SOUL in Gloucestershire

[Tim Soles]

My origins are in this very large family tree held in The Sole Society's (http://www.sole.org.uk)records.

I am also a classic example of how the spelling of this surname can change: my name is SOLES, my father was SOLE, and my grandfather a SOUL.

Many of my ancestors were agricultural labourers, and in fact even my father spent a short time working at the Walter Harvey & Son pheasant farm at Great Rollright near Chipping Norton when he first left school.

At the moment the family tree can be traced back to Edward Soul who was born at Yanworth in about 1755. He married Elizabeth Walter at Burford in 1787 and they had 10 children. I think I am right in saying that we have no reliable evidence of Edward's parents at the moment.

Through the Gloucestershire record office (http://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=1348), I was lucky to find Edward and Elizabeth on a Poor Law Removal Order from Chedworth to Sherborne in 1794. The Settlement Order for Sherborne is dated 23 November 1796 so these matters clearly took a while to organise.

I am very pleased to be involved with The Sole Society and the excellent work they do in researching these names. I have no doubt that this new forum will lead to an even better exchange of information and further growth in the Society's already extensive records.

Tim Soles

[Angela Moorefield]

Hi Tim
I'm not sure how to pass this information on. I found it when looking for ancestors of Josiah Saul of Ashleworth, but it doesn't connect into my family tree. I hope it may help someone else.

My family are Sauls not Souls, but I have some early Sole information from Worcestershire/ North Gloucestershire which someone may be able to link to.

The earliest records I have are from Redmarley d'Abitot:
Marriage 3/6/1588 between Roger Soule and Helene Angeworth als Angell
Children Helene b1588 died 1612
Alice b1589 m Martin Perry 4/11/1619
John b1591 died 1612
George b1593
Richard b1596
Joane b1598 married Richard Beck 2/11/1622
Whilst there is no marriage record for Richard Soule, the births of his children are recorded. These are:
Eleanor b1628 died 1631
Margaret b1629 died 1630
James b1631
Johan b1638
Ales b1640 died 1673.

Roger Soule died in 1634
Helene Soule died in 1631

Chaceley Parish records
John Soule married Jane Cowper 5/12/1592
Jane Soule died 1617
John Soule married Joane Wilse 1618
John Soule b1620
Marriage Joane Soule and John Peirce 1641

Elmstone Hardwick
Ann Soul buried 14/5/1744
Ann b1747 daughter of William and Ann Soul
Elizabeth b1748 daughter of William and Ann Soul
1748 Burial Mary Soul
Mary b1751 daughter of William and Ann Soul
William b1759 son of William and Ann Soul
William Soul was buried 8/11/1766
Ann Sowl buried 29/11/1795

Tirley Parish Records
Marriage Charles Saul or Soul to Esther Long of Staunton 16/11/1806
Children Catherine b1807
William b1809
I am very much hoping that someone can connect to this, as it is the only piece of evidence that doesn't really fit with my own family tree!!!!!

Hope these may match with someone's chart. Please feel free to pass on any information which may be of use.

Angela Moorefield

[Maureen Storey]

Hello Angela
Thank you for the Soul data from Redmarley D'Abitot, Chaceley and Elmstone Hardwick. Unfortunately, as is so often the case, we have still to bridge the gap between pre- and post-Commonwealth records ofr these families, and have not yet been able to link any of them with the Souls of today, though we remain hopeful of doing so eventually.

I also haven't been able to link Charles and Esther Saul/Soul of Tirling into any of our Soul families, though if they are Sauls they will be in John Slaughter's database rather than mine.

Thank you again for the information and if you come across any other Soul information in your researches we'd be very grateful if you would tell us about it.

Regards
Maureen Storey

[Angela Moorefield]

Hi Maureen
Sorry, I should have made the information on Charles Sole clearer.
Marriage record: 16 November 1806 in Staunton, Worcs:
Charles Sole of the parish of Tirley in the County and Diocese of Gloucester, a batchelor and Esther Long of this parish a spinster were married by banns in the presence of William Taylor and Ann Taylor.
Birth records in Tirley:
4 Oct1807 Catherine daughter of Charles and Esther Sole or Saul
16 July 1809 William son of Charles and Esther Sole or Saul.
I couldn't find a record of the birth of Charles Sole in Tirley. I was curious about this family in particular as one of the Ashleworth Sauls, Martha, moved to Tirley, and Charles looks a reasonable candidate to be a brother to Josiah Saul of Ashleworth, but there doesn't appear to be any link. At the time of the 1841 census, there were a number of Sauls/Souls living in the area around Tirley who were not connected to the family in Ashleworth, presumably descendants of Charles.
If I turn up any further records I will pass them on.
Angela

[Gary Allison]

Hi. Looking for info re Hannah Soul(s) who m. William Cowley 24/8/1709. Her parents were Samuel Souls & Ann Pope. Hannah was b.c. 1688 at Coaley. Any help would be much appreciated.

Regards,

Gary,

Australia.

[Maureen Storey]

Gary
Hannah does appear in the Sole Society records but unfortunately we have no more details about her and her parents than you. There are other Souls in Coaley at the same time but how (and if) they are related is still uncertain.
Maureen Storey

[Gary Allison]

Hi Maureen.

Thanks very much for that. I have found that the Pope family went back a while but as you say who is the right Pope or Souls. The names are rather ironic given that they just have elected the new Pope who is meant to save souls.

Cheers,

Gary.