Finding aid for the Bole Family Papers

Biography of the Bole Family

The Bole Family traces their ancestry to Robert Bole (1818-1891) and Euphemia Bole (Kirkpatrick, birth and death dates unknown). They had five children: Joseph Kirkpatrick (1848-1894), John Clark, Mary (Mame), Allen, and Robert. The donors of the collection are descendants of Joseph Kirkpatrick Bole and Melinda Eliza Bole (Patterson, 1850-1918). Joseph and Melinda had seven children. The majority of the material is related to their second son, Joseph "Joe" Kirkpatrick Bole (1876-1952), and his wife's, Winifred Ely Bole (Ely, 1881-1976), line of descendants. Joe Bole attended Cornell University and was an avid golfer and fisherman.

Roberta Bole (Holden, 1876-1950) was the daughter of Liberty Emery Holden, the owner and publisher of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Martha Gertrude Ely (1870-1906) married William Coleman Carnegie, the nephew of Andrew Carnegie, steel industrialist, businessman and founder of Pittsburgh's Carnegie Steel Company (later U.S. Steel).

The Ely family supposedly traces their heritage to 580 BCE and Theodoric the Hun, the Duke of the Bavarians in Hungary. He began a long line of dukes and counts in Bavaria. In 1100, King Henry I of England conferred on Helias de la Fleche, Count of Perigord, a land grant in Cambridge shire, which included the Isle of Ely. King Henry II appointed Richard de Elie Lord High Treasurer of England, the position he maintained until his death in 1199. Richard's youngest son, Nicholas (1200-1280) was the Archdeacon of Ely, Lord High Treasurer, Lord High Chancellor, Bishop of Worcester, and Bishop of Winchester. When he died his body was interred in the Church of Waverly Abbey in Surrey and his heart was deposited near the High Alter in his own Cathedral at Winchester.

Richard Ely (1625-1684) was born in Basingstoke, England and came to America approximately 1660. During England's Civil War (1640-1660), Admiral Phipps assigned Richard the task of taking Prince Charles II to a French boat, which took him to France for refuge. As a reward for Richard's bravery, Phipps allowed him to marry his daughter, Joanne. They had three sons and a daughter before Joanne died. During the Restoration when Parliament recalled the exiled Prince Charles II back to England to resume the throne, Charles II rewarded those who helped him escape. He asked Richard to go to the American colonies and subdue the Native Americans and foster trade with England. Richard accepted and was granted a merchant ship and a charter for land in the Massachusetts colony. Richard's youngest son, Richard, accompanied him to America and later he sent for his oldest son, William. The Elys settled in Boston and then later in Lyme, Connecticut. Richard Jr. was one of the original settlers of Hartford, Connecticut. Winifred Ely Bole's family is descendants of Richard Ely, Jr.

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Roberta Holden Bole

Scope and Content

The Bole Family Papers,1853-2002 and undated, consist of genealogical material such as family trees, family group records, and research notes, correspondence, diplomas, and certificates.

The genealogical material in the collection is primarily about Joseph Kirkpatrick Bole and Melinda Eliza Bole's line of descendants. The majority of the material is related to their second son, Joseph "Joe" Kirkpatrick Bole (1876-1952), and his wife's, Winifred Ely Bole (Ely, 1881-1976), line of descendants. Notable items in Series II are a Chap Record book chronicling Winifred Bole's opinion of the men she met from 1899-1901, and three of her dance cards from 1896. Also, a letter presumably from former President Grover Cleveland to Joseph K. Bole congratulating him on his engagement is included in this series. It is assumed that the letter is from Cleveland because of his history as Governor of New York, and the address of a prestigious office building on the letter, but it cannot be definitively identified. A considerable amount of material is devoted to the line of Joe's older brother, Benjamin Patterson Bole (1873-1941) and his wife, Roberta Bole (Holden, 1876-1950). An ancestral history of the Ely family is included in the collection as well. Genealogical material is included about Winifred Ely Bole's sisters, Anna Harman Biggar (Ely, 1876-1929) and Martha Gertrude Carnegie (Ely, 1870-1906), family lines. Family trees are available in container one, folders two, three, six, and nine.

This collection is of value to researchers interested in the genealogical history of prominent families in the Cleveland, Ohio, area. The collection is valuable given its material that provides insight into the culture and society of the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Access

None.

The researcher should also consult PG 540 Bole Family Photographs.

All photographs have been removed to PG 540 Bole Family Photographs; clothing has been removed to the WRHS History Museum.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 4989 Bole Family Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

Gift of the Bole Family, c/o Ruth Bole, in 2005.

Processing Information

Processed by Jenna Ogden in 2007.

Detailed Description of The Collection