Photo Gallery
Mayflower Compact - This was the first agreement for self-government ever put in force in America. On November 21(then November 11), 1620, the ship MAYFLOWER anchored off Cape Cod , Massachusetts. 41 male adults aboard the MAYFLOWER signed the MAYFLOWER COMPACT and set up a government in Plymouth Colony. George Soule the original Soule ancestor in America signed this document. He was about 21 years old and had signed on as an indentured servant of Edward Winslow, in order to tutor the Winslow children. He seemed to be a hardy individual because he survived that first fateful winter in the Plymouth Colony. He married Mary Beckett who arrived on a later ship. They had eight children and lived for at least 80 years which was quite a feat in this time period. He left the Plymouth Colony and settled in Duxbury during his later life. There his children and grandchildren were born.
Wiliam Soule and Lurancy Barber Smith Soule - My ggg grandparents. William Soule was the son of Timothy Soule, ggg grandson of George Soule, the Pilgrim. He was the 2nd son of Timothy Soule and Bridget Sewell. Grandson of William Soule and Anna Sewell who settled the town of Alburg, Vermont. He was born in Alburg, Vermont, 18 March 1788, and married Lurancy Barber Smith, 20 February 1812, in Alburg. Both lived into their 80's and died in Alburg. They had 9 children and many of their posterity still lives in Alburg, But many others have moved to various states and places in the world.
William Timothy Soule born 17 Jun 1817 in Alburg, Grand Isle, VT. He was the oldest son of William Soule and Lurancy Barber Smith Soule. He was married twice, first to Mary Fulton, 12 Feb 1840. He had two children by this marriage, George Hicks and Anna E. His second wife was Hannah Howe Learned, 4 Oct 1851. His children from this marriage were my g grandfather, William Arthur Soule. (Next photo), his twin sister, Mary, and Charles Vassar Soule.
William Arthur Soule was born 7 Sep 1852 in Alburg, Grand Isle, VT. He married Ella Anna Hall, 20 Aug 1879. My grandfather, Milan Virgil Soule, was the oldest son. He had two other brothers, Charles Vassar and George Henry Soule.
William Arthur Soule and Ella Anna Hall - My g grandfather. This is a photo in their older years. They lived in a large farmhouse outside of Alburg, Vermont. It was quite a tragedy when William Arthur Soule died. His sister had knocked over a kerosene stove in the upstairs and started the house on fire. William Arthur raced up and downstairs trying to save his twin sister because she was a cripple. William Arthur was quite a large man and in this extreme exertion had a heart attack and died the next day. February 11, 1921. My father never forgot this day because he was the oldest child there on that day, about 15 years old. Both his grandmother, Ella, and mother and father were away that day so he had to be in charge with a dying grandfather. Unfortunately, the one side of the house burned to the ground. The unusual thing was it was the stone side, the wooden side has survived to this day.
Milan Virgil Soule -
My grandfather. William Arthur and Ella had three sons. The oldest was Milan, my grandfather. He was born September 11, 1880 in Alburg. He married Lillie May Hemingway and settled at the old homestead for the most part of his life. After Lillie died he moved to Milford, Connecticut and died there, October 24, 1947. He and Lillie had 12 children. My father, William John Soule, was the 2nd son. They lived in this remaining part of the farmhouse since the big fire in 1921 had destroyed the stone half of the house. They were farmers and the children grew up here, but in time most moved on to other places.
Charles Vasser Soule and George Henry Soule - My g uncles, the 2nd and 3rd sons of William Arthur and Ella Soule. I knew Great Uncle Vassar as a child because my father worked for him as a carpenter. He lived in Hillsdale, Columbia Co., NY. I used to love visiting his house. It was exciting. He had a fish pond in the backyard and we used to watch the gold fish swimming around. As you entered the house, there was a mounted deer head on the wall. I used to wonder where the rest of the deer was. It had many treasures and was a fun place even for little children. I never met G Uncle George, he moved to Charlotteville, North Carolina and went into the steel business. I know many of his children and grandchildren and probably g grandchildren live there even today.