Sorry, Lisa but my Coles lineage has no connection to any Cole/Coles in VA and NC that I know of. My grandfather, Herbert B. Coles was a genealogist and spent a lifetime researching his Cole/Coles lineage. It is said that we orginated from a John Cole who immigrated to America from England in 1736 and landed on either the NH or ME coastline where he settled originally in Kennebunkport, ME.

Unfortunately, all the vital records of that town were destroyed in a fire in the 1800's, so he was never able to prove anything regarding this John Cole. I do know that we are descended from a Seth Cole of Boston, MA who married Fanny Munroe, a descendant of William Munroe of Lexington, MA. Herbert's grandfather was an Elbridge Gerry Coles who married a Lydia Ann Weeks, a descendant of Leonard Weeks of Exeter, NH. Elbridge along with his brothers, Seth, Jr., John and Ambrose all changed their last names from Cole to Coles. I understand that it was common in those days to add an "s" to a last name to denote the fact they were the son of a Cole.

Basically, all my Cole lineage is based here in Boston, Cambridge, MA and Exeter, NH. Most of the Coles family have remained in this area except for an uncle of mine who was stationed in Philadephia, PA during WWI and remained there where he raised one child who later had three children. As far as I know there were no Cole/Coles in my lineage that either migrated north from VA or NC.

Have you beeen able to track down any of your Cole/Coles and what is your relationship to them? Thanks for writing and wish we could have made a connection.

That is tragic that you don't have access to those papers! I would be heartsick over it. It would be great if you had all that information. Like you, I have no idea where my John Cole was born other than he was from England. It's mystery as to whether I'll ever find him but I still look for him on occasion. Funny thing is my Godfather's name was John Coles and I have no idea who he might have been. I never did inquire about it when living people could have answered that question. They have all since passed on. I think he might have been a child of one of my grandfather's brother's children but I just don't know. My grandfather had little contact with his brothers and sisters and knew little about them which I find odd.

Hello Lisa !.

Best regards from Wroclaw in Poland !.