pp. 443-457

ROBERT COLE came from England with Governor Winthrop in the fleet which arrived at Boston in the summer of 1630. He was one of the first company to settle at Roxbury the same year. On October 19 of that year he petitioned the Gen­eral Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony to be made a free­man; and his request was granted at a sitting of the Court May 18, 1631¹. For reasons which will appear later he was disfran­chised March 4, 1633/4, and his name crossed off the original list of freemen, which is doubtless why it does not appear in the published records of the Court.

¹ To become a freeman each person was legally required to be a respectable member of some Congregational church.  This regulation was so modified by royal order in 1664 as to allow individuals to be made freemen who could obtain certificates of their being correct in doctrine and conduct from clergymen acquainted with them. Per­sons were made freemen by the General Court of the colony and also by the Quarterly Courts of the counties.  None but freemen could hold office or vote.

On May 9, 1632, delegates were appointed from the several plantations in the Bay to confer with the Court about raising a revenue, and Robert Cole and John Johnson represented Roxbury.

In March, 1632/3, John Winthrop. Jr., with twelve others began the settlement of Agawam (later Ipswich). That Cole was one of this party is known from the action of the General Court April 1, 1633, when it mentioned those who had already gone to Agawam and ordered that there should be no further removals thither, to plant or to inhabit, without its permission. At a meeting of the freemen of Ipswich in November, 1634, there was “Given and Granted unto Mr. Robert Coles two hun­dred acres of Land more or less, lyeing uppon this neck of Land the Town standeth, bounded by a Cricke on the North side, and a Cricke on the West side, and this Town River on the South side, unto him him his heirs and assigns, forever.” He also possessed a house lot at the easterly end of High Steet which he sold to Joseph Metcalf. In November, 1634, Cole and two others were directed by the town to view a piece of land lying north of the town for the accommodation of several people, who desired grants there.

In 1635 he appears at Salem, being granted, December 21, 300 acres of farm land, under certain conditions, “in the place where his cattle are by Brooksby.” On December 28 of the same year he was granted 300 acres, more to the west of Salem. He appears in a list headed 1636 (probably 1636/7) “having been allotted 300 acres,” but the land is not described. On December 27, 1636, he was the defendant in a suit for damages, the jury bringing in a verdict against him of £4.7s. 6d and 4 shillings costs. On July 16, 1638, he is mentioned having already sold his farm to Emanuel Downing.

During his stay of seven years in the Massachusetts Bay Colony (he next appears at Providence in 1637) his record was not a very creditable one judging from the Court records, but it is extremely likely that the frequent appearance of his name therein was largely due to strict Puritanical ideas regarding cer­tain matters. He seems to have been of a discontented, restless disposition, for after settling first at Roxbury he went to Ipswich and then to Salem. The Rev. John Eliot, in his rec­ord of the Roxbury church members, speaks of his “vnsetled­nesse & removing frö place to place” and of the necessity of disciplining him by excommunication. The records of the General Court disclose the fact that he was inclined to look upon the wine when it was red, and the penalties imposed upon him for indulging in this propensity were numerous and varied.

His fines amounted altogether to more than £11, but they were remitted. On September 3, 1633, he was ordered “to stand w^th a white sheete of paper on his back, wherein a drunkard shalbe written in greate letters, & to stand therew^th soe longe as the Court thinks meete,...” On March 4, 1633/4, he was disfranchised and ordered to "weare aboute his necke, & soe to hange vpon his outward garm^t, a D, made of redd cloath, & sett vpon white; to contynue this for a yeare, & not to leave it of att any tyme when hee comes amongst company, vnder the penalty of xI^s for the first offence, & v^l the second, & after to be punished by the Court as they thinke meete; also, hee is to weare the D outwards, & is enioyned to appeare att the nexte Genall Court, & to contynue there till the Court be ended.” This sentence was revoked May 14, 1634, “vpon his submission, & testimoney being giuen of his good behav^r.” On September 6, 1638, various fines which had been imposed at different times were remitted, doubtless because he was no longer under the jurisdiction of the General Court.

His next appearance is at Providence in 1637. He was not one of the little party of six, with Roger Williams at their head, who began the settlement there, but he joined them soon after. It is more than likely that our ancestor had known Williams in Salem, and that when the latter left there for Narragansett Bay his restless disposition prompted him to follow his friend thither. He is the fourth mentioned in the “Initial” deed of October 8, 1638, by which Roger Williams divided between twelve of his associates the land he had purchased from the Indians, retaining an equal proportion for himself.

The land bought from the Indians and divided among the thirteen associates by this deed comprised all of Providence and what was later Pawtuxet, the latter being settled the same year by William Arnold, William Carpenter, Zachariah Rhodes and William Harris. As will appear later, Cole seems to have removed from Providence to Pawtuxet before September, 1642, and from there he went to Shawomet (later Warwick), though still retaining his rights in the original Providence-Pawtuxet purchase.

He was one of the twelve, who, probably in the autumn of 1638 and certainly before March 16, 1638/9, founded the first Baptist church in America. Being convinced of the neces­sity of baptism by immersion, in the absence of a minister they selected one of their own number, Ezekiel Holliman, “a man of gifts and piety,” to first baptize Roger Williams, who then baptized Mr. Holliman and the other ten.

On July 27, 1640, Cole, Chad Brown, William Harris and John Warner, who had been “ffreely chosen” by their “loving ffreindes, and Neighbors” to settle the “many differances” which had arisen among them, presented a report containing provisions for a town government. This report, in which, as those who prepared it stated, “we have gon the fairest and equalest way to produce or peace,” was accepted and signed by thirty-nine inhabitants of Providence and was the beginning of town organization. It remained in effect until the grant of a royal charter some years later. The document is too long, and is hardly appropriate for insertion here, but the first paragraph is quoted as it contains the names of those who prepared it and their reasons therefor:—

Wee Robert Coles: Chad Browne: William Harris: and John Warner: being ffreely chosen by the con­sent of our loving ffreinds, and Neighbours the inhabetance of this Towne of providence: having many differances amongst us: They being ffreely willing and also bound themselves to stand to our Arbetration in all differences amongst us: to rest contented in our determination: Being so betrusted: wee have seriously and carefully indeavoured to waye and consider all those differences: being desirous to bring them to vnitye and peace: Although our abilities are farr short in the due examination of such weightye thinges: yet so farr as wee cann conceive laieing all things together: wee have gon the fairest and equallest way to produce o^r peace:

He soon after became involved in the complications which arose with the Gorton affair (see page 299). In Septem­ber, 1642, he, with William Arnold, William Carpenter, and Benedict Arnold, representing the inhabitants of Pawtuxet generally, petitioned the Massachusetts Bay Colony to take them and their lands under its protection, and on September 8 of that year the records of the General Court say:—

“Willi: Arnold, Rob: Coale, Willi: Carpenter, & Bened: Arnold, his company upon their petition, were taken under o^r government & prtection. Willi: Arnold, Robert Coale, Benedict Arnold & Willi: Carpenter is to see to keepe the peace in their lands.”

This act of Cole, Carpenter and the two Arnolds was bitterly resented by Gorton. He characterized them as "ill-affected" persons "whom they¹ had formerly cast out from amongst them, both out of their churches, and censured them also in the civil courts for gross and scandalous offences, as one Robert Cole, whom they had censured to weare a D on his back for a whole year, to proclaim unto all men his guiltiness of the sin of drunkenness, and had also cast him out of their Church, and delivered him unto Satan several times, who before, and in the time of this his submission usually con­versed with, and was conversant amongst the Indians on the Sabbath days, professing the Indians' religion to be the same with that which Massachusetts professed and practised.”² Gorton’s arraignment of Cole is certainly severe. It is true that he had been both excommunicated and disfranchised while in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, but he seems to have reformed even before he left there and there is certainly nothing in the Providence town records or those of Warwick, where he after­wards resided, to indicate that he did not lead a perfectly cor­rect life in both places. His admission to the Baptist church and his commission from Massachusetts Bay to be one of the four officers of the peace in Pawtuxet are also indications that he had become a person of good repute. It is curious to note, in this connection, that one of Gorton’s daughters married one of Cole’s sons.

¹The Massachusetts Bay Colony.

² Footnote by Gorton:—“This speech of Robert Cole was uttered before many who can witness it.”

On October 28, 1642, the General Court of Massachusetts Bay notified the Providence authorities that as William Arnold, Robert Cole and others had placed themselves under its pro­tection, such claims as Providence might have against any in Pawtuxet must be prosecuted in the Massachusetts Bay Court. On May 22, 1651, in answer to a complaint from Cole, William Arnold and William Carpenter in behalf of the rest of their neighbors of Pawtuxet, the General Court, in a letter to Roger Williams, warned Providence not to attempt to enforce the collection of a rate of £12. 10s. from them and the rest of those under Massachusetts Bay jurisdiction at Shawomet. At its sitting October 18, 1659, there was presented to the Gen­eral Court by William Arnold a bill covering certain expenses connected with the execution of the Court’s commission of October 20, 1643, to apprehend several of Gorton's associates at Shawomet, in which bill Cole’s name appears twice (see pages 300, 301). The last mention of him in the dispute be­tween Massachusetts Bay and Providence incident to the Gorton trouble is on May 22, 1663, when, his bill just men­tioned not having been approved, William Arnold presented another account to the General Court in which there is the item:—“to Robert Coles. .3£.”

The Providence town records have recently been published and his name occurs frequently therein. The most interesting items concerning him are as follows:—

1637.

"M^r cole ffrances weston Rich. waterman shold pay for each person jis. i e. for Dammage in case they do not Improue their Ground at present graunted to them vid. by preparing to fense to plaunt to build etc"

1638 (probably) June 10.

Certain portions of “grasse & medow,” laid out by “our neighbour Greene o^r neighbour Cole neighbour Arnold & n^r Weston” to “o^r neighbour James neighbour Olney neighbour Waterman neighbour Cole neighbour Weston neighbour Carpenter, neighbour Holyman,” were confirmed to the grantees.

1638, October 8.

The “Initial” deed, of which the following is practically a word for word copy, was undated, but the date is known to be October 8, 1638. It has been called the “Initial” deed because only the initials of the grantor and grantees appeared therein.

Providence 8 of y^e 8^th mon:i638:

Memorandum, y^t I Roger Williams having formerly purchassed of Caunounicus, and Miantenomue this our scituation, or plantation of New providence, viz. the Two ffresh Rivers Wanasquatuckett & Mooshausick, and y^e grounds & Meadowes thereupon, In Consideration of Thirtie poundes received from the Inhabetantes of the saide place, doe freely, & ffully passe grant & make over Equall Right and power of Enjoyeing & dispossing the same groundes & Lands unto my Lo: ffriends & neighbo^rs Stukley Westcoot; W^m Arnold; Thomas James; Robert Cole: John Greene; John Throckmorton: W^m Harris: W^m Carpenter: Tho: Olney, ffrancis Weston, Rich: Waterman: Ezechiell Holliman: and such others as the Major part of us shall admitt into the same ffelloshipp of Voate with us, As also I doe ffreely make & passe over equall Right and power of Enjoyeing and despossing of the Lands & grounds Reaching from the aforsaid Rivers unto the great River pautuxett with the grasse and meadowes there upon w^ch was so lately given & granted by the aforsaid Sachims to me       wittnesse my hand:

Roger Williams

Providence 22: 10, i666 (so called)

This paper & writing is a true Coppie of a wrighteing given by me about Twenty Eight yeares since, & differs not a tittle only so is dated as neere as wee Could guesse about the time and the names of men (written in a straight of time and hast) are here Explained by me.

Roger Williams

In the presence of us
John Browne
Joⁿ Sayles
Thomas Harris Assistant

1638, October 8.

“The eight of the eight moneth in the yeare 1638

"It is agreed this day abouesaid that all the Meddow ground at Patuxett, bounding vpon the fresh River on both sides is to be impropriated vnto those 13 persons being now Incorporated together in our Towne of providence viz Ezekiell Holliman, Francis Weston, Richard Waterman, Thomas Olney, Robert Coles, William Carpenter, William Harris, John Throckmorton, Roger Williams, John Greene, Thomas James, William Arnold, Stuckley Westcott; and to be equally divided among them, and every man to pay an equal proportion to raise vp the sume of 20^£ . . . . . . ."

* * * *

“Memorandum on the 3^d of the 10^th m: 1638 (called) according to former agreement I received of the neighbo^rs abovesaid the full sume of 18^£: 11^s 3^d.

p^r me Rogerum Williams"

1641/2, January 10.

Sells to Samuel Gorton certain lands at Pawtuxet.

1645/6, February 9.

Witness to deed, William Carpenter to William Field.
Witness to deed, William Field to William Carpenter.

1646/7, February 21.

“Prouidence 21 of 12 mont: 1646 (so calld)

“These are in the name of King & Parliam^t of England to require you whose names are herevnder written to appeare y^e next second day of y^e week by 9 of y^e clock at y^e Towne howse to giue in Evidence & testimonie in a Case depending betweene Thomas Angel & Robert West

Robert Cole
Richard Waterman
William Field
John Lippit                                                               Roger Williams :
Tho : Harris
Christopher Haukehurst
Bethiah Waterman

To Tho: Hopkins Seargeant of Providence”

1649, June 11.

Wesuontupe and Nanheggen, two Indians, were charged with robbing Cole’s house and were brought to trial. A portion of the testimony against Nanheggen was:—

“I came into M^r Coles house and hard something in the dwelling house, w^ch (dore of the house I make faste before) w^ch Nanheggen I beleaue broke into said house, and came not in at the said dore in w^ch house I found him”

1649, June 19.

In the above trial for robbery Nanheggen testified:—

“That he did not see Wesuontupe as he thincks these 20 days but thereabouts being at worke at M^r Coles he mette with Wesuontupe & offered him wompum to worke, but M^rs Cole would not haue him to work there, because he had the name of a thiefe, . . . .”

1650, September 2.

Rated at £3. 6s. 8d.

1652/3, January 3.

Sells house and lot to Richard and Mary Pray.

1653/4, February 27.

Robert Cole, “of Warwick,” and Mary his wife sell to Zachariah Rhodes his dwelling house and home lot at Pawtuxet; also a parcel of land which he (Cole) bought of his son-in-law Henry Townsend; also another parcel of land “neere to the fall”; also his right in divided and undivided land within Pawtuxet bounds, certain specified property excepted.

1655, April 27.

“Vpon Complaint of Heuh Bewit y^t M^r Cole was behind hand in his rate 3^lb 6^s 8^d y^e Towne makes ouer y^e right of M^r Coles 3 Score acre & 6 acre Lot vnto y^e said Bewit except M^r Cole redeeme it in 18 months:”

1655/6, January 28.

Sells meadow and 25 acres of upland in Pawtuxet to Valentine Whitman, being the property reserved in sale to Zachariah Rhodes.

1656, June 11.

“Know all men by these presents, that whereas m^r Robert Coles of Warwick Lately deceased, haveing formerly sould unto Vallintine Whittman of providence, a percell of meddow, being Robert Coles share of meddow Commonly called by the name of mashapauge, togeather with a percell of :25: Acres of upland, more or less, Lieing upon both the sides of the aforsaid meddow; And haveing received fful sattisfaction, Now I mary Coles his wife, with the Consent of the Towne Counsell of warwick, doe Confirme, the former Bargaine, and make over unto the sayd Vallintine Whittman, The foresaid meddow, and upland unto him and his Heires, Exsecutors Administrators, or Assignes for euer.

In Wittness Where of I have sett my hand and seale: the 11^th: of June 1656

Wittnes

	the mark of Mary X Coles
Randall Holdon	Ezekell Holliman
John Wickes	in the behalfe of the Rest”

1665/6, February 19.

He appears in a list of “The Names of Thos who drew papers and their places in order as it fell unto them at a Towne meetting ffeburarey the 19^th 1665: it being for the devision of land on the East Side of the Seven mile line:”

This is another case where the right of an original proprietor in undivided land was recognized, when the land was divided, by a lot being drawn in his name, although he had been dead several years.

1675, April 12.

He appears in a list of “The Names of thos which drew papers and there places in order as it fell vnto them att a towne metting the 12th of Aprell 1675 Capt ffenner moddrator it being for the Diuiding of the Land beyand or on the west side of the seauen mile Line.”

1675, May 24.

He appears on a list of “The names of thos which drew papers and there plasces in order as it fell vnto them att a towne metting ye 24th of may 1675: Thomas Harres senr moddrat it being for the second Diuiding of the Land betwen the seauen mile Line and the foure mile Line on the East sid of the seauen mile Line"

1682/3, January 16.

He is referred to in an agreement between Providence and Pawtuxet as being on the thirteen original proprietors of the latter.

1683/4, March 17.

He appears in “the list of ye Draught which was made the 17th: of March 1683/4. for ye devision of ye lands on ye west side of ye seven mile line”

In September, 1652, certain Narragansett Indians presented to Plymouth Colony a formal complaint concerning certain matters. One of the items in the complaint is as follows:—

7. Seventhly, that Ninigrett bought a great mastiff dog of Robert Cole, and gave him forty shillings for him, besides other charges that he was at about him; which dog afterward ran home to Robert Cole, who killed said dog. Ninigrett therefore requires the forty shillings of said Cole.

The following answer was returned to the above charge:—

Concerning the dog killed by Robert Coale, being informed by Mr Browne to the truth of their complaint, we will write to Coale to return the forty shillings to Ninigrett.

We have followed our ancestor from Roxbury to Ipswich, thence to Salem, from there to Providence, and from there to Pawtuxet. His next and last move was from Pawtuxet to Warwick, Rhode Island. The exact date of his removal thither is not known. The first mention of him in the original book of Warwick town records is on page 19, which is headed “Inhabitants receaued in order as they came first” The left side of the page is filled with various names and at the top of the right side, alone, is "Robert Coles receaued a Townsman" The page contains no date, but the first entry on the succeeding page is dated June 5, 1648.

His wife was Mary, sister of Christopher Hawxhurst and consequently daughter of Samson Hawkshurst (Hawxhurst) Vicar of Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England. The relationship between Mary and Christopher Hawxhurst is established by the Jamaica (Long Island) town records, wherein the former’s children call Christopher their uncle. The Rev. John Eliot says of her in his record of the Roxbury church members:— “Mary Cole, the wife of Robert Cole. God also wrought vpon her heart as it was hoped after her coming to N. E. but after her hus­band's excommunication, & falls she did too much favor his ways, yet not as to incur any just blame, she lived an aflicted life, by reason of his vnsetlednesse & removing frö place to place.”

Her husband dying intestate in 1654, the Warwick town council divided his estate, which amounted to £501 less debts of £112.13s., and appointed the widow administratrix, direct­ing her to give deeds to those to whom her husband had trans­ferred land without deeds. Accordingly she confirmed by deed to her son-in-law Henry Townsend January 20, 1655/6, a sale of three acres of meadow in Warwick; to her son-in-law Richard Townsend April 5, 1656, a gift of eight acres of mea­dow in Warwick; and to Valentine Whitman June 11, 1656, a sale of meadow and upland in Pawtuxet.

On October 25, 1655, John Cole, Robert's eldest son, acknowledged the receipt from his mother of £80 and a mare in full settlement of his interest in his father's estate. This acknowledgement was entered in the Warwick town records December 5, 1655, and a similar acknowledgement was entered in the Providence town records September 8, 1663, John deposing that he was then “aged about 33 years.” Anne Cole, who had married Henry Townsend, and Deliverance Cole, who had married Richard Townsend, were not mentioned in the division of the estate, probably because they had received their portions at marriage.

The widow married Matthias Harvey and removed to Long Island where she died.

The children of Robert and Mary (Hawxhurst) Cole, in the probable order of birth, were:—

1. John. [married Ann _____]³.

   ---

   ³ Webmaster’s notes:  A record of the wife and only known son of John Cole can be found in the book, The Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island, Comprising Three Generations of Settlers Who Came Before 1690 (with many generations carried to the fourth generation) by John Osborne Austin, published 1887, (with additions and corrections from The American Genealogist magazine articles by G. Andrew Moriarty), reprinted with additions 1969, 1978, 1982, by Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, Md.
   
   
   In a footnote on p. 50 of the Austin book it states that Ann, widow of John Cole, being about to marry William Lynes, on 1 Jan 1683, deeded to her son, Solomon, half of her land and estate, she having inherited a life estate in the property by the will of her late husband.
   A further record of this lineage appears to have been continued in the book, Cole Family of Stark, New Hampshire: descendants of Solomon Cole of Beverly, Masachusetts by Henry Winthrop Hardon, (1861-1934), which was an enlarged and corrected version of the text first printed in the Register of the New England Historical Genealogical Society, Vol. 86, Jan., 1932.

   ---

2. Anne, married Henry Townsend before February 27, 1653/4, and had issue; died after March 30, 1695.

3. Deliverance, married Richard Townsend and had issue.

4. Daniel, married Mahershallalhashbaz, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth (    ) Gorton.

5. Nathaniel, married Martha Jackson August 30, 1667.

6. Robert, married Mercy Wright.

7. Sarah, married Thomas, son of John and Elizabeth (     ) Townsend, and had issue.

Warwicke ye 28th of October 1654

The Town Counsell being met to agitate and order concerning the estate of Mr Robert coles of this towne of Warwicke late deceased and dying intestate, having received an Inventory concerning the whole estate being prized by Henry Townsend, Mr Walter Todd & Mr Hugh Bewitt, who were deputed thereunto by the sayd counsell & finding ye said estate to amount to five hundred and one pound money pay and the debts claimed being calculated to amount to one hundred and twelve pounds thirteen shillings money pay the sayd counsell determine that Mary Coles the wife of the late deceased Robert Coles bee administor of the sayd estate also it is concluded that the Estate shall be disposed of to the children as fol­loweth, To his eldest Sonne John Coles, fourscore pounds, money pay and a mare, to bee payd by the sayd Administrator each with other upon record bear­ing date. Also the sayd Counsell order unto Daniel Coles the second sonne 50 pounds money pay to be payd when he is 21 yeares old, Also unto Nathaniell the third sonne 40 pound to be payed at 21 yeares ould. Also unto Robert Coles the fowerth sonne 40 pounds to bee payed at 21 yeares ould, also unto Sarah Coles 40 pounds to be payd at her day of mar­riage or when she comes to bee 21 yeares ould, also wee order that the sayd children which are under age shal bee under the tuition of the sayd Mary Coles their mother until they be of age as aforesaid except the sayd Mary Coles dye before they come to be of age and then the Counsell of the towne of Warwicke to dispose of them and their portions to what guard­ian they shall thinke fit, Also wee order that the use of their portions shall be for their maintenance. Wee further order that in case any of the sayd children dye before they come to age their portion shall be equally distributed to the survivors. Also we order the sayd Administrator to give deedes and assurances to any that have either bought land of her husband or had any by gift. farther wee order that in case the sayd Mary Coles alter her condition by marriage and the sayd children be not well used, that the Counsell of this towne doe take cause both with the children and their estates to dispose better of them. Wee further order for the speedy paiyinge of the debts claimed being some of them are to be payd in Cattell and the season of the year requiring it, that the sayd Mary Coles by the assistance & leave of Ezekiel Holliman one of the Counsell shall sell and discharge in the meane time until security bee taken and a letter of Administration given.

Savage’s Genealogical Dictionary, I, 429.

Cole Genealogy, 89-92.

Report of the Boston Record Commissioners (Roxbury), 74, 75.

Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, I, 80, 95, 103, 107, 112, 118, 243, 244; II, 26, 27; III, 228; IV, part 1, 46.

Winthrop’s History of New England, I, 100.

The Ancient Records of the Town of Ipswich, I.

Historical Collections of the Essex Institute, IV, 90, 91,95, 181; III, 89.

Collections of the Rhode Island Historical Society, II, 50, 51, 53; V, 29.

Benedict’s History of the Baptist Denomination in America, I, 473, 475.

Arnold’s History of Rhode Island, I, 107.

Early Records of the Town of Providence, I, 3, 4, 87-90; II, 13, 15, 79, 80; III, 26, 71, 72, 90, 91, 199; IV, 19, 45, 47, 64, 67, 73; XIV, 65, 258; XV, 2, 9, 24, 25, 31, 33.

Plymouth Colony Records, printed, X, 375, 376.

Warwick (R. I.) Town Records.

New York Genealogical & Biographical Record, XXVI, 19.

Notes of Mr. George W. Cocks, Glen Cove, Long Island.

Suffolk County (Mass.) Files, No. 522.