Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Solly, Thomas
SOLLY, THOMAS (1816–1875), philosophical writer, eldest son of Thomas Solly of Blackheath, Kent, by Anne, sister of Benjamin Travers [q. v.], surgeon, was born at Walthamstow, Essex, on 31 Jan. 1816. He was educated under Dr. Morell at Hove, Brighton, the grammar school, Tunbridge, and Caius College, Cambridge, which he entered in 1836, but, being a unitarian, left without a degree. On 3 Nov. 1838 he was admitted a student at the Middle Temple, where he was called to the bar on 19 Nov. 1841. Migrating to Germany, he was appointed, on 6 July 1843, lecturer on English language and literature in the university of Berlin, where he died on 8 June 1875.
Solly married twice: first, on 24 March 1845, Augusta, daughter of Hollis Solly of Tott End Hall, Tipton, Staffordshire; secondly, a German lady. By his first wife he had issue two daughters and a son; by his second wife, who survived him, he had no issue.
Solly was author of: 1. ‘A Syllabus of Logic, in which the views of Kant are generally adopted, and the Laws of Syllogism symbolically expressed,’ Cambridge, 1839, 8vo. 2. ‘Grundzüge des englischen Rechtes über Grundbesitz, Erbfolge, und Güterrecht der Ehegatten,’ Berlin, 1853, 8vo. 3. ‘The Will Divine and Human’ (an essay towards the reconciliation of freewill and foreknowledge), Cambridge, 1856, 8vo. He also edited ‘A Coronal of English Verse; or a Selection from English and American Poets,’ Berlin, 1864, 8vo; and contributed English versions of Jacob Ayrer's comedies, ‘Beautiful Sidea’ and ‘Beautiful Phœnicia,’ to Albert Cohn's ‘Shakespeare in Germany,’ London, 1865, 4to.
[Law Times, 26 June 1875; Grad. Cant.; Law List; Middle Temple Reg.; Gent. Mag. 1845 i. 538; Die königliche Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität zu Berlin in ihrem Personal bestande seit ihrer Errichtung, Michaelis 1810, bis Michaelis 1885, Berlin, 1885; Jahrbuch für Lehrer u. Studirende, Berlin, 1863, p. 27; Athenæum, 1839, p. 722; Times, 16 June 1875, p. 5, col. 4.]