James COLE

                   Sources:"Descendent of James Cole of Plymouth,Mass.", V.R. Foster,R.I.,
Fam. Rec.- Index Bureau.
Letter from Elizabeth Heath (Mrs. Frank Lansing Heath)
LDS Index Bur & Arch.; James Cole of Plymouth 1633;
Unpub. Pray Gen. by John Lansing Pray.  Summit & Medinal Co.,
Ohio Mgs. & Census; . Lucas Co,
Ohio Mg. Records; East Rome Cem. Rec. (Mich.) Gravestone Reads
of Lenawee Co., Mich. Vol 2 p 89. Frontier Guardsman 22 Mar. 1851
Copley Cemetery Inscripts, Summit Co. Ohio:
       Abigail Cole, wife of James Cole d. Jan 16 1837 aged 58 years
       James Cole Jr., d. Mar 11, 1843 aged 31 years 8 mo.
       Perlina C. Cole, w. of Carlton & dau of James Cole d. Oct 18 1834 or 1835
            aged 27 years
       Daniel D. Cole, son of Thomas & E.  died 1846 aged 15
       Dennis Cole, son of Thomas & Experience, Oct 26 1826--Feb 27 1905
       Mary A. Cole, his wife Dec 5 1826--Nov 22 1898
1860 Census Waterville, Lucas, Ohio
East Rome Cemetery, Lenawee, Michigan:  James Cole d. 27 Sep 1868 age 92

LIFE OF JAMES COLE:

       The little that is known of the family of James Cole and his wife Abigail Pray has been gleaned from bits and scraps of information mentioned in their interaction with the Pray family and from the temple ordinances done by his descendants.  These together with mention in the genealogical records of John Lansing Pray provide most of the clues by which they have been traced.
       James Cole's father, Sisson and grandfather, Hugh were well known residents of Foster, Rhode Island.  In 1793 Sisson left Foster and bought land in Richfield, New York and established his family on a farm there.
       James and Abigail's first child, Owen was born in 1799 in Gloucester, Rhode Island.  Not long afterward James and Abigail moved to New York, first to Little Hoosick, then to Middlesex, Yates County where several of their children were born.  Probably they lived in other New York locations before moving to Copley, Ohio.
       It is often observed that in the early days of our country relatives and neighbors moved together to a new settlement.  John Pray had laid out the town of Waterville and Ohio proved to be a focal point for Jame's family.  Thomas settled in Copley, Summit County (near Akron,) James and his family must have been here for some time.  In a small Copley cemetery some family stones are still standing.
       Owen and his family moved from New York to Copley in 1832.  There his oldest son, William Riley Cole heard Sidney Rigdon expound the principles of the New Mormon Church.  He was baptized and walked to Far West, Missouri in 1837 to join the Sanits.  Soon Owen and his family were converted and joined their son there in 1838.  Subsequently they endured the persecutions of those early days finally moving with the body of the Church to Utah.
       At one time James Cole, Alpha, Hugh and Abigail were all living in Waterville.  Alpha who married Lori Gillette, twin sister of Laura, went to Michigan.  He and Lory are buried in the North Adrian Cemetery.  Abigail married, as his third wife, James Finch of Adrian.  Hugh owned a prosperous farm and in the 1860 Census of Waterville his father, now 81 and James' second wife Lydia Payne were living in his home.  Later Abigail took her father to live with her in Adrian, where he died.  His cemetery inscription reads:  James Cole, died 27 sep 1868, at age 92.  (He was 90 in 1868.)
       Our Cole ancesters were enterprising, sturdy pioneer stock, their lives intertwined with western expansion and the beginnings of Mormon Church History.
                                                                           By Thelda Baker

James Cole moved from Waterville to Adrian Twp., Michigan where he spent his last years with his dau. Abigail Finch.