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Humphrey Cole, in his own words |
| If he could speak to us today, Humphrey Cole might describe his life as follows. |
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I was born about 1552, the son of William Cole and Elizabeth Dreads, and resided with my wife, Hester, in Tillingham, Essex, England, where I was the rector of Oakley Magna. |
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I made my will 4 November 1623, naming “my sonnes William, Thomas, Robert, and John” and “my sons-in-law Michael Wood, parson of much Oakley, and John George of Wirtle, Essex, Yeoman.” I was dead by the next spring, 17 May 1624, when they proved my will in court. |
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Son William, the ancestor of nearly a dozen congressmen, was a very prominent Virginian. Son-in-law John George, also later a Virginian, served in the House of Burgesses. |
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Will of Humphrey Cole |
Here is the text of his will—not entirely verbatim.  |
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Will of Humfrie Cole of Tillingham, Essex, Clarke
November 1623 |
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Item. To be buried in the Chancell of Tillingham. |
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Item. To poore of Tillingham fower marks to be distributed by Overseers of the Poore. |
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Item. To sonne Robert Cole, student of Emanuell Colledge in Cambridge, towardes his bringing up in learning all bookes, my wearing apparell both Linen and woollen, with sex yards of broad cloth upwards wch I bought of Mr. Purchase of Mauldon to make myselfe newe clothes together with five yardes of blacke Kersey a halfe wch I bought of a Widdow at Malden to make myself a newe suit. Also to Robert all Corne in house and hay in fieldes except two quarters each of Corne, barley, or mault, and oates for my beloved wife Hester Cole for housekeeping and Executor or Executrix and Overseers to sell advowson of Rectorie or Parsonage of Okeley magna, Essex, and money to sons etc. |
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Item. Sell (with consent of wife Hester two whom they are given for life) my free lands in Tillingham commonly called Hodgewattes, lately in tenure of John Bridge of Tillingham, husbandman, and the use of £80 to wife Hester for life and rest of money and £80 when due my sonns William, Thomas, Robert, and John. |
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Item. I do give unto William Cole now in Virginia (if he be livinge) my three acres of free hold more or lease with a newe barne built upon it called sewders head in Tillingham & next adjoininge to a Cottage & two acres of Coppihould land called Finches & Doth belong unto his brother Robert Cole. And if my said sonne William be not living at the time of my Death then I give & bequeath the same land & Barne to my second sonne Thomas Cole & his Heires forever. |
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Item. My plate, household stuffe & wch wife Hester shall enjoye for life by deed made by me to Sr John Sames, Kinght, and Mr. Blunt, Gentleman, and the other goodes to be divided to my sons at her death and my Keyne, horses, Sheep, lambes, Swine and debts due to be imployed for payment of my debts and except one spaid Mare colte of two years to wife Hester. |
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Executrix: wife Hester Cole. If she refuse then son Thomas Cole. |
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Overseers: my two sonnes in law Michaiah Wood, Person of much Okeley, and John George of Writtle, Essex, yeoman, giving to same Wood my clocke that hangeth in the Vickaredge Hall and to same John George three yeare ould coult to be sent to his house. |
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Witnesses: John Traske, John Moody |
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Notes |
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Clarke, meant “cleric,” a reference to Cole’s occupation. |
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Kersey is a woolen fabric, often ribbed, formerly used for hose and trousers. |
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Advowson, in English Ecclesiastical law, was the right to present a fit person to the bishop to fill a vacancy in the diocese. Humphrey was apparently directing his executors to sell the right to recommend his own replacement for money. |
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A husbandman was a farmer, tenant farmer in this case. |
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The first use of the word debts meant “assets.” |
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Descendants of Humphrey Cole |
Information about the children of Humphrey Cole, their descendants, and allied families previously found at Virginians.com is
now available as Southside Virginia Genealogies.
Learn more  |
| Names found in this topic include the following. |
| | William Cole (c.1599-), |
| Frances (—) Cole, Roger Farbrase, |
| Alexander Mountney, |
| Richard Hinman, |
| Col. William Cole, Ann Digges, |
| Martha Lear, Col. John Lear, |
| John George, |
| Col. Miles Cary, |
| William Digges, |
| Lewis Burwell, |
| Susannah Cole, Dudley Digges, Edward Digges, Elizabeth Page, |
| Col. Cole Digges, Elizabeth Power, |
| Edward Digges, Anne Harrison, |
| Edward Digges, |
| Edward Digges, |
| William Digges, William Waller, |
| Elizabeth Digges, |
| Cole Digges, |
| Edward Digges, Elizabeth Gaskins, Col. Thomas Gaskins, |
| Mary Digges, George Fitzhugh, |
| Thomas Digges, |
| Elizabeth Digges, |
| Hannah Digges, |
| Anne Digges, |
| Sarah Digges, William Fitzhugh, |
| Dudley Digges, Mary Digges, |
| Charles Digges, |
| William Digges, Frances Robinson, Maj. Anthony Robinson, Dianna —, |
| Cole Digges, |
| Rebecca Johnson, Pettway Johnson, Mary Robinson Purdie, George Purdie, Mary Robinson, |
| Mary Digges, William Hill, |
| Elizabeth Digges, William Digges, |
| Susannah Digges, |
| Lucy Digges, |
| Dudley Digges, |
| Martha Armistead, Elizabeth Wormeley, Ralph Wormeley, |
| Cole Digges, Martha Walker, |
| Martha Digges, John Goddall, |
| Betsy Digges, Roscow Cole, |
| Lucy Armistead Digges, Maj. William Lightfoot, |
| Catherine Norvell Lightfoot, Hon. William Norvell, Richardson Henley, |
| Martha Digges, Capt. Nathaniel Burwell, |
| Elizabeth Digges, Dr. Robert Nicholson, |
| Mary Digges, Dudley Digges, |
| Dudley Digges, Alice Page, John Page, Dr. Augustine Smith, |
| Lucy Digges, John Stratton, |
| Judith Wormeley Digges, Andrew Nicholson, |
| Elizabeth Nicholson, |
| Mary Nicholson, |
| George Nicholson, |
| Rebecca Nicholson, |
| Mary Digges, Nathaniel Harrison, |
| Alexander Bolling, |
| Nathaniel Harrison, |
| Digges Harrison, |
| Elizabeth Harrison, Maj. John Fitzhugh, |
| Lucy Fitzhugh, Col. William Mayo, |
| Benjamin Harrison, |
| Anne Randolph, Evelyn Taylor Byrd, William Byrd III, |
| George Evelyn Harrison, |
| Isabella Harmanson Ritchie, Thomas Ritchie, |
| Dr. Robert Ritchie, |
| William Byrd Harrison, Mary Randolph Harrison, Randolph Harrison, |
| Eleanor Wayles Randolph, Thomas Jefferson Randolph, |
| Anne N. Harrison, Richard Evelyn Byrd, |
| Richard Evelyn Byrd, |
| Elizabeth Page Harrison, Alfred Harrison Powell, |
| Abigail W. Harrison, Walker, |
| Mary B. Harrison, Taylor, |
| Susannah Digges, Benjamin Harrison, Edward Digges, |
| Elizabeth Harrison, |
| Mary Harrison, |
| Nathaniel Harrison, |
| Wilmette Munford, William Collins, |
| Benjamin Munford Harrison, Anne Pleasants Atkinson, Dolly Pleasants Gray Briggs Carter Nicholas, Col. John Nicholas, |
| Susanna Harrison, |
| Benjamin Harrison, |
| Hannah Harrison, |
| Eliza Digges Harrison, |
| Peter Cole Harrison, Margaret Hay, Hamilton Jones, |
| Susan Harrison, |
| Ludwell Harrison, William Goosley, |
| Edward Digges, |
| Dudley Digges, Mary Hubbard, |
| Joseph Pleasants, Henry Walthall, Thomas Friend, |
| Henry Branch, Henry Cary, John Page, Elizabeth Page, |
| Maria Digges, |
| Elizabeth Digges, |
| Susanna Digges, |
| Edward Digges, |
| Dudley Digges, |
| Elizabeth Digges, |
| Edward Cole, |
| Digges Cole, |
| Martha Cole, |
| John Cole, |
| Mary Cole, |
| William Cole, Mary Roscow, William Roscow, Mary Wilson, |
| Thomas Wills, |
| William Cole, James Binford, Elizabeth (—) Cole, Philip Par Edmundson, |
| William Cole, Ann Everard, Thomas Everard, |
| John Everard Cole, |
| Ann Everard Cole, Dr. Alexander Glas Strachan, |
| Mary Cole, |
| William Cole, Elizabeth Poythress Cocke, James Edward Cole, |
| Martha Hall Cole, Martha (Everard) Hall, |
| Richard Cole, |
| Mary Cole, Richard Cary, |
| Mary Cole, |
| Jane Cole, Nathaniel Claiborne, |
| Stephen Bingham, Col. Francis West, |
| Thomas Claiborne, Euphania Sweeny, Anne Robinson, |
| Mary Cole Claiborne, Roger Gregory, Richard Gregory, Agnes West, |
| Richard Gregory, Mary Ward, |
| Elizabeth Wilkinson, |
| Elizabeth Gregory, |
| Wilson Gregory, Lucinda Watson, Richard Watson, Ann Anderson, |
| Harriet Gregory, Thomas Branch Wilson, |
| Lavinia Gregory, |
| Richard Augustus Gregory, Frances Cox, Mary Ann Belcher, |
| Margaret Cole Gregory, George Cox, |
| Sarah Cole Gregory, William Hatcher Jr., John S. Peers, |
| Minerva M. Gregory, Francis Anderson, |
| Albert Gregory, |
| Nathaniel McCaw Gregory, |
| Thomas Henry Gregory, |
| William Wilkinson Gregory, Elizabeth Randolph Taylor, Thomas Taylor, Lucy E. —, Ellen Upshur, Martha (Stewart) Carson, |
| Roger Gregory, Sarah Southerland, |
| Nathaniel Gregory, Mary Ann Beckley, |
| Richard Claiborne Gregory, Frances Craig, Eliza Twitty Bailey, |
| Nathaniel Beckley Gregory, |
| Thomas West Sidney Gregory, Mary Gregory, |
| Thomas Gregory, |
| William Gregory, Anne Southerland, |
| Roger Gregory, Fendall Gregory Jr., |
| Mary Cole Gregory, John Herbert Claiborne, |
| Jane Claiborne, George Major Lipscomb, Bernard Hornett, |
| Elizabeth Claiborne, Ambrose Lipscomb, |
| William Claiborne, Mary Leigh, |
| Frances (Blair) Black, William Black, |
| Ferdinand Leigh Claiborne, Mary Magdalene Hutchins, |
| John Francis Hamtramck Claiborne, Benjamin Watkins Leigh, |
| Herbert Claiborne Pell, Claiborne de Borda Pell, |
| Louis Bingaman Claiborne, Ferdinand Claiborne Latrobe, |
| William Charles Cole Claiborne, |
| Nathaniel Herbert Claiborne, Elizabeth A. Binford, |
| Ferdinand Leigh Claiborne, Emily —, |
| Susan Madeline Claiborne, |
| Nathaniel Charles Claiborne, |
| Mary Elizabeth Claiborne, |
| William Patrick Claiborne, |
| Elizabeth Herbert Claiborne, |
| Thomas Binford Claiborne, |
| Ann Claiborne, James B. Wilson, |
| Catherine Sophronia Claiborne, |
| James Robert Claiborne, Armistead L. Burwell, Frances Moore, |
| James Robert Claiborne, |
| Josephine Hortense Eugenia Claiborne, Capt. Giles William Bruce Hale, |
| William Herbert Hale, Etheline Covington Hale, Hughes Dalton Dillard, |
| Thomas Augustine Claiborne, Sarah T. Lewis, Isabella Charlotte (Hutchins) Wooldridge, |
| William Ferdinand L. Claiborne, |
| Mary Elizabeth Tennessee Claiborne, Abram Poindexter Maury, Abraham Maury, Martha Branch Worsham, |
| Martha Thomas Maury, Nicholas Edwin Perkins, Nicholas Perkins, Mary Hardin, |
| Micajah Greene Lewis Claiborne, |
| Mary Leigh Claiborne, Bathurst Claiborne, |
| Roscow Bingham, |
| Susanna West, Col. Holt Richeson, |
| Thomas Mumford, |
| Elizabeth Hogg, |
| James Richeson, |
| Mary Richeson, William Frazer, |
| Thomas R. Evans, Elizabeth Frazer, Richard Frazer, |
| Agnes Frazer, John Roane, |
| Alexander Frazer, Ann Catherine Ragsdale, |
| Mary Frazer, Francis Rowe, |
| James Richeson, |
| Susanna West Richeson, Palmer, |
| Frances Langborne Richeson, John Pannill, David Pannill, |
| Benjamin Quarles, |
| James Pannill, |
| Francis West Richeson Quarles, Mary —, Mary E.W. Richeson, |
| Thomas D. Quarles, Mary Ann Mosby, |
| Susan Ann Quarles, Thomas Pemberton, |
| Agnes Richeson, |
| Holt C. Richeson, |
| Francis West Richeson, Elizabeth Ragsdale, |
| John A. Richeson, |
| Roscow Cole, |
| Rachael Robinson, Anthony Robinson, Diana Tabb, |
| Charles Turnbull, Rev. George Turnbull, |
| Mary Cole, Robert Turnbull, Hannah Jones, |
| Scarbrough Penticost, |
| Charles Turnbull, William Warwick, Nancy (—) Turnbull, Thomas Bolling Manlove, |
| Dr. Robert H. Turnbull, |
| Mary Wyatt Turnbull, |
| Ann Turnbull, Francis Osborne, Benjamin Harrison, |
| Thomas Crawford Turnbull, |
| Robert Turnbull, Elizabeth Jones Stith, |
| William Cole Turnbull, |
| Mary Cole Turnbull, Armistead Burwell, John Blair Burwell, Ann Powell, |
| William Cole, |
| Capt. James Cole, Mary Wills, |
| Mary Roscow Cole, George Barclay, |
| James Dickenson, |
| Mary Wills Barclay, John Spiller Boxley, Joseph Boxley, Catherine —, |
| Elizabeth Martin Barclay, William Gilliam, |
| Patrick Barclay, |
| Catherine Cole Barclay, George Boxley, |
| Lucy Martin Barclay, John Wills, |
| James Cole, Frances Chisman Wills, Mrs. Geradine, Mrs. Greenhow, |
| Elizabeth Dancy Cole, |
| Polly Roscow Cole, |
| Lucy Wills Cole, Isaiah Shipman, |
| Roscow Cole, |
| James Cole, |
| Ann Cole, |
| William John Cole, |
| Frances Catherine Jane Cole, |
| Jane Robertson Cole, |
| Permelia Cole, |
| Martha Wills Cole, |
| Matthew Cole, |
| William Cole, Sarah Claiborne Woodson, |
| Catherine Cole, |
| John Cole, |
| Jane Cole, |
| Roscow Cole, |
| Dudley Cole, |
| Susannah Cole, |
| Martha Cole, Thomas West, |
| Ferdinand Leigh, |
| John West, Elizabeth Seaton, George Seaton, |
| Col. John West, |
| Delaware West, |
| Lucy West, |
| Martha Cole West, George Gilbert, |
| Rev. William Leigh, |
| Elizabeth Selden Watkins, |
| Thomas Watkins, |
| Martha Leigh, William Finney, |
| Benjamin Watkins Leigh, |
| William Cabell Rives, |
| Judge William Leigh, |
| Elizabeth Leigh, Nathan Harris, |
| Mary Leigh, William Claiborne, |
| Susannah Cole, |
| | Thomas Cole, |
| | Robert Cole, |
| | John Cole, |
| | Jane (Cole) George (c.1605-), |
| John George, |
| | daughter (Cole) Wood, |
| Michael Wood, |
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| Notables |
This family topic includes the following notable individuals.
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Selected sources |
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Boddie, John Bennett. “Digges of Virginia.” Historical Southern Families, 12:257-272. • Except some English pedigrees, substantially a recapitulation of information from “Pedigree of a…” • Ancestors of Dudley Digges. |
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“Cole Bible Record.” Virginia Vital Records from the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, the William and Mary College Quarterly, and Tyler’s Quarterly. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. 1982:651. • Prayer Book of James Cole containing the births of his children. |
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“Cole Family,” Genealogies of Virginia Families from the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1981(2):75-79. • Family of William Cole. |
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“Cole-Roscow-Dickinson,” Genealogies of Virginia Families from the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1981(2):80-83. • Families of William Cole and James Dickenson. |
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“Davis and Turnbull.” Genealogies of Virginia Families from the William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1982(2):138-140. • Includes information on two children of Roscow Cole and Rachael Robinson. |
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Dorman, John Frederick. Adventurers of Purse and Person Virginia 1607-1624/5, Fourth Edition. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. 2004. Volume One, pages 713-724. • Family of William Cole. |
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“Harrison of James River.” Genealogies of Virginia Families from the William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. 3:687-844 (1982). • Includes information on the families of Mary Digges who married Nathaniel Harrison and Susannah Digges who married Benjamin Harrison of “Wakefield.” |
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Hiden, Mrs. P.W.. “Boxley.” Genealogies of Virginia Families from the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1981(2):404-409. • Information about the family of Mary Roscow Cole and George Barclay. |
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Larimer, Mary B. “Some Notes on the Burwell, Turnbull, Manlove, Farmer, Ferguson, and Gray Families.” Genealogies of Virginia Families from the William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1982(1):505-511. • Family of Mary Cole Turnbull and Armistead Burwell. |
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“Pedigree of a Representative Virginia Planter.” Genealogies of Virginia Families from the William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1982(2):160-192. • Superceded partially by Meyer and Dorman but carries the lines of Dudley Digges further. |
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“Records of the Richeson Family.” Genealogies of Virginia Families from the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1981(4):277-286. • Information about Col. Holt Richeson who married Susanna West, a Cole descendant. |
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“Records of the Richeson Family.” Genealogies of Virginia Families from the William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1982(4):277-286. • Family of Susanna West and Holt Richeson. |
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Stauffer, W.T. “The Old Farms - Out of which the City of Newport News was erected, with some account of the families which dwelt thereon.” Genealogies of Virginia Families from the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1981(5):789-791. • Land belonging to Col. William Cole. |
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“Tombstones in Warwick County.” Virginia Vital Records from the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, the William and Mary College Quarterly, and Tyler’s Quarterly. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. 1982:579-583. • Tombstone inscriptions for Mary Harrison, Col. William Cole, and Martha Cole. |
Notes |
This topic, which represents .55% of all the family history material at Virginians.com,
includes 322 citations and the names of 443 individuals.
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