Holbrook line: John Cole of Virginia and Maryland, maybe

 There is a good deal of controversy about John Cole (sometimes seen as Coale), as to his ancestors.  I am following the information provided by Robert H Barnes in his British Roots of Maryland Families, as to his parents.

John was the son of an early immigrant to Virginia, William Coale, and (probably) his wife, Frances.  William was in Virginia by 1635 (and perhaps as early as 1618), when John was born, probably in Accomack County.  We know next to nothing about his early life, but it appears that he may have been indentured to a Charles Scarburgh, and in 1657 he was to be set free if Scarburgh didn't return within 12 months from a voyage.  It's not know what kind of trade he pursued, but it must have been sufficient to provide for a family, because he married Mary Beedle in 1663 in Accomack County.  They may have had as many as six children together, but there were at least four, all listed in a trust agreement.

She may have brought some money to the marriage, or else John was a successful whatever he was, because by 1672 he operated a tavern and began buying land.  His purchase record hints that he may have been raising tobacco, as that crop required new land every few years, but he also moved from place to place, following the Northampton Court.  His tavern was usually located very near the court house, for sound business reasons.  

There are records for John in Accomack County up to 1697, when he was given a license for an "ordinary" near the court house, which also gave the right to retail liquors.  In 1691, he had put property in trust for his children and to provide for his wife, Mary, so perhaps he was slowing down physically by that time.  After Mary's death, son William was to get 150 acres of land, 125 acres each for Robert and Richard, and 100 acres to John.  

John may or may not have moved to Anamassex in Somerset County, Maryland, after that time.  He had filed several suits in Somerset County during his life, which is not surprising since Accomack County, Virginia and Somerset County, Maryland border each other.  (They are both located on the Eastern Shore of Chesapeake Bay.)  It is possible that one or more of his children had gone to Somerset County, and he may have lived with one of them during his final years.

John died about 1705, but nothing is known of the exact date, or where his death occurred.  We do know that John was literate, because he testified that he had written a will for someone in 1694.  We can see that he was ambitious, moving with the courts to keep his tavern business, and acquiring land to support the family, and possibly to pay taxes. (Currency of the early times was often represented by tobacco). He would have been at least nominally Anglican in religion, because that is what was allowed in Virginia at the time.  

It would be fascinating to know how or if John was affected by Bacon's Rebellion.  We know the government of Virginia left Jamestown to go to Accomack County, where they were "welcomed with open arms."  Did they visit John's tavern?  Did John whole-heartedly support the governor?  We don't know, but it seems possible.

What I know is that Accomack and Somerset Counties now need to be added to the list of counties I need to do research in.  That will make 240 counties!

The line of descent is

John Cole-Mary Beedle

John Cole-Johanna Garrett

Sarah Cole-Charles Gorsuch

Hannah Gorsuch-Thomas Stansbury

Rachel Stansbury-Alexis Lemmon

Sarah Lemmon-Abraham Hetrick

Isaac Hetrick-Elizabeth Black

Mary Alice Hetrick-Louis Stanard

Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook

Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen

Their descendants