JAMES COLE of Edenbridge, butcher (c1607-1672).

James was the younger son of William Cole of Edenbridge, butcher, and his wife Martha. He married his wife Elizabeth before 1639, possibly Elizabeth Sennock at Cowden in 1638, and by her had apparently 16 children. James was recorded in the 1641 Protestation Returns. He was never as wealthy as his brother William. In the Assessments of 1650, 1653, 1656 and 1656 to support the Army his recorded rent was £2 compared with £3 or £4 for his brother. His property was tenanted from George Holmden, gent, the son of Reynold Holmden and Anne Cole, and can be identified as the tenement called Snorehill in the market place. In the Hearth Tax of 1664 James Cole had two hearths.

In 1659 James lost his son William through a tragic accident at the age of 15. John Carden, a labourer, who was servant to William King of Hilders (in Edenbridge) was indicted for murder. On 15th January 1659 at Edenbridge he was alleged to have attacked William Cole with a prong and stabbed him in the right eye, inflicting an injury from which William died on 19th January. This indictment was rejected by the Grand Jury at the Maidstone Assizes, but they accepted a similar indictment for felonious killing. However in the trial John Carden was acquitted.

In 1661 James Cole bought a strip of land in the village of Edenbridge adjacent to his house. The house can be identified as TA 506B, the south end of what later became known as King & Queen, in the market place.

In 1672 James Cole made his will (Dra, 23rd August) and died (buried 2nd September). He left his dwelling place (which appears to be Snowerhill) to his wife Elizabeth, with remainder to his son George.

• To his son John £5.
• To his son James £5.
• To his daughter Margaret £5.
• To his daughter Jane £5.
• To his grandchildren Thomas and Nathan Cox 50s each.
• To his son-in-law Robert Watts 1s.
• To his sister Elizabeth 1s.

The overseers of William Cole's will were James Cole and John Leigh. John Leigh was a victualler who possibly held the "Griffin". He acted as overseer to William Cole in 1671 and witnessed the release of Cowpers to Andrew Cole in 1674.One reason for this is that he may have been the owner of "Coles Houses" (TA 502) which he had inherited from his father Edmund Leigh in 1638 and which were previously owned by Andrew Cole senior and junior.