Solley in East Kent

[Lynne Burlingham]

My particular interest is in Thomas and Elizabeth Solley of Richborough and their descendants - they are my 3xgreat-grandparents on my father's side. However, I admit to being easily sidetracked by almost anything to do with the name Solley/Solly in East Kent! My excuse is that, given the variations in spelling, you are never certain what may or may not be relevant.

I took over research into the family history after the death of my father Bill Solley in 1996. He had delved into the Solley family history on and off for many, many years, so I was lucky enough to inherit a wealth of information, documents and photographs etc. Over the last few years my own research has added considerably to the family tree helped not least by the general helpfulness and generosity of the many contacts I have made through the Sole Society and elsewhere. My research has also now extended into the other side of my father's family (Sidders and Attwood, also from East Kent), as well as my mother's family (Vaughan and Spencer, mainly from Derbyshire, but also including Kent, Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire!!).

To date, my Solley family tree goes back to around 1772, the probable date of birth of my 3xgreatgrandfather Thomas Solley of Richborough (c1772-1845). He married Elizabeth Smith (c1775-1845) at St. Nicholas, Ash on the 6 May 1794, the same day their eldest son Thomas was also baptised! There were another 12 children besides the eldest Thomas. Although I had names for Elizabeth's parents, of which more anon, like my father before me and others seeking the same information, it has proved very difficult to find Thomas's parents. So, at the start of 2005, I made a resolution to make a determined effort to this year, to try and solve the mystery. Despite picking up all sorts of snippets of interesting information along the way, as yet I am no nearer finding the answer, so the search will continue into 2006.

I have also taken a step backwards in that I find I am now also searching for Elizabeth's parents. Earlier this year I sent off for a copy of the Will of Crawford Smith, her supposed father, thinking it might contain some useful information. It did - but NOT what I was hoping for! It showed that, although Crawford Smith had a daughter Elizabeth, she was most definitely not the wife of Thomas Solley.

I have a copy of a letter written by George Christopher Solley referring to his grandmother (Elizabeth Solley, nee Smith) as 'one of the Smiths of Wingham Barton'. If anyone has come across mention of the Smiths of Wingham Barton, especially in the second half of the 18th century, or the names William Smith and/or Thomas Smith, which may also be connected, I would love to hear from them!

In the meantime the search goes on!

[chris arnold]

Hi Lynne

I have an interest in this family, albeit an indirect one.

I am particularly interested in Mary Ann Solley and William Burville, who were married at Ash in 1824. I am a direct descendant of one of William Burville's aunts, Elizabeth Burville from St Margaret's at Cliffe, however I am also in contact with distant cousins who are directly related to William.

William was born 1803 and christened at St Maragret's at Cliffe, the only surviving son of another William Burvill(e) and Susan Loud Wood, also both of St Margaret's at Cliffe. Both of these parents died when they were quite young and William was orphaned at three years of age.

However he was named as the sole beneficiary of his mother's will. While it is not clear what his inheritance involved, it appears to have been substantial.( Susan Loud Wood was part of a family of large landowners in various parishes). It is most likely that he was raised within the Wood family. When he was just twenty one years of age -- the year of his inheritance -- William marries Mary Ann Solley in Ash.

Between 1825 and 1839, they have seven children in Ash, however only three boys survive into adulthood. Of these two migrate to Australia and the third remains in England. All subsequently produced sizable families and hence the Burville/Solley line continues.

Mary Ann Burvill(e) nee Solley died in 1839, according to one source, from consumption.

William remarried, to Ann Darwin Smith in 1841. In the 1841 census, he and Ann are living in Ash Street, in the parish of Ash next Wingham, with his three sons, William, Wood and Walter. (Could she have been related to his mother in law?)

I am also curious as to where this residence precisely is, or was. There is an earlier entry on the Census page for a "George and Dragon", presumably the inn. However the closest George and Dragon I can find is in Sandwich, not the village of Ash.

Also the following entry in the census is for "Moat Farm" which is being occupied by a family and others, all agricultural labourers.

I am wondering whether William was the owner of this farm. One source mentions that one of the sons of William and Mary Ann Solley was born at "Mote House" in Ash in 1828.

Hopefully you can help me out here

I would appreciate anything that might throw some more light on the lives of William and Mary Ann. Although I am not directly descended, I am looking for any information that might might tell us more about his ancestors, particularly his grandfather, William Burwell (the spellings vary within the family) from St Margaret's.

The basic question I suppose is how did William and Mary Ann meet? What takes William from St Margaret's to Ash? Obviously there has been some prior connection before marriage. Does he inherit or buy property there? Or is there some other family connection with the area, or between the Woods or the Burvilles and the Solley family of Ash? I have always harboured the thought that William's grandfather could have originated from around Sandwich, but this is pure speculation.

Anyway, anything you can tell me about the Solley family and William would be greatly appreciated.

I have ged files relating to the Burville/Solley line that you might be interested in.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Regards

Chris Arnold,

Victoria, Australia

[ron sutton]

Hello Lynne, I am descended thomas&elizabeth through their daughter,Mary anne,who married william Burville ,atAsh in1824,their son,Wood Burville/Julia Mitchell& their daughter Clarette marie Burville,who married my grandfather,Robert Henry Millard Sutton on5-10-1904 at All Saints Church,Fulham.London. I hope I have it all right[I am new to computers&genealogy] best wishes, Ron

[Lynne Burlingham]

Hello Ron
Nice to hear from you. Thank you for the information. How much do you know about the Solley connection? Mary Ann was the second child of Thomas & Elizabeth, born 1795. Thomas & Elizabeth married at St Nicholas, Ash on 6 May 1794. Mary Ann died of consumption in 1839. She was one of 13 children. The Solley family lived at Castle Farm, Richborough, between Ash and Sandwich. William Burville married again but himself died of consumption in 1843. I have recently learned that William and Mary Ann lived, at least for a time, at Moat Farm, Ash. I have lots of information on the Solley family and some on the Burvilles but if you let me know what details you already have, I can perhaps fill in some of the gaps for you.

Best wishes,
Lynne

[ron sutton]

Hello again Lynne,I hope i do not disappoint you with my lack of knowledge. I know no more than Thomas& elizabeth are mary ann's parents. I know of their sons wood,william & walter,[burville]. Wood being my great grandfather,married to julia mitchell 1833?-june 1900.Their daughter,clarette marie1876-15 oct 1924.was my paternal grandmother,who married robert henry millard sutton,my g/father.Clarette had 5 siblings,alice[sung with d'oyle carte in drury lane 1874/5]arthur,alfred,charles&rachel.clarette & robert had 3 sons,robert francis miillard,william archer millard&henry wood millard,robert being my father. This may be not of any use to you,but if it is,i have BMD dates. One mystery for me is the millard name,we do not know the origins of it.The wood christian name i assume comes from susan loud wood,my great,great,great,great g/mother m to william burvill[e],son of william burwell of st margarets,[i have no dates].I am very grateful for the information you have given me & feel you have been"short changed".As i said this is all new to me & it was pure luck i found the sole forum.Once again,many thanks for the valuable information,best regards,Ron. ps we believe the sutton family may have links to the area.I remember visiting,at Bishopsbourne[onA2 south of canterbury] a luther millward who was a blacksmith& had done a lot of iron work in the cathedral.[this was in the 1950's],but we do not know if there is a family connections yet.

[Lynne Burlingham]

Hello again Ron

Thanks for the details on Clarette - things I didn't know about.

I forgot to mention Mary Ann's youngest brother George Solley (1815-1899). He took over Castle Farm when Thomas died in 1845. George's first wife was Mary Ann Files, formerly a servant on the Farm who bore him an illegitimate son William (my great-grandfather). She died in 1865 and in 1866 George married Selina Spooner. I have a copy of photograph of George & Selina taken in the studio of Wood Burville in Brompton Road, London, possibly to mark their marriage. Wood was also a Witness at their marriage. Did you know Wood was a photographer, although he subsequently went Bankrupt?

Best wishes
Lynne

[ron sutton]

hi again Lynne, I knew wood was a photographer in Chelsea ,but that was all i knew.Thanks again& i will come back to you when i have found new names/dates,regards, Ron

[ron sutton]

Hi Chris, I was very pleased to see your notes re Wood Burville & Mary Ann Solley.They are my great grandparents on my father's side.Their daughter, Clarette,my grandmother,& her son,Robert Francis Millard Sutton[Clarette having married Robert Henry Millard Sutton].My father,who had 2 brothers,William Archer Millard Sutton &Henry Wood Millard Sutton. I have Some info onWood Burville's siblings & ancestors,but only Mary Ann Solleys' parents. I hope this is of some help,my family is growing almost daily & I may have to buy an anorak, Best Wishes, Ron Sutton.

[Bob Solley]

My particular interest is in Thomas and Elizabeth Solley of Richborough and their descendants - they are my 3xgreat-grandparents on my father's side. However, I admit to being easily sidetracked by almost anything to do with the name Solley/Solly in East Kent! My excuse is that, given the variations in spelling, you are never certain what may or may not be relevant.

I took over research into the family history after the death of my father Bill Solley in 1996. He had delved into the Solley family history on and off for many, many years, so I was lucky enough to inherit a wealth of information, documents and photographs etc. Over the last few years my own research has added considerably to the family tree helped not least by the general helpfulness and generosity of the many contacts I have made through the Sole Society and elsewhere. My research has also now extended into the other side of my father's family (Sidders and Attwood, also from East Kent), as well as my mother's family (Vaughan and Spencer, mainly from Derbyshire, but also including Kent, Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire!!).

To date, my Solley family tree goes back to around 1772, the probable date of birth of my 3xgreatgrandfather Thomas Solley of Richborough (c1772-1845). He married Elizabeth Smith (c1775-1845) at St. Nicholas, Ash on the 6 May 1794, the same day their eldest son Thomas was also baptised! There were another 12 children besides the eldest Thomas. Although I had names for Elizabeth's parents, of which more anon, like my father before me and others seeking the same information, it has proved very difficult to find Thomas's parents. So, at the start of 2005, I made a resolution to make a determined effort to this year, to try and solve the mystery. Despite picking up all sorts of snippets of interesting information along the way, as yet I am no nearer finding the answer, so the search will continue into 2006.

I have also taken a step backwards in that I find I am now also searching for Elizabeth's parents. Earlier this year I sent off for a copy of the Will of Crawford Smith, her supposed father, thinking it might contain some useful information. It did - but NOT what I was hoping for! It showed that, although Crawford Smith had a daughter Elizabeth, she was most definitely not the wife of Thomas Solley.

I have a copy of a letter written by George Christopher Solley referring to his grandmother (Elizabeth Solley, nee Smith) as 'one of the Smiths of Wingham Barton'. If anyone has come across mention of the Smiths of Wingham Barton, especially in the second half of the 18th century, or the names William Smith and/or Thomas Smith, which may also be connected, I would love to hear from them!

In the meantime the search goes on!

My two brothers Howard,Alan,and myself Robert are also descendants of the Solley's from Richborough and I can give you info to take you back a further two generations thanks to my late Father and my step mothers search back in the 1980's, I will consult the family tree and will be back. Thomas's father was Henry Solley 1744-1780' who married Mary Andrews on the 8th of November 1770. Henry's father was Thomas Solly 1716 - ???? Who married Mercy Petley ( perhaps the supplier of the e in Solley ) Thomas's father was Thomas Solly buried in Ash in 1722 he Married Mary Eacey on the 16 th of June 1709 in Canturbury. My two brothers and I have seven sons between us so the name goes on.