James Cole was the first of the Cole ancestors to immigrate to America and he founded the Cole lineage starting in the Plymouth Colony and spreading across to Virginia and beyond. James Cole and Mary Tibbes are my Eleventh Great-Grandparents! I can hardly believe I was able to go so far with my research! Learning about James Cole made him my favorite innkeeper and person in Plymouth, Massachusetts! Read on to see his story!

James Cole was born in London, England on 25 July 1600 and in 1616, at sixteen years old, he lived in a suburb of London called Highgate with his family. James was the son of William Cole, also known as William James Cole, an Englishman who was born about 1570 in Enniskillen, Fermanagh, Ireland. William Cole was likely married first to Susan Bale, born about 1564 in Littlebentley, Essex, England but Susan may have died because William later married Mary Feake/Feakes about 1598 in London. According to this, Mary Feake is the mother of James Cole.

I found a bit of history of the Cole family. “The surname Cole is derived from an ancient name of unknown antiquity. Coel, as the name was formerly spelled, was the founder of Colchester, England and was one of the kings of Britain. The American family is believed to belong to the Hertfordshire branch. At the time of King James, when the thrones of Scotland and England became one, the Cole family was loaded with additional honors and estates…At this time Sir William Cole, father of James, was established in Ireland by the King and given immense estates at Enniskillen.” (Wikitree citing William James Cole 1570-1634).

The English campaign in the early 1600s aimed to bring the province of Ulster, Ireland under English control. The English captured the Enniskillen Castle in 1607 and the lands of the native Irish were seized and handed over to planters loyal to the English Crown. William Cole from Devon was appointed by King James I to build an English settlement there in 1612. Captain William Cole was installed as Constable and strrengthened the castle wall and built a “fair house” on the old foundation as the center point of the county town. The first Protestant church was erected and by 1630 the town had around 180 inhabitants, mostly English and Scottish settlers. There is a Cole monument in Enniskillen one hundred feet high and can be climbed to give a view of the town.

Now that we have a picture of the histoical background of James and his father, we can continue to explore his life from London to Enniskillen, Ireland to Plymouth MA immigrant. James Cole married Mary Tibbes on 8 May 1625 in Barnstable, Devon, England. Mary was likely the daughter of John and Margaret Tibbes (Tibbs). Not much more is known about Mary Tibbes.

James Cole and his wife Mary and two of their children immigrated in 1632 and may have come to Saco, Maine and then made their way to Plymouth or they landed at Plymouth. Records confirm James Cole was listed in the 1632 census for Plymouth MA although 1633 is used as the year of immigration and admittance as a freeman. His name is on the tax list of Plymouth in 1634 and in 1636, he had a grant of ten acres of land and then received another seven acres for his dwelling house. James was a mariner or sailor, shoemaker, surveyor and Innkeeper and he built his house on the sight of the present Baptist Church in Plymouth.

James was the first settler who lived on “Cole’s Hill”, as it is still known, the first burial ground of the Pilgrims. This land probably included the ground upon which rests Plymouth Rock. Cole’s Hill is now a National Historic Landmark! James accumuated more land from grants through the years and served as a surveyor of highways in several years, a constable in 1641 and 1644, and served on a number of juries. In addition, James was a volunteer in conflicts with the Pequot Indians.

Moving on to one of the more interesting and noted occupations of James Cole which was his job as an innkeeper! Soon after his arrival at Plymouth, he opened the first inn called an “ordinary” or public house which was one of, if not the first, public house in New England. This house was kept as a public house by him and his son James until 1698. An occupation of an Innkeeper was of considerable importance because the state and community recognized the need to provide comfortable lodging, food and drink for visitors. James Cole became Plymouth’s best known innkeeper with his establishment on Cole’s Hill on the north side of Leyden Street. In 1657, 1659 and again in 1669, the court awarded him ten pounds to repair his inn so it would be fit for visitors and kept in good repair.

However, James was not always the upstanding citizen. Of particular interest is his apparent lack of church membership among the scores of early prominent settlers who were often church leaders! Not only did he avoid church, but also operated a rather rowdy tavern! He was fined several times for selling wine to the Indians. One account describes the throwing of stools and general disturbance until early morning hours! James violated his liquor license and lost the license for allowing drunkeness and disorder in his tavern but continued to run the inn without the license as he was apparently financially successful anyway. Even after his license was restored, he and his wife experienced some troubles running the inn and were sometimes fined. Indeed, James appeared in Plymouth records for either being drunk or allowing others to become drunk in his house. He later relinquished operation of the inn to his son James who ran a quieter operation!

Despite his tavern escapades, James was financially successful and acted as surety on bonds at various times and loaned money. He undoubtedly won the respect of the townspeople. He also appeared numerous times in court records as either a plaintiff or defendant in various actions involving business contracts and debt collections. I think James was a bit of a rebel and non-conformist but had a good heart and helped his neighbors and friends. Living in a strict religious community had to be a challenge for his rebellious spirit!

James and Mary Cole had four children including the following:

1. James Cole, born 1626/27 in London, England and married (1) Mary Tilson in 1652 in Plymouth MA and had seven children. He married (2) Abigail Davenport in 1700 or later. James died 4 October 1709.

2. Hugh Cole, born 1627 in London, England and baptized in 1628. He married Mary Foxwell in Plymouth in 1654/5 and had twelve children. Hugh is our ancestor and his story can be found here:Tracing Roots of Hugh Cole II and Deborah Buckland Families

3. John Cole, born about 1630 In Plymouth MA. Died 1677.

4. Mary Cole was born about 1632. she married (1) John Almy by 1668 and (2) John Pococke by 1677. She had no known children.

James Cole died 12 October 1688 in Plymouth MA. Mary Tibbes Cole died 7 Mar 1660. They are buried in Burial Hill in Plymouth also called Cove Burying Ground.

Sources:

Ernest Byron Cole, The Cole Family of Plymouth, Mass. p. 325.

England, Select Marriages, 1538-1973; Database online: Ancestry.com

Robert C. Anderson. The Great Migration Begins; Database online: Ancestry.com: Also: Robert C. Anderson. The Pilgrim Migration. Boston: Hew England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004.

Massachusetts, U. S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1890, Database online: Ancestry.com

Ernest Byron Cole. The Descendants of James Cole of Plymouth 1633. New York: Grafton Press, 1908.

Supplement II to Three Hundred Colonial Ancestors, p. 13; Ancestry.com

Robert S. Wakefield and Alice H. Dreger. The Wives and Children of James Cole of Plymouth, Massachusetts. The American Genealogist 67 (1982): 243-45

Find A Grave, Mary Cole, Memorial 128251542; Also: James Cole, Memorial 34205577

Wikipedia. Citing Enniskillen, Fermanagh, Ireland.