.
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To: Barbara Metcalfe
I am pleased to hear that you are interested in the Solly name. Although I do not have much information about Solly in Cumbria, we do hold a great deal about the Kent Solly name. If you send me some detail of your family, then I will try and assist with your research.
From Stephen Taylor: I have been researching my CANNEY forbears in Deal, and would like to know more about the family of Stephen Solley [1819] who married a Louisa Canney. I did get some information form Sue Solley last year but I seemed to have lost contact with her, or she was too busy to reply. I have some information linking the CLARINGBOLDS with the SOLLEY clan, but have a number of gaps in my charts for the 18th and 19th centuries. I would be delighted to have any information you may have about ELIZABETH SOLLY [1757] the daughter of STEPHEN SOLLY [KU152] as I have her married to John Claringbold [1758] on 7.10.1783, and I am trying to discover whether he is a sibling of Mary Claringbold who married a Richard Ladd Canney in that era. Any further leads would be most welcome.
Bob Solley says: Here is the GEDCOM file we were discussing – hope this helps. I have not been able to find an Elizabeth Solly b 1757 with father of Stephen. ????????
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From Karen Egan: I have seen on the Sole Society website that you previously had a Solly chart for Stephen & Jane Laslett of Ash, Kent and wondered if you could help at all.
I am trying to determine the exact year of birth for one of their children, Elizabeth Solly, who I have been led to believe from another family tree source married John Claringbold in 1783 in Ash. However, I have also seen that she is thought to possibly have married a Stephen Elgar, so would really like to clarify her date of birth if possible to help in further research
My charts say 16 Sep 1750. We have not established any other connection by marriage. I do not have a record of Stephen Elgar (although Solly’s have married other Elgars) or for Claringbold; although I have a record of John Cladenbole marrying E Solly on 7 Oct 1783 in Ash.