General Notes

[Joanne's Tree.1 GED.GED]

2  SOUR S332582
3  DATA
4  TEXT Date of Import: 14 Jan 2004


[daveanthes.FTW]

JOHN COLE
OF PICKAWAY COUNTY, OHIO
AND HIS DESCENDANTS
1812-1981

The account of John Cole and his descendants is the culmination of years of investigation, research, consultation with living persons, and the examination and study of original family records.  Names have been spelled as taken from the records.

All available pertinent information bearing upon the family has been reported.  It is regrettable that some family lines of necessity must remain untraced.  Throughout all the records searched, no information has been found indicating when John Cole came to 0hio.  The State in which John was born is shown to be Delaware.  His oldest son, William Cole gave this information, on 3 June, 1880, when enumerated in the Kansas U.S. Census, WEA Township, Miami County, page 513, ed. 148, Line 27.

Many years of intensive research have gone by in my effort to find the progenitors of John Cole, without success.  It is believed that very little could be accomplished by further delay in compiling the results of research thus far.  However, the search goes on.

There were several Cole families found to be living in Delaware prior to the Revolutionary War.  In the early recorded censuses there were the Thomas, William, and John Cole families and many more with given names the same as those in my ancestral lineage.  Because of the inability to prove John's connection to any of those early families, many generations of our Cole ancestors have apparently been lost.

After their victory over the British, these early Americans were a needy, proud, cocky, and restless people.  In their desire for land, many were overcome with the "Ohio Fever" and migrated westward to Ohio and the Indian Lands.  This action was so spontaneous that families left very few clues and practically no records showing when they left or where they were going.  Occasionally one may find a note reading "Gone to Ohio." Whether John Cole came to Ohio with his parents or alone, and when, remains unknown.

John Cole, the ancestor of the Coles, and his descendants are the subject of this study.  He and wife Amelia lived with their children from 1815 to 1840 on their 100-acre farm located in Deer Creek Township, Pickaway County, Ohio.  John's name first appears on the Pickaway County "Early Tax List, 1813-1819," for years 1817,18 & 19.  The Pickaway County Historical Society has a map showing the land owned by John Cole.  The map is a copy from the Map-Economic History of Pickaway County, Ohio, by Wheeler Map, 1844.  John was given a clear deed to his 100 acres by John Evans on 2 October, 1835.  (Deed recorded, Book 14, page 148, Survey 8026.)

The Ohio 1830 U.S. Census Deer Creek Township, Pickaway County, Ohio, shows that John Cole and family were enumerated and John's age is listed as being 40 but under 49, along with a female, age 30 but under 39 and 4 young males and 3 young females.

John Cole died intestate, and settlement of his estate was in litigation for about 8 years.  There is much recorded concerning his family in the old Court of Common Pleas, Journals.  It is in the Partition Records (Vol.2, 1845-1848) that the case of "Amelia Cole vs. Suzannah Cole (Daughter of Peter J. Cole, deceased) and others" is found.  John Cole died "on or about 10 January, 1840," and the names of his children, "heirs-at-law," are listed.  It is in the Court of Common Pleas on 4 May, 1848 that the Court is reminded that Amelia Cole's attorney filed a petition in the Clerk's office on 3 February 1847, as being entitled to dower therein, which was refused by the heirs-at-law.  The Chancery setting gave Amelia Cole one full and equal third part of the estate left by John Cole.

In the account filed for settlement of John Cole's estate, there was listed payment for a tombstone.  The burial place of John Cole was not shown, nor has his grave been found.

In the William Brothers History of Franklin and Pickaway Counties, Ohio, on page 311, we find the following information concerning, Amelia Lewis Cole's family: "Zadak Lewis (Amelia Cole's father) came from Worcester County, Maryland, to Ohio in the spring of 1806.  He lived some seven years near Clarksburg, in Ross County, and then removed to Perry Township, locating upon the farm now owned by Milton Lewis.  There he died, February 28, 1835.  Mrs. Lewis (Margaret) died August 3, 1846.  The children were Soloman, who married Nancy Grey; Peter, who married Hattie Evans, and Milley, who married John Cole," and etc.

The above information relative to Zadak Lewis coming from Maryland was further substantiated after a review of Maryland's 1800 U.S. Census, Worcester County.  Zadak Lewis was enumerated as head of the household, along with other members of his family as follows: 3 males under 10; 1 male 26 but under 45; 1 female under 10; 1 female 26 but under 45 and 1 female 45 up (page 524 or 232).

We feel there is a need to point out that Zadak Lewis' name, whether spelled Zodak or Ziddock, as spelled on his tombstone, has been proven to refer to one and the, same person.  "Ziddock" and Margaret Lewis are both buried in Campbell, Grant Farm Cemetery, Perry Township, Pickaway County, Ohio.

On 9 'September, 1848, "Amelia Cole, was the Grantor of her Dower Interest in the John Cole Land to Thomas Brown, Grantee, $200.00."  What happened to Amelia after this date is unknown.  She was not enumerated in the Ohio 1850 U.S. Census, and no trace of her could be found.

The children of John and Amelia, ("Milla," or "Milley,") Lewis Cole were five boys and three girls.  In addition to the listing of their names below, there is also listed who they married and the date and other known pertinent information concerning each individual child, otherwise they remain untraced.

1. William Cole, see later,
2. Peter J. Cole, b. 6 June 1819, d. 11 October 1844, m. Margaret Lewis, 18 November 1841.  Daughter, Suzanna Cole.  Peter buried in Campbell, Grant Cemetery, Perry Township, Pickaway County, Ohio.
3. James S. Cole, b. 10 September 1820, d. 22 December 1885, m. Amelia Lewis, 25 April 1843.  Children, Walter H. and John A..  James was a Civil War Veteran, 155th Reg. Company 1, Ohio National Guard.  National Archives Claim No. 371039.  He is buried in the above cemetery.
4. Mary Ann Cole, m. 9 November 1843 John Lupen Hollowell.  He died 1847, age 30, and was buried Alkire Cemetery, Deer Creek Township, Pickaway County, Ohio.
5. Margaret Cole, m. 3 December 1844, Zadok Lewis, Jr.
6. Sarah Ellen Cole, m. 28 June 1846, Samuel 1. Church.
7. Samuel Cole, m. 29 November, 1846, Betsy Davans
8. James Wesley Cole, a minor, age 14, on 7 January 1846 as recorded in the Common Pleas Journal, November Term, 1846, Wednesday 4th.  Pickaway County Court House, Circleville, Ohio.

Compiled by Noman M. Cole, Sr. June 1, 1981
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