ANNE COLE

Daughter of John Cole, baptised in the church of St. Peter and St. Paul, Edenbridge on August 18th 1577. Her godparents were Stephen Burgis, Joan Holmden, widow, and Anna, wife of John Pallmer. One would not expect her to be the daughter of John Cole because he would have been aged 57 or so in 1577 and his previous child was born in 1556. However, the presumed second marriage to Elizabeth Beecher, an heiress, would provide an explanation

In 1594 on December 3rd Anne Cole married Reynold Holmden in Edenbridge, when she was aged 17. Reynold Holmden was a gentleman, the son of Reynold (Reginald) Holmden of Crowhurst, Surrey. In his will (PCC 1588) Reynold senior left his son all his lands in Kent except those in Westerham given to his son Anthony. His son John was required to convey to Reynold all lands, tenements and hereditaments which he held in the parishes of Sevenoaks, Chiddingstone, Penshurst and Leigh. This would include Wickhurst which Reynold the father had bought from John Cole and Ann Becher in 1567.

In 1602 Reginald Holmden sold Rootes Croft in Edenbridge to William Cole, the second son of Andrew Cole. In 1635 Anna Holmden of Crowhurst died leaving a will (PCC). Her will was proved on 13th February 1635 so she presumably died shortly before. She left the residue of her goods including a tenement named Snorehill (Snowerhill, a Cole property, a butcher's shop in Edenbridge) to her son George. The will was witnessed by Andrew Cole.