Isaac Solly
Isaac Solly (1769 – 22 February 1853), son of Isaac Solly of London and Walthamstow (died 1803)[1] was a London merchant in the Baltic trade. During the Napoleonic wars Isaac Solly and Sons were principal contractors supplying hemp and timber to government dockyards. His brother Edward Solly, a famous collector of paintings, was stationed in Berlin. The family concern suffered a serious setback when twenty of their ships, laden with merchandise, were confiscated and taken to Copenhagen, during the Napoleonic Blockade.
In addition to this business, Solly served as chairman of the London Dock Company, founding chairman of the London and Birmingham Railway, chairman of the British and American Steam Navigation Company, and Governor of the Royal Exchange Assurance Corporation. He was also amongst the original proprietors of the London University.
He was declared bankrupt in 1837 during the banking crisis of that year.
Solly had ten children. His son Samuel Solly, F.R.S. was a distinguished surgeon, while Henry Solly was a social reformer and founder of working men's clubs. His grandchildren included the social activists Adelaide Manning and Caroline Bishop.[2]
His sister, Elizabeth Solly, married Dr William Lister FRSE in 1793.[3]
References
- ^ J. Raymond Solly, "Solly collection of pictures", Notes & Queries 12 March 1910.
- ^ Jane Read, ‘Bishop, Caroline Garrison (1846–1929)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2006 accessed 31 July 2015
- ^ "Solly | Ed Pope History". edpopehistory.co.uk. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
- "Isaac Solly - Obituary". The Christian Reformer, or, Unitarian Magazine and Review. 1853.
External links
- Tony Storey. "Solly's Gherkin". Soul Search - the journal of The Sole Society.
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