Research by: Sarah Nesbeitt, Janet Griffith, Jim Long, and Pat Mote

The search for Mary "Molly" Cole's pedigree has taken much of our time. Originally, it was thought that her father was Isaiah Cole. We found from Isaiah's Will that his daughter Molly married Joseph Marsh. We gained new ground with the help of a wonderful new friend, Janet Griffith who went to a lot of time and trouble to help in our exhaustive search. Much of the ground breaking research below belongs to her.
Thank You Janet !

Rufus Edson and Molly Cole were married by the Rev. John Howland in the "South Precinct Meeting House" which is in present day Carver. This church was also know as "The Light House". Others he married there were:
Ephraim Cole and Bethiah Samson, 2 Jan 1759
Nathaniel Cole and Hezediah Samson, 20 Nov 1760
Also found there is a list of the children of John Cole, Jr. and Patience his wife.

BRIDGEWATER VR:
Patience Barbor and John Cole Jr. of Plimton, m. 27 Jan 1709/10*
(*intentions not recorded)
Molly Cole of Middleborough and Rufus Edson, int. 26 July 1783
Susanna Cole of Middleborough and Alexander Ames, int. 5 Sep 1789
Molly and Susanna were the only ones listed in the Coles at Bridgewater as being "of Middleborough"

Conflicting Records:
Molly's father is most likely Nathaniel Cole and is the son of John Cole Jr. and Patience Barber. We had originally been thrown of track by the Plymton Vital Records.

PLYMPTON VR:
Consider Cole s/o John Jr. and Patience his wife b. 29 Oct 1729
Consider Cole s/o John Jr. and Patience his wife b. 25 Oct 1732
Nathaniel Cole s/o John bp. 18 Mar 1732/3
Nathaniel Cole s/o John Jr. and Patience d. Jan. 1786, age 59 yrs. (abt. 1727)

BICKNELL'S COPY OF PLYMPTON TOWN RECORDS:
Children of John Cole Jr. and Patience:

  • Patience b. 19 Jun 1710
  • Ebenezer b. 17 Oct 1711
  • John b. 16 Oct 1713
  • Hannah b. 3 Nov 1715
  • James b. 31 Jan 1717/18
  • Hezekiah b. 9 Ap 1725 d. 16 Mar 1723/4
  • Joseph b. 26 Dec 1726
  • Consider b. 29 Oct 1729
  • Nathaniel b. 25 Oct. 1732
  • Barnibus b. 14 Nov 1735.

The Nathaniel in the Plymton VR was probably transcribed incorrectly. We think that Bicknell got it right.

To add confusion, at that time they used a double dating system (old style) where the previous year ran into following year up to the 25th of March. In Bicknell's town records, he has one whole paragraph explaining the old style and new style calendar. "The new style calendar commenced, 3 Sep 1752. Before that, the only dates that were double dated were from 1 January to 25 March". Nathaniel was born 30 Nov 1732 and baptized on 25 Mar 1732/3. If he had been baptized one day later the record would have said 1733 in the vital record, instead of 1732/3.

There is a problem with the death date of Nathaniel in the Plymton VR as well. His age is listed as 59. That makes a five year discrepancy with the birth record. However, age listings at death could be inaccurate because often the reporting relative does not know the exact age of the deceased.

Sampson - Cole:
Three of of Gersham Sampson's daughters married Coles, two of them from the John Cole and Patience Barbor family. The marriage of Joseph Cole and Ruth Sampson is well documented. Now in addition we find recorded in the South Precinct Meeting House records, the marriage of Nathaniel Cole and Hezediah Sampson on November 20, 1760.

MIDDLEBOROUGH VR:
Gershom Sampson and Bethiah Clark m. by Peter Thatcher 2 MAY 1727
Children of Gersham Sampson and Bethyah his wife:

  • Hassadiah Samson b. 18 Mar 1728/9
  • Ruth Samson b. 22 oct 1733
  • Jemima Samson b. 28 Jun 1731
  • Mary Samson b. 24 Apr 1743
  • Bithiah Samson b. 13 May 1737
  • Gershom Samson b. 19 Oct 1740

We have long suspected that Mary Cole was the child of Nathaniel Cole and Hezediah Sampson, not based on hard evidence, but only on bits of information and a simple hunch.
1. Mary's first daughter was named Hezediah Edson (after Hezediah Sampson).
2. Mary had a granddaughter named "Mary Cole Sampson Edson". This was in a family that had used other compound names for the children marking family heritage.

Later, we discovered via deeds of land in Bridgewater to Rufus Edson from his father Abel, that Alex Ames, son of Simeon Ames, was a very close neighbor. Alex Ames and Rufus Edson grew up together! As stated earlier, in the Bridgewater VR for Cole, it say's, "Molly of Mid’o. m. Rufus Edson 1783 - Susanna Cole of Mid’o. m. Alex Ames 1789". Alex and Susanna Ames also used the "Sampson" surname when naming one of their sons "Sampson Ames". Alex Ames and his wife Susanna are buried at Prospect Hill Cemetery in Bridgewater, very close to the lots mentioned in the Edson deeds. We conclude that Molly Cole and Susanna Cole are probably sisters, both descendents of Gersham Sampson and Bethyah Clarke.

Later still, we found the location of Rufus and Molly's marriage in Carver by Rev. Howland who also recorded the children of John Cole and Patience his wife. Alex Ames and Susanna Cole also found to have been married in Carver (source: vr's). The pieces of this puzzle start to come together!

note: Susannah Grey below is a descendant of the Norman Royalty.

The evidence above suggests this estimate of Mary Cole's Pedigree:

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