RICHARD COLE, husbandman/labourer, of Chiddingstone (1763-1840).

Richard was born on October 17th 1763, the son of William and Ann Cole and baptised in Chiddingstone. In 1796, on the death of his father, he was present in the manorial court of Sundrish Weald to pay quitrent, heriot and relief for Little Hilders, left by his father to his brothers John, William and Edward. Like his brother Thomas Richard never married. Before 1807 he and Thomas probably worked at Salmons(Great Hilders). under their mother Ann. From 1807 to 1815 Richard and Thomas were the ratepayers for Salmons.

In 1806 Richard Cole, together with William and John Cole, was a juror at the court leet of the manor of Kings Borough held at Penshurst. He was overseer of the poor for Chiddingstone in 1806 and again in 1810. From 1808 to 1810 he was a churchwarden. In 1811 and 1814 he was described as a freeholder of Kings Borough, and served as a juror at the court leet of the hundred of Somerden in 1811. In 1813 he was borsholder and bridgewarden of Kings Borough.

In 1806 Richard was paid £1-10s by the overseers for fetching six loads of stones. In 1809 he carried 600 faggots to the workhouse for £3. In 1810 he was paid 17s 6d for seven days going with Mr White and Mr Moon valuing the parish.

In 1815 Richard and Thomas Cole gave up Salmons, which was taken over by John Hoadley. They took the tenancy of Little Hilders which had been sold to William Peters after the death of John Cole in 1812 which they held from 1815 to 1818, after which Richard alone was the ratepayer until 1823. However from 1815 there was a persistent problem that they could not pay their rates. Joseph Bignold took the tenancy of Little Hilders in 1823, but in 1826 William Cole had it.

After this there are a number of references to relief being paid to Richard Cole of Bowbeech. Richard Cole, son of John, was also receiving relief at this time. In 1840 Richard Cole died, aged 76, in the Sevenoaks Union Workhouse and was buried at Chiddingstone on April 25th.