Gen: James COLE The .... King of East Griqualand (159.html)
Introduction
I have recently discovered another COLE family from the region of Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. It is James COLE (1842-1937) that has become quite famous. He relocated from England to Africa and became a wealthy landowner there. His pedigree can be found in Source 01 (FamilySearch) and Source 02 (WikiTree). His life history (far below) has been copied from WikiTree. Source 03 is a familysearch site that is no longer accessible [The fsid: J7H5-42D has been changed].
Below is the pedigree of James COLE (1842-1937).
The image below (left) is the pedigree chart. The image below (right) is the non-living descendants (from WikiTree).
What follows immediately is the article from WikiTree:
James Cole
Born 1842 in Sandridge, Hertfordshire, Englandmap
ANCESTORS ancestors
Son of James Cole and Mary Elizabeth (Allen) Cole
Brother of Henry Cole, Sarah (Cole) Gregory, Fanny Cole, William Cole, Elizabeth (Cole) Laird, George Cole, Jane (Cole) Clarke, Ann Sophia (Cole) Tyrrell [half], Eliza (Cole) Mayes [half], Frederick Charles Cole [half], Emily Jane (Cole) Phillips [half], Herbert Cole [half] and Olivia (Cole) Caton [half]
Husband of Mary Ann Lily Houston (McMillan) Cole — married 1872 [location unknown]
DESCENDANTS descendants
Father of Hugh Cole, James Cole, Kate (Cole) Strachan, Lucy (Cole) Leroux, Lily Cole, Randall Cole, Duncan Cole, Herbert Cole and Ruth Doris (Cole) Cooper
Died 23 Apr 1937 in Durban, South Africamap
Profile manager: Jean Evans private message [send private message]
Cole-15684 created 25 Mar 2018 | Last modified 14 Apr 2018
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Biography
Popularly known locally as " The Uncrowned King of East Griqualand" and " The Laird of Franklin", James Cole was born in Sandridge, Hertfordshire in 1842. He was the son of James Cole of Knebworth, Herts, and Mary Elizabeth Allen. He was christened on 18th May 1842 in Sandridge, Hertford, England.
He is described at length in the "History of a branch of the Cole Family" by Ernest Achey Loftus (who married into the Cole family - and compiled the tree and family history).
James was educated at Hurstpierpoint College, Sussex, and apprenticed to the trade of chemist and druggist. This did not suit him, however, and at the age of 18 he migrated to South Africa, where he went first to Umzinto on the South Coast and then to Zululand.
Aged 31, he bought the 3000 acre holding which came to be known as "Riverside" in East Griqualand. This cost him £100 cash (half of which he obtained from his father). James had married the year before he bought the land, and during the two years before "Riverside" was built, they resided in a two roomed wood and iron cottage, suffering from many hardships. James's possessions at this time were two wagons, two teams of Oxen, seventeen head of cattle and five horses.
From such small beginnings he developed the district to such an extent that he was reputed to be more than a millionaire. He was not only a farmer, but a trader - and had trading stations dotted about all over the area. His farms, hotels and his fifteen trading stations were run by managers and were spread over South Natal, Basutoland and East Griqualand.
A full account of James and his work in South Africa is given in the "Natal Witness" of March 28th 1929.
James and Mary Ann had eleven children, all born at "Riverside", although three died as babies - and only Hugh, Kate (Kitty), Lucy, Duncan and Ruth are recorded with "issue" in the book of 1938 (pages 32-35). The book suggests that Diabetes, the disease which caused James's mother to die at an early age, was passed down and " is partly the cause of the mortality among his progeny". James himself, however, reached the great age of 96 years.
James celebrated his 96th birthday on January 5th, 1937, and attended the Johannesburg Exhibition just afterwards, then later that year he visited relatives in Rhodesia for the wedding of his grandson, Gerald Leroux, to Cecily Tarr at Bulawayo. This involved making a car journey of 4000 miles. On his return journey, not feeling well, he was advised to stay in Durban - and in the Durban Sanatorium on April 23rd " he had his early morning cup of tea as usual and then went to sleep to wake no more".
He was buried at "Riverside" in a private burial-ground alongside his wife (who had died in 1933). The book relates that over 1000 Europeans were at the funeral and a crowd of natives.
"You felt that all recognised that one of the most notable of the pioneers of this part of South Africa had gone to rest - a man absolutely unique, one who had done tremendous work in opening up the country and had left an indelible mark on its history. " ( Quotation from Kokstad Advertiser of April 30th, 1937.)
An interesting fact for coin/token collectors, is that James "Jim" issued his own currency. The Cole "coinage" consisted of brass discs, patterned on the reverse and bearing the obverse "James Cole - 1s - Mealies". The Cole currency became practically common tender in East Griqualand and "the natives trusted the great 'Ujim' and used his coins as freely as they used Queen Victoria's". Until 1935, the "Cole coins" still circulated in some parts of the country, until the police " insisted that the currency of only one king may be used in the realm." (Extracts from "Zulu Journey" by Carol Birkby.)
Sources
History of a Branch of the Cole Family (book of 1938) by Ernest Achey Loftus.
Pages 32-35,
"England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J7H5-42D : 10 February 2018, James Cole, ); citing Sandridge, Hertford, England, index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 1,040,658
(Click on image to see Hi-Res version)
James Cole at a meeting of the authorities of East Griqualand deliberating the defence of Lourdes during the 1898 Griqua "rebellion".
4 COLE Groups (Unknown Relationships)
The Webmaster [David KC COLE], to date, has discovered 4 unconnected COLE families living near each other around the same time. One day, perhaps, some links will be discovered connecting these families. Perhaps DNA will eventually provide the clues. James COLE (the subject of this article) belongs to one of these family groups. At least one of his ancestors lived in Shefford, Beds. Shefford, in Bedfordshire is within 5 kilometers of Haynes (or Hawnes) and Wrest Park. All four COLE groups lived within 5 km of each other in Bedfordshire. All four groups have been described in the "story" in Source 04 below. Once in Source 04, go to the "Stories" section near the bottom. To read about these 4 Groups, click on the story with the title "4 COLE Groups (Unknown Relationships)". Readers should note that the town of "Water End", just West of Clophill, is not the "Water End" in Herts where my grandfather, Charles
Percy COLE was born and raised. The birth place of my grandfather is a few km East of Wheathampstead (which is north of St. Albans).
(Click on image to see Hi-Res version)
4 COLE Groups in Bedfordshire near Haynes
Sources
Web Sources
Web Source S159:01: James COLE (1842-) at FamilySearch 
Web Source S159:02: James COLE (1842-1937) at WikiTree 
Web Source S159:03: 10 February 2018, James Cole
Web Source S159:04: 4 COLE Groups (Unknown Relationships) 
at FamilySearch as of 2021CMar18
WebMaster: Ye Old King Cole
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Date Written: 2021 C Mar 16
Last Updated: 2021 C Mar 16
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