RootsChat.Com
Research in Other Countries => Europe => Topic started by: Hanford on Tuesday 18 January 11 14:47 GMT (UK)
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Hello,
I am a direct descendent from the Moll/Mohl family from Solingen and Gruibingen, they fled to Durham from Solingen after breaking a sword makers guild or for religious reasons.
One of them, Martin Moll, is listed as a Mayor, and another also called Martin Moll was an Actor.... I was wondering if there'd be any records of their careers? Or of the families immigration to England in the 1600s?
Thank you :)
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Rachey
I have attached a PDF showing the burial records for the Mohl family up to 1812 in Ebchester graveyard in north west Durham. There may be other burials after this date but I have yet to access the later records for this church. I have not yet completed the monumental inscriptions for Ebchester church but there are none for Mohl in those so far covered.
A number of German families came across to make swords in the Shotley Bridge area of County Durham. These included the Oley, Wopper and Mohl families as well as several others.
For a very good source of information on the swordmakers have a look at 'Thread of Iron' by Douglas Vernon, ISBN 1 903607 33 7. This covers the history of Iron and Steel making in the Derwent valley of north west Durham and is very comprehensive.
Other sources of information on the swordmakers are 'The Hollow Blade' by John G. Bygate, ISBN 1 870 268 253 and 'The Shotley Bridge swordmakers:their strange history' by David Richardson. I don't know the ISBN for this last book but it was published by Frank Graham in, I think, 1973 and is now out of print; your local library will probably be able to unearth a copy.
PatB.
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Thank you so much for the Ebchester graveyard attachment :) there's a few ancestors on there whose deaths I couldn't find so that is really helpful :)
I'll try to find the books you've recommended, it would be very interesting finding out more about their lives ect :)
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Rachey
I've attached a PDF of another couple of Moll burials which I came across while checking some other records in the Blackhill burial records database. I hope they are of some relevance to your researches. Cutlers Hall is in Shotley Bridge, just down the road from Blackhill cemetery.
PatB.
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Ohhh thank you so much! ;D
I've been looking for the burial of John Thomas Mole, nice to have his grave number, may have a visit when I'm up north :) :)
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im a descendant of the Oley's (or Ohlig) from my dads mum's side :-) , i went to the village it was fasinating to see the local history.
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Hello ;D
I would love to go to Solingen and Shotley Bridge, both places look fanastic... There is loads online about the Oley's, you definitely have the more famous side :D :D
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i went to the pub the oleys owned and the people in there were rather shocked/surprised of my ancestry. lol. its a worthwhile visit, i found some gravestones too :)
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Bet they weren't expecting to meet a local famous person :D
Have you seen the photographs of the sword factory before? I have a link to them if you haven't, not much of it left there though, I think it's been fully demolished now :-\
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Hi. My name is E. Mohl. :) I live in Hungary, in Budapest. Live in Hungary some Mohl. The family went to Hungary many years ago from Germany.
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Hi Rachey...Hope I'm not bothering you. I'm a real novice with genealogy but a recent sword purchase has me interested in the topic. My mother's maiden name is Mole and she grew up in the North East before emigrating to Canada. My sister purchased the sword for me which I haven't received yet.
A few years ago I visited England and my Uncle took me to a cemetery where a few of my great-uncles aunts are buried. My Uncle did follow back his/my roots to the sword makers. I noticed some interesting posts in the topic re: burial etc and wonder if you have pursued the topic further and have uncovered a lot of information.
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Good Evening :)
Where abouts from the North East was your Mother from?
I have alot of information regarding the Mole/Mohls and I am hoping to view some of the swords they made in a couple of months time! ;D
If you can do another post I will then be able to private message you some information if you would like? :)
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Hi Rachey...anything that you can send me will be greatly appreciated. My mother is from Pelton Lane Ends. I will give you more information through the private messages. Thanks for the reply!
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Hi All
I am David Mole, I am a direct descendant of the German side of the family, I currently live in Durham about 7 miles from Shotley Bridge. If anyone has any information as to why the family left Germany or anymore information of the family connections around the world it will be appreciated. my wife and I plan to visit Solingen soon and try to trace the family roots over there.
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Hello David :)
The reason why the Mohl's left Solingen is apparently down to either religious persecution, or them breaking "the sword makers oath".
Here are a few interesting links, you may have read them already but if you haven't:
http://www.the-nut.net/articles/shotley_swords.php
http://www.exodus2013.co.uk/the-shotely-bridge-swordmakers/
If you reply again to this I can then send you a private message with some of my other finds :)
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Many thanks for those links Rachey, they seem to confirm what I had discovered and especially the Wilkinson Sword link, although i had always thought this was set up in London not Birmingham. As I live so close to Shotley Bridge and Ebchester, I plan a visit to both places quite soon.
Dave :D :D :D :D :D
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Hi, I am a descendant of the Oley's of the Shotley Bridge sword makers.
I am trying to trace my roots back to them and not sure where to start, sounds strange but apparently both my parents are descendants of the Oley's and I'm trying to find that particular link. Fascinated in any info on the Sword makers and looking for photos of any swords made by the Oley's and Mohl's,thanks for starting this thread!
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Lauren
Welcome to Rootschat. You've got an interesting area of research. I've attached 4 PDFs. The first shows the Oley headstones I've come across so far in this part of the Derwent valley. The rest show Oley Burial records in Ebchester, Whittonstall and Blackhill (Benfieldside) Burial Registers. This research is ongoing, so you may very well be able to unearth more.
Good luck with your researches.
PatB
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Hi Pat,
Can you check your messages, we are having problems with your emails bouncing back to us.
Regards
Sarah :)
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Hi everybody. Just to say that I've read all the posts and found them interesting and informative.
I'm a (not very important) descendent of the Mole family and I've just begun looking into my family history so I'll be reading all the comments with great interest and it goes without saying that I'll post anything I uncover directly on to this blog. My line comes from John, a sword cutter, who was the grandson of Herman d. 1716 and the son of Johann H W who was born in 1686.
So, greetings from me and I look forward to reading and hopefully posting more stuff in the future.
Cheers
Tom Mole
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Welcome to RootsChat Tom :D Every descendant is important!
Wishing you the very best of luck with your research.
Regards
Sarah :)
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Nice to see all you Mohl's are doing well.
The Ohlig/Mohl family came over from germany together :-)
I have the Oley/Ohligs on ancestry.co.uk if anyone is interested.
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Sorry I am new here, I am looking for anyone interested in the German Swordmakers of Shotley Bridge, as I am descended from John Mole and his wife Alice Mawson. I would like to exchange information on my findings with anyone working on the same family.
Kind regards
Michael
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Hi,
I'm also descended from John Mohl and Alice Mawson. Their son, Matthew, born in 1790 was my great great great grandfather.
When the sword industry collapsed after the Napoleonic Wars he started up as a potter and ended up working at the famous Maling Pottery on the banks of the Ouseburn River in Newcastle. There's a whole story after that.
Matthew's cousin, Anthony Mole, also went to Newcastle and had better luck, setting up his own tailoring business.
I would be interested to know which of the sons of John and Alice you are descended from. If it's Matthew, then we have a lot in common and I have lots of information to share.
Let me know.
Cheers
Tom
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Hi Tom and others,
I was just wondering I've been studying my family tree for sometime. My Grandmother is a Direct decedent to the Moule family (Her Maiden name is Moule). I know that I'm a direct decedent to a William Moule who parents were John Mole/Mohl and Deborah Worby (from Sandon), the same as your Great +++++ Grandfather who was married to Alice Mawson. However I find it confusing because some family trees tell me Deborah Worby died in 1753 if this is true how could she of had John Mole who was born in 1760.
I really want to know if I am connected to the Moll/Mohl from Solingen. I took a DNA Test to see if I had German Roots and it did say I did. :)
If anyone has information to see if William Mole (1753 - 1837), Parents John Mole (1724) and Deborah Worby (1729) is connected to the Moll/Mohl from Solingen I would greatly appreciate it :-)
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Hi,
My husband is descended from John Mole and Alice Mawson via their son George Mole (1792-1845). I know very little about John. Does anyone know where he was baptised or buried?
Regards,
Patricia
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Hi everybody. Glad to see I'm not the only Mole interested in looking for our ancestors.
To Sammye: I'll have a dive into the material I have and let you know what I come up with.
To Patricia: The records show that John was baptised in Medomsley church. He was probably buried in the church at Ebchester although I couldn't find a headstone for any Mohl/Mole in the cemetery when I visited last summer (I live in Madrid). Shotley Bridge didn't have a church so they went to Medomsley for births and weddings and Ebchester for burials. I would be interested to know which of John and Alice's children your husband is descended from. Most of the Moles, like my family, went to Newcastle when the swordmaking business collapsed.
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Hi Tom,
My husband is descended from John and Alice's son, George who married Eleanor Proud. I have found 8 children - Christiana, Joseph, John, George, Eleanor, William, Anthony (my husband's greatx2 grandfather), Mary Ada and Hannah.
Regards,
Patricia
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Anthony was the cousin of my great great great grandfather Mathew Mole (born Mohl) who went to lived in Newcastle. Anthony owned a flourishing drapery business and was the money side of the family, it seems. I could do some further work for you when I can. I know that they kept contact because in one of the censuses Anthony's daughter/granddaughter is staying at John Mole's house (Matthew's son).
As I said, I need to do some more work on this but I'm a bit tied up with work ATM. I'll get back to you when I have something.
BTW where do you live? Is it Newcastle? That's where most of the Moles ended up. My end of the Mole family lived alongside the Ouseburn Valley in Byker.
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I made a mistake there. Anthony was the cousin of my great great grandfather John Mole/Mould. Matthew and George were brothers and the sons of John Mohl, listed as a "sword puller" and his wife Alice Mawson who lived and died in Shotley Bridge.
I've written a storyline of the Mohl/Mole family and the part leading up to the move to Newcastle may interest you.
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Hi Tom,
George (son of John Mole and Alice Mawson) seemed to move around the North East. He was married in Muggleswick, had children baptised/born in Medomsley, Shotley, Consett and Merrington; was in Haswell for the 1841 census and died in Castle Eden Colliery. George's son Anthony, who became a blacksmith, was living in Hawthorn when he married at Easington in 1860. He died in Ludworth. His daughter, Jane, my husband's great-grandmother, was born in Kelloe and also moved around but died in Thornley near Kelloe which is where my husband grew up, although we now live near Cambridge.
Regards,
Patricia
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Has anyone seen a sword by the Ohlig family from Shotley Bridge?
I really ought to dig up all the photos i took of the Ohlig graves in the local cemetary of the village.
Adam Oley(Ohlig) 1656–1726 was my 7th Great Grandfather on my dad's mums side.
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Have you tried the Royal Armouries in Leeds? I was looking for a Mole sword.. and found one there after asking an assistant. I've seen the Ohlig (Oley)name mentioned when looking up Mole swords on line.
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Hello,
I am a decendant of the Oleys as my Grandfather's mother's maiden name was Oley. When I was a young boy in the 70s my Granda used to tell me we were related to German sword makers and they invented a sword that fitted in a top hat and then eventually they were taken over by Wilkinson. I had this story with me for my whole life and it's not until now after my wife did a geneology search I find the exact information my Granda told me as a young boy. He was born and lived his whole life in South Shields. I was born and lived in Barnard Castle in Co Durham, however, I now live in Ireland. I can't wait to come back over and check out Shotley Brisge. I still have a great number of relations in the north east.
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Hi,
I am descended from the Mole family from Northumberland. There is a story in the family that we might be descended from Sword Makers. The probelm is I can't get further back than John Mole who was a (deaf) gardener living in Belford on the censuses 1841 - 1861, he died there in 1864 aged 80ish. He was apparently born in Ilderton, (a tiny village in Northumberland). I have autosomal DNA matches to various people descended from him (including a male Mole, not sure if he has tested YDNA), (also one tenuous match to someone descended from the swordmakers).
I just wondered if anyone else had found any Moles who left Durham and went to Northumberland?
Also if any male MOLE has tested his YDNA?
Cheers, Jenny
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Hello, I would like to ask on behalf of my Wife Claire.
She is related to John Mole and Alice Mason through their Daughter Ann b, 1788.
Has any updated family information come to light, ie John's Father maybe?