Genealogy Chat

My 2x gt grandfather John Henry Soller a watchmaker born c1835 in Switzerland m. Mary Fish in 1860 at Clerkenwell. He names his father as George on the m.cert another watchmaker. They had five children and Mary died in 1868 probably giving birth to their daughter Mary Annette. He appears in the UK on the 1861 and 1871 censuses. He was also a witness at the Old Bailey in 1869 in a case against a clerk of the cemetery company who had pocketed the fee for his wife's interrment. He remarried Jane Louisa Roper in 1873. On the 1881 census Jane was shown being a widow but there is no record of his death and he seems to have just disappeared off the planet. His youngest daughter Mary Annette was still living with Jane in 1881. The other four children were living elsewhere.
There is a very sketchy record on the 1891 census of a John Soller born c1835 at a lodging house in Battersea as well as some entries for a number of Mr Soller's in the 1911 census summary books. I have hit a brick wall in trying to find out about his origins and the circumstances of his demise. I would appreciate any help and guidance to solve this mystery.

Did you try what the resident expert suggested:
Anthony Powell - 11/11/2008 21:02:57
Hello Anthony I am trying to find out more of my 2xgt grandfather John Henry Soller a watchmaker born c1835 somewhere in Switzerland. He had two marriages here in the UK the last being in 1873. His second wife then appears as a widow on the 1881 census. However John Soller is not shown as being deceased on his daughter’s m. cert in 1888. I have trawled the death indices; even using variants, and find no record of his death. Have you any suggestion how/ where I could find out more of his origins and what happened to him? Regards Anthony Powell
Funnily enough, for the second part of your question I would again suggest wills. As to finding Swiss origins, one thing you could try would be naturalisation records, at The National Archives. A naturalisation record would state whereabouts in Switzerland the Stollers came from. Failing this, John’s will might actually give a clue, if he named relatives back home.

HI Patchem

Yes I enquired at the NA and very helpful researcher looked up an index and there was no entry of a John Henry Soller being naturalised. As for the will I have scoured the National Wills & Probate Calendar on Ancestry again without success.

Tony

I wonder if you've considered this? it's VERY left field, but I can't find any other record for this person ( birth marriage or census) I only noticed it because Moritz connects with Switzerland?

Deaths Jun 1893 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Soller Moritz 52 Hackney 1b 358

Hello Rose

No I haven't seen that one before, but I think he would have been a bit older than that. I have just found his eldest daughter's marriage record and it shows his name and that he was Dec'd in 1889.

Thanks

Tony

well in theory yes, but the age may have been estimated, if all else fails it might be worth a shot.

HI Rose

I just looked up his eldest daughter's marriage record and he was shown dec'd in 1889 but not so on his youngest daughter's m.cert in 1888. This about the closest I have got to establishing a window for his possible death.

Tony

ah right well that's not him then :)

1864

John Henry Soller, of No. 10, Saint John-street-road,
Clerkenwell, in the county of Middlesex, Watchmaker,
having been adjudged bankrupt under a Petition for
adjudication of Bankruptcy, filed in Her Majesty's
Court of Bankruptcy, in London, on the 31st day of
October, 1864, a public sitting, for the said bankrupt
to pass his Last Examination, and make application
for his Discharge, will be held before John Samuel
Martin Fonblanque, Esq., a Commissioner of the said
Court, on the 27th day of January next, at the said
Court, at Basinghall-street, in the city of London, at
twelve o'clock at noon precisely, the day last aforesaid
being the day limited (or tbe said bankrupt to surrender.
Mr. Herbert Harris Cannan, of No. 36, Basinghall-street,
London, is the Official Assignee, and Mr. W. W. Aldridge,
of No. 46, Moorgate-street, is the Solicitor acting in the bankruptcy

1867 patent application

And John Henry Soller and Edward Barber,
both of Clerkenwell, in the county of Middlesex,
have given the like notice in respect of the invention
of improvements in umbrellas and
parasols."

Hello Janice

That snippet is absolutely eye opening and amazing. Can you tell me the source please, should there be some subsequent leads to make enquiry.

Tony

I searched for John Henry Soller in the London Gazette

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/search

HI Janice

Thank you. I wonder if there would be some reference to where he came from embedded in there somewhere??

Tony

Same from another paper. From FOREIGN-OFFICE, NOV. 2 .
The Morning Post (London, England), Saturday, November 05, 1864; pg. 3; Issue 28359. 19th Century British Library Newspapers: Part II.

Bankrupts
John Henry Soller, St John Street Road, Clerkenwell, watch maker, Nov 20 at 11.

Alviegal

It amazes me how you find these sources. Perhaps the Foreign Office comes into the factor because he was an alien. They could well hold something about his origins. Are the papers viewable online??

Thank you

Tony

Visit this site and sign up Tony. http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/libraries/borrower/join.asp
It is free and you can access quite a few old papers on it. However that was all I could find for John Henry. Still you may need it in the future and it is a truly wonderful site.

Liz

Liz

Could be a problem as I do not live in Lancs?

Thank you all for taking the time to contribute these tips.

Tony

You do not need to live in Lancashire to sign up.

Patchem

Good morning and a happy new year. Thanks for the info

Tony