Robert Coles, Sr.

Evidence needed to support as son of Nathaniel Coles & Hannah Coles

Biography

1. ROBERT COLE was born in England; time and place so far unknown, probably in the early 1600s; (Anderson, in the Great Migration Begins,. guesses 1605), and died in Warwick, Rhode Island between April and October of 1655. It is now thought he married twice, the first time in Roxbury, Massachusetts in 16 30 to MARY, the second time in Roxbury by 1637 to MARY HAWXHURST, sister of Christopher, daughter of Samson Hawkshurst, Vicar in England. Until very recently it has been supposed that Robert had just one wife, but now, due to the reasoning of Harriet Beach, because of the wording in the settlement of the estate of Robert and the reference of his son John to Mary Hawxhurst as his "mother-in-law:", it has been decided that there were two (Anderson, !:437) .The fact that he had two wives would also either explain, or follow from, his change of behavior.

Robert came to America in the Winthrop fleet of 1630 with a group from Essex under the leadership of William Pynchon of Springfield who was an early backer of the Massachusetts Bay Company. He was called Mister when he applied to be made freeman in October in 1630.and was sufficiently well educated to write his name, but he got off to a very bad start. For his first years in this country Robert was a drunk; a real one, even forced to wear a large red "D"on a placard which he had to hang around his neck went he went outdoors. He was first fined for drinking in August of 1631; again in March 1632, once more in Septembeer 1633, this time for "abusing himself shamefully in drink and enticimg John Shotswell his wife to incontiency", culminating in the shameful penaltly of the red D in March In March of 1634 he was disfranchised and ordered to wear the "D" for a year. This was all duly recorded in the Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England.

His wife was not much better. The minister of their church, Reverend Eliot said "after her husband's excommunication & falls she did too much favor his ways, she lived an afflicted life." (Anderson) One possibility is that he had picked her up in a tavern and that they reenforced each other's carousing, another is that she was an innocent victim.

Before his punishment had run more than a few months, he was one of ten men given permission to settle at Ipswich with John Winthrop, Jr. (Savage says maybe the Boston authorities just wanted to get rid of him) and there he was given 200 acres of farm land. He seems to have been of a discontented, restless disposition", said Rodney MacDonough in MacDonough/Hackstaff Ancestry. We know he had three children between about 1630 and 1636, because they were no longer minors when he died in about Oct 1654 and his property was distributed., and then his wife must have died. After that he made a surprising change; he went to Providence, Rhode Island and joined forces with the saintly Roger Williams; this was when he must have married Mary Hawxhurst, and after that his behavior, at least in public, was exemplary, although it should be mentioned that he was the one who sent the complaint to Boston about Samuel Gorton that resulted in troops being sent to take him to prison. They had four children before he died in 1655. Mary then married Mattthias Harvey and accompanied him to Long Island with her unmarried children.

Children of Robert and first wife Mary, dates approximations:

• i. JOHN2 COLE, b. ca, 1631; m. ANNE Died Oyster Bay.
• ii. DELIVERANCE COLE, b. ca, 1632; m. RICHARD2 TOWNSEND.
• iii. ANN COLE, b. ca. 1634; m. HENRY2 TOWNSEND.

Children of Robert and Mary Hawxhurst; Anderson's approximations:

• iv. DANIEL COLE, b. ca. 1637; m. ca. 1662 Mahershallalhashbaz Gorton, daughter of Samuel. It must have taken great courage to have married a girl with a father and a name like that.
• v. NATHANIEL COLE, b. ca. 1642; m. (1) Oyster Bay 30 Aug 1667 MARTHA JACKSON; m. (2) DEBORAH WRIGHT; m. (3) SARAH HARCUTT.
• vi. ROBERT COLE, b, ca. 1644; m. MERCY WRIGHT.
• vii. SARAH COLE, b. ca. 1646; m. THOMAS TOWNSEND.(MacDonough).

Elizabeth Townsend is listed as a child of Robert and Mary in older sources, but not by The Great Migration Begins, and has been disconnected from them as parents.

In older sources

Extracted from History and Genealogy of the Cock, Cocks, Cox Family.

ROBERT COLE or COLES, supposed to have been of, or from near unto Bergholt. County Suffolk, England, came to Massachusetts Bay in the fleet with John Winthrop, 1630; was admitted a Freeman, May IS, 1631; one of the two Deputies to the General Court from Roxbury 1632; one of a committee to advise with the Governor and Assistants of Massachusetts about the "raising of a public stock ;" and with Governor Wlnthrop's son John and some others, began a plantation at Ipswich, but having been disfranchised on account of
Intemperance, followed Roger Williams to Rhode Island, first conveying to
Emanuel Downing a tract of 300 acres of land granted him by the Town of Salem, as shown in Waters' "Genealogical Gleanings in England," VoL 1, p. St.

In 1640 Robert Coles with Chad. Brown and William Harris reported a form of government for Providence Colony, which was adopted and kept in force until the first charter was granted.

Jan. 23, 1648, he signed the "Warwick declaration of Rights" with Samuel Gorton, John Wlckes, John Townsend, Henry Townsend, Richard Townsend, Christopher Onthanke, Peter Greene, John Greene, Thomas Thornicraft, Matthias.

The maiden name of the wife of Robert Coles seems evidently to have been Hawxhurst (see Hawxhurst Lineage). A sister doubtless of Christopher, coming with him 1630.

Dec. 5, 1655, John Coles In consideration of four score pounds and a mare received from his mother, resigns to her all right and title In deceased father's estate. Jan. 20, 1655, Mary Coles widow of Robert Coles gives to her son-in- law. Henry Townsend, 3 acres of meadow at hither end of ye long meadow called Plchenamonuncanet.

Apl. 5, 1656, Mary Coles, widow of Robert Coles, grives to her son-in-law, Richard Townsend, 8 acres, south end of meadow called Ockmamamona.

Issue of Robert and Mary (?Hawxhurst) Coles, (In approximate order).

• I Deliverance, b. 71631 ; m. Richard Townsend.
• II John. b. 71633; m. Ann .
• III Ann. b. 71635; m. Henry Towneend.
• IV Daniel, b. 71637; m. Maha-Shalal-hasbnz Gorton.
• V Nathaniel, b. 71640; m. 1st, Martha Jackson; m. 2d. Deborah Wright; m. 3d. Sarah ?Harcurt.
• VI Sarah, b. 71644; m. Thomas Townsend.
• VII Robert, b. 7164S : m. Mercy Wright.

  ---

The following is from "The Memorial of Samuel Hicks Seaman", byMary Thomas Seaman: from "American Ancestry", Vol 9, pp 77-80: from Bunkers Long Island Genealogies: from "The Wright Family of Oyster Bay", by Rowland Delano Perrine, New York, 1923: from "The Jones Family of Long Island", by John Henry Jones, New York, 1907: from "Samuel Gorton", by Adelos Gorton, Philadelphia, 1907: and from the Cocks, Cock Family in America, by George William Cocks, New York, 1912.

Robert Coles was born at Sudbury, Suffolk, England, about 1597, and died at Warwick, R.I., on October 18/1655. He came to Roxbury, Mass, with the Winthrops in 1630. In 1632 he was a member of the first representative body, and was made a freeman on October 19/1630. He removed to Agawan and Salem in 1633. In 1636 he was one of the thirteen original proprietors of Providence Plantations. In 1639 he was at Providence, and one of the twelve original members of the Baptist Church at Warwick, R.I., in 1648. He was a man of much prominence.

He married about 1630, Mary Hawkhurst, born in England, died November 2/1684, daughter of Sampson Hawkhurst, see subject 1238. She came to New England with her brother Christopher in 1630, settled first at Ipswich, Mass., then moved to Rhode Island. After Robert's death, she married; 2nd, Matthias Harvey, and with her children, moved to Oyster Bay, L.I.

Issue:-

• 1/1. John Coles. Died 1676. He married Anne ---, who married, 2nd, in 1683, William Loines, probably the father of William Loines who married on September 10/1726, Ann Valentine, born 1715, daughter of Obadiah and Martha (Willets) Valentine, see subject 290, pages 4-5.
• 1/2. Daniel Coles. Born 1642, died at Musketo Cove (now Glen Cove), November 29/1692. He married, about 1663, Maha Shalel Hasbaz Gorton, born about 1642, died before 1699, daughter of Samuel and Mary (Mayplatt) Gorton.
• 1/3. Nathaniel Coles. Born at Oyster Bay, L.I., in 1640, died between 1707-1709. He married, 1st, on August 30/1667, Martha Jackson who died February 16/1668-9, daughter of Robert and Agnes (Washburn) Jackson of Hempstead, L.I. He married, 2nd, between 1660 and 1670 Deborah Wright, daughter of Nicholas and Ann (---) Wright. He married 3rd, in 1695 Sarah Harcourt, born 1664, daughter of Richard and Elizabeth (Potter) Harcourt.
• 1/4. Robert Coles. Born 1630, probably the eldest son, died April 16/1715 at Musketa Cove. He married on January 1/1670, Mercy Wright, born June 4/1651, died October 21/1708, daughter of Nicholas and Anna (Carpenter) Wright.
• 1/5. Anne Coles. She married prior to February 27/1653-4, Henry Townsend, who died February 6 or March 30/1695, son of Thomas Townsend, see subject 616, page 1 for issue and further particulars.
• 1/6. Elizabeth Coles. She married, 1st, a Mr. Montgomery: 2nd, John Townsend who died in 1668-9, son of Thomas Townsend, see subject 616 page 1, and subject 308 for issue and further particulars. [sic: not listed as a child by Anderson in The Great Migration Begins]
• 1/7. Deliverance Coles. She married Richard Townsend, who died at Jericho L.I,, about 1677, son of Thomas Townsend, see subject 616, page 3 for issue and further particulars. After Deliverance's death, Richard married, 2nd, Elizabeth Wickes of Warwick, R.I., daughter of John and Mary Wickes.
• 1/8. Sarah Coles. The Jones genealogy says she married Captain Thomas Townsend, perhaps the second son of Thomas Townsend, who was said to have died in England, see subject 616, page 2. Issue:- (may not be complete)
  • 2/1. John Townsend, born August 28/1662, died November 6/1709. His first wife's name is unknown: he married, 2nd, on February 2/1706, Rose Wright, born 1685, died December 13/1754, daughter of John and Mary (Townsend) Wright, and widow of Nathaniel Coles, see page 3. After John's death, Rose married, 3rd, as his first wife, Samuel Birdsall, born 1687, died 1761, son of Benjamin and Mercy (Forman) Birdsall, see subject 600, page 3 for their children.

    ---

Notes for ROBERT COLES:

"The Records of The Coles family go back to Richard Colles of Pickwick Co., Warwick, England ,who sprung from the family of Collefern of Co. Somerset.”Research by Robert Coles of Glen Cove LI. NY.22 Dec. 1980

Robert came from England in the fleet with Govenor Winthrop in 1630 to either Ipswich or Roxbury (Massachussetts Bay Colony) , and October of that yr requsted to be a Freeman of Roxbury. He was made a Freeman in 1631 He was fined several times for intoxication. These fines were remitted possibly with the understanding that he was to leave the colony. He came to Rhode Island in 1637. (possibly forced out of town becaused of drinking)

,reformed in earnest and was one of the founders of the First Baptist Church along with Roger Williams and William Carpenter.

When he died ,he did not leave a will,so his property was distibuted by the town " the same as it should have been had he left a will

He may have been Welch from near Bristol England

Removes: Ipswich 1633, Salem 1635, Providence 1638, Paxtuxet, Warwick 1653

Church Membership: Roxbury Church member #8. Excommunicated at some later date. In 1639, he was in Providence ,RI and was one of the twelve original members of the First Baptist Church.

Freeman: admitted 5/18/1631. Disenfranchised 3/4/1633/4, readmitted 5/14/1634.

Education: Signed his name.

Offices: Representative for Roxbury to General Court 1632. Helped write arbitration law 1640.

From public records:

August 16, 1631: Fined 5 marks, for drinking too much aboard ship "Friendship"

May 9, 1632: Appointed on a committee to confer with the court about raising of a public stock.

March 4, 1633: "The court orders that Robert Coles, for drunkenness by him committed at Roxbury, shall be disenfranchised, weare about his necke and soe to hange upon his outward garment a D made of redd clothe and sett upon white; to contynue this for a yeare, and not to leace it off at any tyme when he comes amongst company, under penalty of 10 Ls. for the first offense, and V pounds for the second, and after to be punished by the court as they think meete; also he is to weare the D outwards, and in enjoyned to appear at the next general court, and to contynue thise until it be ended."

April 1, 1633: Among those who had gone to Agawam (Ipswich) to plant a colony.

1639: Providence. He was one of the twelve original members of First Baptist Church.

1640: He was appointed with three others to form a committee on all matters of difference regarding the dividing line between Providence and Pawtuxet, and on July 27 of that year , he and 38 others signed a agreement to form a government. He was one of the 17 who purchased the Pautuxet meadows, and he made his home there. Three others were appointed with him to arbitrate disputes and make rules of government, and their report was the compact signed by all the settlers. He became a friend of Samuel Gorton when he came to Providence, driven from Massachusetts by the intolerance of the authorities of that colony, and gave him part of his land.

The actions of Gorton and his followers were such, however, as to cause the older settlers to wish to be free of them, and he, with four others, in September 1642, appeared before the general court at Boston and yielded themselves up to the Massachusetts Colony, which accepted jurisdiction and appointed them magistrates. In the formal complaint of the Indians to the Plymouth colony in September 1652, the seventh article is as follows:

"7th. Ninigrett bought a mastiff dog of Robert Cole, and gave 40 shillings for him, which dog ran home to Robert Cole, who killed the said dog; wherefore, Ninigrett requires 40s. of said Cole."

The commissioners found the charge true, and promised to write Mr. Cole to return the money.

January 2, 1653 he sold his house & lot in Providence,RI to Richard Pray.

Feb. 27, 1654 he & his wife sold to Zacharoah Rhodes for 80 pounds his dwelling house at Pawtuxet and certrain land.

He married Mary Hawkhurst 2nd. He died previous to October 18, 1654, when his property was distributed by the town, "the same as it should have been had he left a will."

After his death, Mary married Mathias Harvey and moved to Oyster Bay, NY where she died.

"COLES, ROBERT, Roxbury, came in the fleet with Winth. req. to be made freem. 19 Oct. 1630, and was adm. 18 May foll. rem. perhaps to Salem, and to Ipswich, was oft. punish. for drunken. yet in 1638 seems to be reform. if remis. of fines may just. be thus understood, tho. it may only have been act of policy to ensure his rem. from our jurisdict. But at last he went to Providence, was reform. in earnest, and bec. one of the found. of the first Bapt. ch. there. By w. Mary he had John, beside Daniel, Nathaniel, Robert, and ds. Sarah, perhaps youngest; Ann, wh. m. Henry Townsend; Eliz. wh. m. John Townsend; both from L. I. where Quakers were persecut. by the Dutch. He d. bef. 18 Oct. 1654, when the town counc, exercis. their duty of mak. distrib. of his prop. in the way he should have made his will. The wid. m. Matthias Harvey, and rem. to Oyster Bay, L. I. with hers. Nathaniel and Daniel, and the two ds. that m. Townsend foll."

(Source: Savage, "First Settlers of NE Vol I", p 17)

Notes:

Robert (and Mary?) arrived in 1630 on the ship "Friendship" with the Winthrop fleet. He was later 5 marks for drinking too much aboard ship. They settled in Roxbury, where Robert joined the church, was excommunicated and then readmitted. In March of 1633: "The court orders that Robert Coles, for drunkenness by him committed at Roxbury, shall be disenfranchised, weare about his necke and soe to hange upon his outward garment a D made of redd clothe and sett upon white; to contynue this for a yeare, and not to leace it off at any tyme when he comes amongst company, also he is to weare the D outwards, and in enjoyned to appear at the next general court, and to contynue thise until it be ended. " They moved the following month form the new settlement at Ipswich, MA with twelve other families.

It was said of Mary: "god also wrought upon her heart (as it was hoped after her coming N.E. but after her husbands excommunication, & falls she did too much favor his ways , yet not as to incur any just blame, she lived an aflicted life, by reason of his unsetlednesse & removing from place to place."

From there they moved to Providence, RI, where Robert was one of the original 13 proprietors in 1638. Being early settlers, they also received land in nearby Warwick, where they ended up living until Roger's death. Mary remarried, to Matthias Harvey, and eventually moved with some of her adult children to Oyster Bay on Long Island.

Probate Records.

"Warwlcke ye 28th of October 1654. The Towne Counsell being met to agitate and order concerning the estate of Mr. Robert Coles of this towne of Warwicke, late deceased and dying intestate, having received an Inventory concerning the whole estate, being prized by Henry Townsend, Mr. Walter Todd and Mr. Hugh Bewltt, who were deputed thereunto by the sayd Councell and finding ye said estate to amount to five hundred and one pounds, money pay, and the debts claimed being calculated to amount to one hundred and twelve pounds, thirteen shillings money pay, the sayd Counsell determine that Mary Coles, the wife of the late deceased Robert Coles, bee Administrator of the sayd estate, also It is concluded that the Estate shall be disposed of, to the children as followeth.

• To his eldest Sonne John Coles, fourscore pouiids, money pay and a mare, to be payd by the sayd Administrator each with other upon record bearing date.
• Also the sayd Counsell order unto Daniel Coles the second sonne 50 pounds money pay, to be payed when he is 21 years old,
• also unto Nathaniel the third sonne 40 pounds to be payed at 21 years ould; * also unto Robert the fowerth sonne 40 pounds to bee payed at 21 years ould;
• also unto Sarah Coles 40 pounds to be payd at her day of marriage or when she comes to bee 21 years ould;
• also wee order that the sayd children which are under age shall bee under the tuition of the sayd Mary Coles their mother until they be of age as aforesaid except the sayd Mary Coles dye before they come to be of age, and then the Counsell of this towne of Warwicke to dispose of them and their portions to what guardian they shall see fit. Also we order that the use of their portions shall be for their maintenance. further order that in case of any of the sayd children dye before they come to age, their portion shall be equally distributed to the survivors.
• Also we order the sayd Administrator to give deeds and assurances to any that have either bought land of her husband or had any gift; farther wee order that in case the sayd Mary Coles alter her condition by marriage and the sayd children be not well used that the Counsell of this towne doe take cause [?care] both with the children and their estates to dlspose better of them.
• Wee further order for the speedy paying< of the debt> claimed, being some of them are to be payd In Cattell and the season of the year requiring; that the sayd Mary Coles by the assistance and leave of Ezekiel Holllman, one of the Counsel! shall sell and discharge In the meantime until security bee taken and a letter of administration given."

  ---

References

1. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III. page 435-439. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010), (Originally Published as: New England Historic Genealogical Society. Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III, 3 vols., 1995). “Sketch of Robert Coles.” Family, Page 438. < AmericanAncestors >; < AncestrySharing >
2. History and genealogy of the Cock, Cocks, Cox family, descended from James and Sarah Cock, of Killingworth upon Matinecock, in the township of Oyster Bay, Long Island, N.Y. by Cocks, George William, 1829-1922, compiler (Publication date 1914). Page 362-363. < Archive.Org >
3. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Coles-577 comments: Robert Coles had 2 wives named Mary, and John was a son of the 1st wife whose surname is unknown.
4. History and Genealogy of the Cock, Cocks, Cox Family Descended from James and Sarah Cock, of Killingworth Upon Matinecock, in the Township of Oyster Bay, Long Island, N.Y. By John Cox · 1914 < GoogleBooks >
5. HISTORY OF THE FIRST CHURCH OF ROXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS 1630-1904 by WALTER ELIOT THWING, WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY Rev. James De Normandie, D.D. < PDF > Founders, printed page 45, PDF page 75.
6. “ The Records of the Coles family supposedly go back to Richard Colles of Pickwick, Warwickshire, who sprung from the family of Collefern, Somerset. … “ < link >