GEORGE COLE (1679-1730), Vicar of Godstone

Baptised November 24th 1679, son of James Cole, at Westerham. This is the most interesting of all the Coles and the only one who reveals something of his personality in his will which will be copied at length. He matriculated at Merton College, Oxford, on March 28th 1698, aged 16 (actually 19), describing himself as the son of James Cole of Westerham, gentleman. He received his BA from Oxford in 1701 and his MA from King's College Cambridge, in 1717 (Alumni Cantabriginses, J Venn). He was ordained a priest by the Bishop of London (evidence of Sir Charles Gresham at the Court of Arches 1710) and appointed perpetual curate of the parishes of Crowhurst and Tandridge in Surrey, with a salary of £16 a year. There was no parsonage in the parishes and George lived in Westerham. George Cole was paid £7-18s in 1707-08 and £8-16s in 1708-09 by the churchwardens of Edenbridge, in the latter case for 16 days' preaching. He had been invited by the churchwardens and most of the principal inhabitants of Edenbridge on the assumption that the advowson of the church at Edenbridge belonged to Dame Martha Gresham. However this was contested by George Lewis the newly appointed vicar of Westerham. On 6th November 1709 John Brown was sent by George Lewis to preach at Edenbridge but when he arrived at the church he found that George Cole was already conducting the service and John was not willing to create a disturbance.

In 1710 George Cole was indicted at the Court of Arches on the grounds that no minister shall presume to preach in any parish church or chapel without the approbation of the bishop of that diocese, and that nevertheless he did so preach at Edenbridge church on several Sundays in the months of May to November 1709. In his defence it was stated by Robert Leigh of Edenbridge, yeoman, that George Cole was a good preacher and ready with prayers daily, and that the churchwardens had delivered a petition desiring the bishop of Rochester to grant George Cole a licence to preach. George Cole lost the case and was fined £10.

When James Cole died in 1713 his son George inherited the property called Bookham Hill, quitrent 16d. He also owned a messuage and barn, garden and orchard called Stidolphes or Le Flower de Lys (7d), occupied by his brother James (manor of Westerham).

On May 11th 1721 George Cole married Barbara Pickering of East Grinstead, spinster, at Withyham church, Sussex, receiving a considerable dowry. In 1720 an agreement was made between George Cole and Thomas Stone of Oxted , yeoman, whereby Thomas granted George a certain messuage and several lands situated in Oxted and Limpsfield from which George would pay to Thomas Stone and his wife for their joint lives £10 over and above the rents and profits of the lands, and pay their funeral expenses and legacies. However Thomas Stone later took legal action to recover his lands, but lost the case and George Cole was awarded £46-19s-6d costs. Thomas was unable to pay, so that George Cole was released from the obligation of paying the funeral expenses and legacies. Interestingly a party to this agreement was George Lewis, vicar of Westerham.

In 1728 George Cole became vicar of Godstone in Surrey. In 1730 he died and was buried at East Grinstead (July 16th). His will was written on 11th November 1729 and proved 17th November 1731 (James Cole of Godstone, vicar, PCC).

"I most humbly bequeath my soul to God my maker beseeching his most generous acceptance of it through the all-sufficient merit and mediation of my most compassionate Redeemer Jesus Christ. In this hope and confidence I render my soul with comfort, humbly beseeching the most blessed and glorious Trinity one God most holy, most merciful and gracious to prepare me for the time of my dissolution and then to take me to himself into that place and rest and incomparable felicity which He has prepared for all that love and fear his holy name. Amen. Blessed God Amen.

• To be buried in the parish church of East Grinstead.
• To Mrs Elizabeth Steele, Robert Steele, Edward Steele and Deborah Steele the widow, son and daughter of my loving friend the Rev. Mr. Ralph Steele, late rector of Titsey, £3 each.
• To my loving wife Barbara all my estate lying in Westerham or elsewhere for life, also my goods and chattels and personal estate.
• My study of books to the parish church of Godstone but reserve a liberty to my said loving wife to take whatever books she pleases out of my study and to have the free use of them as long as she lives but after her decease I desire my said loving wife to take care that the said books be returned to the said parish church of Godstone.
• To my loving nephew James son of my brother James Cole after the decease of my said loving wife all my estate lying in Westerham.
• I give all the shelves in my study together with the large case of drawers unto the vicarage house of Godstone and my will and meaning is that my books aforesaid shall always be and remain in the said study and that a catalogue be taken of my said books and delivered to the Reverend the Archdeacon of Surrey and another to the churchwardens of the parish of Godstone and that they examine the same upon the death of every incumbent.
• After the death of my said loving wife all my estate lying in Limpsfield and Oxted to two poor Episcopal clergymen's widows to have and receive the annual rents during the term of their natural lives provided they continue unmarried, but upon their marriage to be forfeited and others always to succeed them in the enjoyment of the rents and profits as often as it shall happen. I give after the decease of my said loving wife the sum of £100 to be laid out upon land the rents and profits of which shall be for the keeping of the said estate in decent good and sufficient repair and at the expiration of the term of every ten years the overplus of the said £100 shall be distributed between the said widows."

Barbara Cole died in 1747 and was buried in East Grinstead. In her will (PCC) she bequeathed to her sister the wife of Francis Green of East Grinstead her house and land in Westerham now in the occupation of George Cole, butcher. If her sister were to die childless then the house and land in Westerham together with land in East Grinstead called Worsteds was to be used to support four Episcopal clergyman's widows. A marble grave stone was ordered for herself and her husband.

There is a finely engraved inscription in East Grinstead church on the floor of the Chapel of the Nativity including a coat of arms. Church plate includes a paten on a foot of silver "The gift of Mrs Barbery Cole, widow, to the parish of East Grinstead, 1748" with the same arms which closely resemble those of the Cole family, earls of Enniskillen (in Ireland) and barons of Grinstead in Wiltshire!