James COLE

                   Biographical sketch in Notes

From "The descendants of James Cole of Plymouth 1633: Ernest Byron Cole 1908" Page 21:The earliest information obtained of James Cole, whose name stands at the head of the family in America, dates from 1616, when he was living at Highgate, a suburb of London, England. He is spoken of as a great lover of flowers, and it is probably due to this fact that he became acquainted with and married Mary Lobel, a daughter of the noted botanist and physician, Mathieu Lobel.James Cole and Mary Lobel were married in 1624. Their first children, James and Hugh, were probably born in London. They came to Saco, Maine, in 1632, and the following year, 1633, located in Plymouth, Mass., where he was admitted as freeman the same year. He was known as a sailor. His name appears upon the tax list of Plymouth in 1634; Jan. 2, 1636, he had a grant of ten acres of land; Jan. 2, 1637, the court deeded him seven acres of land to belong to his dwelling house. Three acres of land probably included all the land on the south side of Leydon Street, from the corner of Warren Street to the westerly line of the lot opposite the Universalist Church. His dwelling stood on the lot next below the Baptist Church. He was the first settler of and lived upon what is still known as "Cole's Hill," the first burial ground of the Pilgrims. This land probably included the ground upon which rests Plymouth Rock. In September, 1641, he had a grant of fifty acres of land at Lakenham meadow. In October, 1642, he had a further grant of land at the same place. In 1662 a grant of land at Sacconet Neck. In 1665 he had thirty acres of land on the west side of the Namuet River. He was surveyor of highways in the years, 1641,42,51, and 52; was constable in 1641 and 1644. In 1637 his name appears upon a list of volunteers against the Pequot Indians.