WILLIAM COLE of Chiddingstone, butcher (c1638-1716)

William was born about 1638, the eldest son of William Cole of Edenbridge, butcher. (There are no baptism records between about 1603 and 1639 so he was baptised before 1639). His wife was Martha, the daughter of Edmund Chapman, yeoman, of Cannons, Westerham. Edmund died in 1664; in his will (Drb) written in 1663 it is clear that his daughter Martha was not yet married. She was probably baptised in 1639 at Westerham on May 14th; the name is missing but all her siblings can be accounted for on other dates. Until just before his father's death William Cole lived in Edenbridge, but the burial of his first son William in Chiddingstone in June 1671 shows that by that date he had set up his own enterprise in Chiddingstone where he immediately became a ratepayer and a freeholder of King's Borough.By this time William must have been well over 30 years of age.

In his will William Cole senior left to his son his dwelling house in Edenbridge. This house is probably TA 501 "Coles" in Church Lane. In the assessment of 1678 William Cole owned a property assessed at £2, occupied by Bartholomew Smith, clerk. In 1697 in the rental of the manor of Stangrave the same property appears with a quitrent of 1s, occupied by Bartholomew Smith (very handy as it is opposite the church gate). This is the same property that John Blundell had left to Andrew Cole in 1525, and it may have included TA 502 next door, also known as "Coles".

In 1697 William Cole also owned a second Stangrave tenement, occupied by William Taylor, with a quitrent of 5d. This is TA 507 and is in the Square or market place, next door to the former house of James Cole (c1607-1672). In 1689 William Cole also held a property in Edenbridge from the manor of Priory Court, Tandridge, quitrent 5d, which he had bought from John Cowlard the elder of Sundridge, blacksmith. This house cannot be identified but it appears to be the same as Alchornes which was once held by Andrew Cole.

In 1700 William Cole was paid 1s for Ellard's rent, by the parish. Ellard is presumably Elwood.

In the Land Tax of 1701 William Cole is shown as holding three properties in Edenbridge:

• £3, occupied by Jacob Theobald,flaxman,who was married to Jane, the daughter of James Cole (c1607-1672). This is likely to be TA 501, formerly occupied by Bartholomew Smith.
• £1, occupied by Thomas Baker. This may be TA 502.
• £2, occupied by widow Gilbert, and for the house late occupied by Thomas Saxby. This may be TA 507. In later years TA 507 was divided into three houses and was occupied by poor people. Widow Gilbert and Thomas Saxby both appear to have been poor, and Ellard may have lived there also.

In order to establish himself in Chiddingstone William held various offices: 1672 surveyor; 1674 overseer of the poor; 1685-87 churchwarden; 1691 overseer of the poor; 1694 constable of Somerden hundred; 1699 surveyor; 1704 overseer of the poor. In 1710, 1715 and 1716 ha was collector of the Land Tax for King's Borough, and in 1714-15 collector and assessor of the Window Tax. In 1713 he was borsholder of King's Borough. With his income drawn from his Edenbridge properties he was clearly a substantial figure. He was literate.

In 1677 William Cole appears in the Chiddingstone North Land Tax record as tenant to Francis Everest, who held no other land (£4, a small amount). In 1689 William appears by himself as the landowner. In a list of Chiddingstone parishioners he is recorded as possessing a farm at Hilders. Not the large farm of that name but a smallholding on the other side of the road known as Little Hilders.

William's wife Martha died and was buried at Chiddingstone on 10th September 1701. William himself lived until 1716 and was buried at Chiddingstone on December 18th 1716. The will was not proved until 1720 (Peculiar of Shoreham). In his will he gave:

• To his daughter Elizabeth £40.
• To Robert Cole of Edenbridge, linen weaver, his brother 20s.
• To William Cole of Edenbridge, son of Robert 20s.
• To Elizabeth Wickenden, daughter of Robert Cole and wife of William Wickenden of Edenbridge 20s.
• To Frances Cole, widow of his brother Andrew Cole, deceased, 20s.
• To Andrew Cole, son of Andrew and Frances, "his cousin" 20s.
• To Jane Cole, daughter of Andrew and Frances, his "cousin" 20s.
• To William Geale of Farnborough, his godson, 20s. (He was the son of Dorothy, sister to Martha, his wife).
• To Jane Lascoe (or Lastow) of Oxted, 20s. (She was another sister of Martha, née Chapman).
• To my son John my messuage with the barn, outhouses etc and four acres of land in Chiddingstone known as Hilders. A messuage in Edenbridge occupied by George Theobald(TA 501). A messuage in Edenbridge occupied by William Saxby and widow Porrin (TA 507).

John was made executor and left all the money, bonds, bills and mortgages.