The Cole Family

NJGenWeb ~ Morris County, New Jersey

The Cole Family

Source: J. Percy Crayon, Rockaway Records of Morris County, N. J. Families, (Rockaway, N.J., Rockaway Publishing Co., 1902)

Tradition says that Leonard COLE and family came from Amsterdam, Holland, and first settled near Milton, in Morris County, about 1740 or ’50, when his son Henry was four years old. He married second wife here by the name of Almeda HARTRUM, or McCLOUD, name uncertain, and had sons: Abraham, Peter, Leonard, Jacob, and daughters: Phebe and Elizabeth. I have heard it related of this family, as well as some other Dutch families, that the children were never named only such names as could be shortened or nicknamed, and thus we have Brom, Pete, Lent, Jake, Febe and Bets, an advantage, certainly, where life did not reach the full three score and ten years.

A sister of the original Leonard married Israel HOLLY, one of the first settlers of old Stockholm. There is a tradition that their first child, a daughter, was taken when very young by the Indians, who at that time frequently passed through that section on their way to the Delaware country, and that she grew up with the tribe and became as one of them. Some years after it was learned where she was but she refused to return to her parents.

Phebe, married Benjamin CASTIMORE, and Elizabeth married Gerret KIMBLE the progenitors of the names of that section of Morris County. Abraham died at an age of 104 years. Jacob settled and built the first houses of logs east of where the Clinton reservoir now is and had children: Leonard, Frederick, Abraham, Willhelm, Mary and perhaps others. Leonard married Rachel DAVENPORT, who was the mother of Almeda, wife of Joel Harrison, of Stockholm, and died at his house in the ‘50’s at an advanced age. Frederick, who settled at Clinton, married Polly, daughter of John and Leah (BROOKS) DAVENPORT, and Mary married Abraham (BROM) VANDRUFF, the progenitor of that family. The ANGLE family was also connected with the COLES by marriage in the early settlement of Clinton. Samuel ANGLE, son of john and Mary (BURWELL) ANGLE who came from Newark and settled in the Sparta mountains, settled near Clinton and had children: Edward, who married Elizabeth PHILLIPS, daughter of David (the drummer boy in the Revolution) and Nancy Rose. Joshua, David’s father served in the Revolution. Catherine, married Frederick COLE, Jr.; Betsey, married Abraham COLE; Polly, married Silas VANORDEN, and Mary, married William WAGONER. All being old residents and of revolutionary stock. The name Polly and Mary seems to have been two distinct names.

At this date, for want of the old records, we have accepted old traditions, as it would be impossible to trace the original COLE family, with all their intermarriages with the early settlers, the hardy pioneers, of Morris County. Their descendents have been numerous, and scattered through the early settlements, and have been well represented in the Revolutionary and Civil wars.

Transcribed by John Cresseveur (1949-2003)