John Sollers - Sorting out the Sollers between England & America

Recently sorted out Mary Brewer from Mary Brewer. They'd gotten tangled up via the Stockett connection (Ms. Williams' mother was a Stockett and a close relative of Ms. Stockett's mother).

Thank you for your prompt and courteous response.

I'll break this up into several emails but basically, I believe there are only two early Sollers families, one in England and one in Maryland. Both are almost certainly related, though the exact relationship is unproven.

SUMMARY

To help sort these early Sollers, here is an overview:

Robert Sollars, Gent. of Kempley, Worcester England, b. ca 1595 d. 1653 m. Anne Childe and had several sons, (but apparently NOT a son named John Sollers).

One of Robert Sollar "Sr."'s son was Robert "Jr." who marrried Hester Poole in 1661.

John Sollers of Maryland was already in Maryland records as an adult in 1662, so he obviously was not the son of either Robert.

This John Sollers was a witness in Maryland by 1661, a Juror in Anne Arundel by 1662, a Gentlemen Justice of Calvert County in 1675, etc . He was probably born ca 1635. He married Anne (Sabrett/Sabrell?) in 1676/77, the widow of Jeremiah Sullivan. John Sollers and Anne's first son Robert Sollers was born ca 1677, then Anne, Mary, Elizabeth, Verlinda and finally Sabrett Sollers b. ca 1697. All of these surviving children are named in John Sollers'' 1699 will as well as other records.

The eldest son of John Sollers of Maryland b. ca 1635 above was Robert Sollers b. 1677. He is the father of John Sollers b. 1698/9, Robert Sollers, II b. ca 1702 and others. It is a little confusing because this John and Robert II were about the same age as their uncle Sabrett, who was born 20 years after his brother and their father. (Not to make it even more complex, but the John b. 1698 is often thought to have died about 1738. I found the records that this assumption was based upon, and it appears he dide not die but instead left the area after some type of scandal/bankrupty etc. This makes it more likely that he is the same John Sollers who appears in Frederick Co, VA by 1748 and is the progentitor through a second wife of Sabrett Sollars of TN and MO and many other Sollers lines.)

I believe that the (multiple) profiles of a John Sollers of Maryland b. 1662 are in error and they are mistakenly conflated with John Sollers b. 1635 d. 1699. This may have been done to try and fit him in as a son of Robert Sollers apothecary and Hester Poole who were marred in 1661 as shown above. But again, John Sollers of Maryland was already an adult at this time. Similarly there was no John Thomas Sollers etc. There are several similar profiles on Geni, some with different birthdates etc., but if they refer to the early Maryland family I believe they can all can be merged into a main, well sourced profile and tree.

THE ENGLISH SOLLERS

The two English Robert Sollers, Kempsey, Worcester

Robert Sollers, Gent. married Ann Childe on January 22, 1617 at Kempsey, Worcester, England. source Kempsey Parish records.

The will of Robert Sollers, Gent. of Kempsey was probated in the Perogative Court of Canterbury on February 25, 1653/4. It leaves bequests to his wife Anne, his two surviving sons, Robert Sollers and William Sollers, and a deceased son Thomas Sollers, who had an underage son (i.e. the testator's grandson) also named Robert, who was elsewhere called "Robert Sollers the younger." The will also confirms a daughter Elizabeth Sollers who married Richard Hazzard, and a deceased daughter who married Humphrey Fowler. This document further mentions a brother William Sollers of the testatpr Robert Sollers, Gent. , and that William's daughter was Anne Sollers.

The contents of the will make it fairly clear Robert Sollers Sr., Gent. was an apothecary (druggist), which was a very highly respected professsion at the time. There is no mention whatsoever of a John Sollers, even though Robert Sr. apparently named all of his children, even including his deceased children. So there is no evidence, let alone proof, that Robert Sr. (ca 1595-1653) is John's father, in fact there is contra evidence.

The marriage of the second Robert, "Robert Jr." comes from "Marriage Licences of the Diocean Registry at Worcester, reprinted in "The Genealogist," v. 6, page 183:

"June 21, 1661 ....Robert Sollers of Worcester, apothecary, about 24 married Hester Poole , 17, daughter of William Poole of Honeybourne. Notice Robert Jr. is also an apothecary like his father.

The will of Robert Sollers "the younger" of the City of Worcester, son of Thomas, deceased above, and grandson of Robert Sollers, Gent. (ca 1595-1653), was wriiten October 16, 1666, and probated in the Perogative Court of Canterbury. This will confirms the relationships detailed in Robert Sr,'s d. 1653's will. It lists all this Robert the younger's five uncles, including William Sollers, Robert Sollers Jr. and Richard Hazzard husband of Elizabeth Sollers. A number of other cousins, nieces and nephews were also included. Again, no mention of a John Sollers.

While not of this immediate family, there was almost certainly a relationship. We know John Sollers must be from the same area as the above family, since in his will written in 1668 and probated in 1672, Anthony Salway, Gent. of Anne Arundel Co, MD, refers to John Sollers of Maryland as his "kinsman," which usually meant nephew at this time, (For example in his 1653/4 will above, Robert Sollers, Sr. refers to his niece Anne Sollers as his kinswoman). Anthony Salway left John Sollers 50 acres of land in Maryland, which John was "clearing". Anthony's brother Richard Salway of Worcester, Gent. sued John Sollers shortly thereafter. Anthony Salway, Gent. came from a very prominent family, and was buried in Severn Stokes, Worcester, England alongside his ancestors. Severn Stokes happens to be the very next village to Kempsey. only about three miles away.

There is a book on line that can be googled, Sollers Family History volume 2. It mistakely has the John Sollers who married Anne Sabrett as b. 1662 , son of Robert and Hester Poole. However looking past this, it does have quite a bit of interesting Sollers family information in England. It somewhat conclusively shows that this is a very uncommon and ancient surname that seems to be concentrated in one area of England,

Hopefully all of this is somewhat helpful. I will send further details on the American Sollers separately.

As one 'starting point', I've added "of Calvert County" to this profile, John Sollers, of Calvert County, MD, with no parents. This is the profile which Michael asserts was b.c.1635 - d.1699, with wife Anne Sollers.
The Robert b.1677 (Robert Sollers, Sr.) is attached as his son, with Robert's wife Mary Sollers.

Next step (I think) is to get all of this John's children & grand-children attached to him. Then we can go back to the various other "Robert's" and that lineage.

FYI: There was a reference to John of Calvert County's plantation being near "Hunting Creek Hundred or Hunting Creek".

I found there is a book about "Hunting Creek Hundred" of Calvert County, MD, (on the western shore, the Annapolis/Washington side) but be also aware that a location known as "Hunting Creek" a.k.a. Linchester, is in Caroline County, MD (on the eastern shore, halfway to the Delaware state line).

I've not yet found the referenced book "Sollers Family History volume 2"; can a link be posted here?

Thank you Dan Cornett I was having a hard time finding it as well.

https://www.genealogytoday.com/surname/finder.mv?Surname=Sollers

Based on the will, and then subsequent other matches, I currently have the children of John Sollers, of Calvert County, MD & Anne Sollers as:
-- Robert Sollers, Sr. m. Mary Sollers
-- Anne Lyle m. Samuel Lyle
-- Mary Sollers
-- Maj. Sabrett Sollers, I m. Mary Sollars
-- Verlinda Clagett m. John Clagett
and
-- Elizabeth Cecil m. John Cecil

The 'grandchidren' mostly came from matches to existing branches (and a few from SmartMatches).

So, if some folks can dig into their references and help verify dates & locations, then we can start locking down this branch of the Sollers / Sollars / Sellars / .... originating in or near Anne Arundel County, MD. (... and attaching sources, please!!)

Keri and Dan here is the link. Let me know if it works. As I say they mistakenly repeat John Sollers of Maryland as being the son of Robert and Hester and b. 1662, but otherwise it's interesting and has lots of pictures, which is always nice :)

https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/18009237/sollars-family-hist...

I have uploaded several Pages from a book titled - Taney and allied families; a genealogical study with biographical notes
by American Historical Society to John's profile but there is a lot of information regarding many Sollers.

I believe the first permanent Maryland residence of John Sollers was probably on Herring Creek in Anne Arundel County.

1663-1667: John Sollers was a jurist in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland Aug. 17, 1663, Nov. 17, 1663, Mar. 17, 1664, Apr. 10, 1667. (source: Maryland Archives)

1667: John Sollers and Nathaniel Smith, Mar. 16, 1667, witnessed the Will of Thomas Martin, proved May 11, 1668. Anne Arundel Co, MD

1668: In 1668, Anthony Salway, Gent. of Anne Arundel County wrote his will , giving 50 acres of land, presumably in Ann Arundel, to his kinsman John Sollers:

ANTHONY SALWAY of County of Annarundell, in Maryland, Gent. Will 23 October, 1668; proved 23 August, 1672. If Í die in England, to be buried in the Psh. Church of Seaverne Stoaks, County Worcester, near my father and mother. To my sister, Dorothy, wife of Richard Stevens, £30. To my kinsman, John Sollers, 50 acres of land, which he began to cleere. To my sisters, Dorothy, Hellen, and Joane, 20 shillings apiece. To Virlinda Mylles, my wife's god-daughter, one mare colt. To Mr. Samuel Chewe's children, one mare colt. To my kinsman, Richard Harris, one hogshead of tobacco, free of duties. To my cousins, Hanbury Harris and Robert Harris, 10 shillings. To my brother, Richard Salway's man, 10 shillings. To my brother, Richard Salway of the Citty of Worcester, England, Draper, all the rest, and lands in America. Said brother executor, witnesses : George Mill, Richard Harris.

(source: will probated in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, abstract reprinted in Maryland Historical Magazine, volume 1, number 1 page 380.)

[Richard Wells of Anne Arundel County, mentions in his will (1667), his daughter Martha, wife of Anthony Salway (Baldwin's Calendar, i, 40)..

1675: In 1675, John Sollers was one of several commissioners appointed to see to the construction of a courthouse in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (source : Maryland Archives ) He was also a member of the board of commissioners of Londontown, which sat on the shores of Herring Bay, long since destroyed by fire.

I680's: 1680-82, and 1687-88 John Sollers was a Gentleman Justice of the Anne Arundel Court (source The Founders of Ann Arundel and Howard Counties, by Joshua Dorsey Warfield.)

1688: John Sollers of Calvert County, MD

1692 -93 : John Sollers was a Gentleman Justice of the Calvert County Court

His will made as “John Sallers of Calvert County, Gent,"' is dated 15 February, 1699 (Annapolis, Lib. 6, fol. 353), and though the date of probate does not appear, his inventory was filed in 1700. An abstract is given in Baldwin's Calendar, ii, 194.]

Dan I think you are correct though to style him as John Sollers of Calvert County, since that is what his will says, and Anne Arundel is a bit more unwieldy :)

Keri I know it was a lot of work uploading all those page captures. I tried to view it though and the pages were all out of order...the first page was in the middle, etc. Is that a flaw in the way I'm viewing it? Thanks!

It the Photo section I don't think it keeps it in order. Sorry.

I am adding them to the sources to make it easier to read in order.

Suggested profile data corrections on JS of C:

John Sollers' death date isn't the date he wrote his will, maybe it should be "ca 1700" ?

Should we change his place of birth to "probably Worcestershire" since we don't yet have his birthplace, although the Sollers were concentrated in Worcestershire and next door Gloucestershire, and his kinsman was christened and buried in Severn Stoke next to Kempsey, Worcestershire

I think ca 1700 would be okay but Worcestershire is more than likely due to as you said the Sollers were concentrated there I can't see him being born any where else can you?

Keri Denise Jackson, ♊ Twin "A", GEDMATCH GQ346442C1 I compiled the images you uploaded into a single PDF and uploaded that to John Soller's profile. Adobe Acrobat has the option to combine multiple files to create a single PDF which is very useful for situations like this. There are also many free online services that can do the same thing. https://www.geni.com/documents/view?doc_id=6000000133618470828&...

Thank you Tamás Flinn Caldwell-Gilbert. I appreciate it. I didn't even think about doing that so sorry. I should have so thank you again.

So, are we ready to move back to the other branch of Sollers (the Roberts of England)?

Keir thank you for posting the Taney book, and Tomas thank you for sorting out the pages. It''s very nice that some primary source documentation is included. However I should note I already see many errors in the book, some are minor, but even in the first pages there are some MAJOR mistakes.

John Sollers appeared in many records about a decade earlier than the book notes, and John Sollers was Ann's second husband, not her first. These are lesser errors. but then starting in the second generation, the author conflates Robert Sollers I (son of John of Calvert) b. ca 1677 who m. Mary Selby with his son Robert Sollers II (grandson of John of Calvert) b. 1702. He confuses the wives, the children, the death dates, etc.

Obviously its understandable as the Sollers are confusing and keet repeating names.The document s still very useful, but should some sort of caveat be included with it? I dont know the protocal on Geni for this. I only bring it up because we are trying to untangle this family with sources, and many people, including people looking at this profile in the future, view smething written in the book as fact and Gospel. :)

Thanks for the 'cautions', Michael.

Do you have a 'PDF markup' tool? I know on the Mac the built-in Preview can 'write on' a PDF. Perhaps one way would be to download that PDF Tomas assembled & put some 'notes' on it. ... at least to refer to some other documents which can also be attached, perhaps? Then that marked-up version can be re-uploaded.

Private User can you please attach a copy of the documents that you are referring to. We need sources and the book is a source but please upload or at least post a link so we can locate the other records to show people any corrections. This would be extremely helpful if we want to make sure our family members are well documented and accurate.

https://archive.org/details/taneyalliedfamil00unse/page/n335/mode/2up The American Historical Society is says wrote the book. I might see if I can contact them. The other book I am trying to figure out who wrote that one so I can contact them too.

We need to have a reliable source(s) that we can point to that say Robert and Hester are not the parents (or could not be the parents) and I don't see anything yet but I may be wrong. Did someone post some source that I am missing? Cause so far we have sources that say they are and none that say any different.

Give me some names of documents or something I can look up and I will get them and post them if you are not able to. I have memberships at many different places including American Ancestors.

I am directly related to the Sollers. DNA matched. This John is my 8th Great Grandfather so I want to make sure we get this right more than anyone and that is why we need sources not just words cause anyone can say whatever they want but that does not mean it is the truth. So help me out here please. On a different note How are you related Private User? It is always nice to meet another family member.

Ok I am going to attach the items as I find them :) I would appreciate any help. Thank you.

I have uploaded a document to the profile called

London, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812 Southwark St Mary, Rotherhithe 1630-1674

It is a baptism of a johannis Sollars 3 Nov 1667 gives parents as Rich & Eliz Sollars

also on Jan 5, 1666 it list I think a birth by a Anna Sabritt.?

It is a baptism, I accidentally put birth, parents John and Anna Sabritt.

Hi Keri:

I trust you are well. I posted the sources in the first message. To recap: it would be difficult for John Sollers, who was in Maryland by 1661, latest:

1 June 1661 Charles County , Maryland, Mr. Daniel Hutt, atty. for Mr. Dodman, Plt.; James Lee, Def.; debt of 1094# of tobacco; John Dodman of Westmoreland County, Virginia, appoints Daniell Hutt atty.;./s/ John Dodman; wit. JOHN SOLLERS, Robert Sherley

(Source: Charles County Circuit Court, Liber A; 2 July 1661, Page 143, reprinted in Maryland Archives, volume 53, p. 135.)

To be the son of Robert Sollers who married Hester Poole in Worcester, England, ten days AFTER the first reference

21 June 1661 ....Robert SOLLERS of Worcester, apothecary, about 24 married Hester POOLE , 17, daughter of William Poole of Honeybourne. .

(source: Marriage Licenses of the Diocean Registry at Worcester, reprinted in "The Genealogist," v. 6, p. 183)

Under English Common Law, an individual had to reach full majority, i.e. be above 21 years of age, to sit on a jury. John Sollers was in Maryland sitting on juries by 1663, making him born, at the very latest, by 1642, but probably several years before. His jury service would be a challenge if he were older than his alledged birth mother,.

Here are just a few original primary sources from the 1660 's regarding the adult John Sollers. I've chosen these few from among many to show they all refer to the same man:

August 17th 1663. .......'The names of the Jury of Enquest To enquyre how Anne Vaughan, servt to Mr Anthony SALLOWAY of the County of Anarundel l came to her Death", include JOHN SALLERS, Jeremy SUDEVAN (i.e. Jeremy Sullivan whose widow Anne married John Sollers) Richard WELLS, Nathaniel SMITH and William HUNT (source: Archives of Maryland, v. 49, p. 88)

17 March 1663/4 ...."Liber B B The names of the Jury of Inquest that veiwed the body of Ann Beetle Servt to Wm HUNT of Ann Arundell" include John SOLLERS, Jeremy SUDEVAN (i.e. Jeremy Sullivan whose widow Anne married John Sollers), Nathaniel SMYTH and Thomas MARTIN (source: Archives of Maryland, v. 49, p. 216)
.
March 16 1667 ....Thomas MARTIN of Anne Arundel County Maryland writes his will, witnessed by John SOLLERS and Nathaniel SMITH (source: Maryland Calendar of Wills, v. I, p. 321)
.
June 22 1667....Richard WELLS, Sr. of Anne Arundel County, Maryland writes his will, mentioning his daughter Martha "wife of Antony SALLOWAY" (source: Maryland Calendar of Wills, v. I, p. 287)

October 23, 1668 ....."Anthoney SALWAY of County of Annarundell, in Maryland, Gent." writes his will, stating "To my kinsman, John SOLLERS 50 acres of land, which he began to cleere." .(source: will probated in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, abstract reprinted in Maryland Historical Magazine, v. 1, n. 1, p. 380.)

These are citations to primary source documentation . There are many more. Are you asking for copies of the originals?

I am curious as to what primary source documentation / multiple reliable sources you are refering to showing that John Sollers b. before 1642 was the son of Robert Sollers m. Hester Poole ín 1661?

Thanks! Michael

Dear Keri: Besides the fact that the 1667 baptism of "a" Johannis (John) Sollers to a Richard and Elizabeth Sollers in Southwark does not support your case that John was the son of Robert and Hester of Worcester, this Johannis would have been in Maryland records before he was born, would have married around age nine, had children beginning at age ten, etc.

In terms of Anna Sabritt, christened 1666, I highly doubt she was the widow of Jeremiah Sullivan(t) at age nine. Its not even certain that she was a Sabrett. I can find no records of a William Sabrett in Maryland or Virginia, (please provide any if you have them) but there are contemporaneous Sabretts in the small village of Kempsey and environs. (source: Kempsey Worcester Parish Records) and a Nicholas Sabrell of York County, Virginia also itransported a Roger Sollis (Sollers) in 1652 (source: Cavaliers and Pioneers)

I agree people can say anything they want without sources. That is why I included citations to primary source documentation from the beginning to try and sort out the obvious inconsistencies in the tree. In so doing I hope I'm not offending anyone. I am more than happy to be proven completely wrong, and am very thankful for Dan's and everyone's hard work and the conversation this has generated.

I was not saying it supports the parents being Robert and Hester. In fact if it was him it would prove they were not his parents and that this Rich and Eliz were. If you would include any links that support the profile either in the about section or as a source like I did. Look under sources and you will see what I mean. :) It was a child of John and Anna Sabritt is what I said not that Anna was christened. I have attached to the media tab. I believe that they might be relatives if not these people which is why I uploaded it. You have not offended me and I appreciate any help.