JAMES COLE of Edenbridge, glover (1575-c1635).

The eldest son of Andrew Cole, butcher, of Edenbridge, and his wife Joane Basset. He was baptised in Edenbridge on June 26th 1575 and orphaned in 1584 at the age of 9. By his father's will he was to inherit the house at the churchgate in 1594. He was trained as a glover. In 1625 his wife was recorded as Margaret.

In 1604 William Cole, the brother of James, bought from Reginald Holmden of Crowhurst, gent "all that one croft or parcel of land called Rootes Croft" one acre in size in Edenbridge (just north of the village, on the east side of the main road to Westerham), for £20. In 1612 William sold it to James for £30 and in 1624 James sold it to George Baldwyn of Lingfield for £24, but continued to occupy it.

In 1616 James Cole was churchwarden. In 1629 he served on an inquest jury. There is no information as to when he died and whether he had any children. On July 12th 1648 widow Cole the wife of James was buried in Edenbridge. On March 25th James Cole and his wife Ann were buried in Edenbridge. There are no burial records for Edenbridge between 1602 and 1639 and so it is likely that James died between 1629 and 1639, and the second James may have been his son. In 1638 Coles Houses adjoining next over against the church gate no longer belonged to a Cole, but to Edmund Leigh, who was not a relative as far as is known. Coles Houses is probably Tithe Award No 501.