You're right, Pamela, Cromwell did grant land to his soldiers. This was especially the case in Ireland, where after wreaking some havoc for the native Irish, he attempted to embed a more compliant population by settling any of his army who were willing to stay there. This is almost certainly the origin of the considerable number of Sodens in Ireland today. (There were many other names among the settlers, of course!)
As Glenn pointed out, The English branches of the Soden clan sprang up predominantly in the Midland counties, with many in Warwickshire and Northamptonshire. I have wondered if these Soden families could have descended from Hessian mercenaries of the English Civil War era. Two significant battles, at Edge Hill in Warwickshire and Naseby in Northamptonshire, must have resulted in hundreds of non-fatal casualties who would have been left behind by their armies to recover from their injuries - this was a very mobile war. They would have been dependent upon the goodwill of the local people, although perhaps protected by a small military group, and would likely have found new friends. Some may no longer have been fit for military service, or may have decided to retire from soldiering. If there were any Sodens among this number, after several years of fighting in a foreign land, Hesse must have seemed far, far away.
