John Cole (b. 13 August 1784, d. 11 November 1875)
John Cole (son of John Cole) was born 13 August 1784 in New York314, 315, 316, and died 11 November 1875 in LeRoy, Genesee, NY317. He married (1) Phebe ???. He married (2) Jennett Lamont on 15 September 1805318.
Notes for John Cole: I was looking back over some of your sources as I was transcribing your data into my database, when I came across something curious. In the transcript for the Spring Arbor Cemetery, where Archibald's first wife Elizabeth was buried:
"Cole, Jennett, wife of John Cole, died Aug. 12, 1841, age 65 yr 3 mo"
We know from grave records that John Cole was the name of Justus Cole's father, and presumably Archibald Cole's father as well. If the transcription is accurate, 65 years old in 1841 would have made Jennett's birth year as 1776. From John Cole's tombstone in Machpelah Cemetery in Leroy, we know that his birth year was around 1784. It was unusual for a wife of that time to be that much older than her husband but I have instances of it in my own family, so it is possible. What we DON'T know at this point is the migration path of the Coles or how Archibald ended up in Michigan. I know that Justus Cole moved to Genesee county in 1850 but I don't know from where -- according to records he was born in New York, but did he live in Michigan for a time as well? Nor do we know where his father was at all times.
However, I played a hunch and looked in the census records online, looking for John Cole in Jackson County, Michigan in the 1850 census. Here is what I found, on page 20 of the Spring Arbor, Jackson, Michigan census, family 142:
John Cole, age 65, farmer, born NY Phebe Cole, age 61, born (unreadable; think it says "Do", a common ditto mark) Elizabeth Curtis, age 16, born NY Samuel Curtis, age 19, farmer, born NY Carallo Pratt, age 22, farmer, born NY
A copy of this census record is going into the packet I am mailing you.
According to John Cole's tombstone in Leroy, he was 91 at the time of his death in 1875, making his approximate birth year of 1784. John Cole of Spring Arbor, Michigan was 65 in 1850 (more or less; we know how accurate census data can be) which would put his birth year around 1785. However, this matches pretty well, when you consider that the census of 1850 was taken on 22 July 1850 and his tombstone's death date was 11 November 1875. If John Cole's birthday was between 22 July and 11 November, he would have turned 66 in 1850, making his birth year 1784.
Of course none of this is proven lineage, but it his highly suggestive and definitely worth following up on.
More About John Cole: Burial: Unknown, Machpelah Cemetery, LeRoy, Genesee, NY.319 Census 1: 22 July 1850, Spring Arbor, Jackson, MI.320 Census 2: 1820, Western, Oneida, NY.321 Census 3: 1840, Spring Arbor, Jackson, MI.322 Census 4: 05 August 1870, LeRoy, Genesee, NY.323
More About John Cole and Jennett Lamont: Marriage: 15 September 1805324
John Cole (b. 13 August 1784, d. 11 November 1875)
Notes for John Cole: