Sherren Family Tree » John Bennett Cole (1840-????)

Personal data John Bennett Cole 

• He was born April 1840 in Sherborne, Dorset, England.Source 6
• Profession: in the year 1901 Jeweller in Weymouth, Dorset, England in Weymouth, Dorset, England.
• A child of John Cole and Sarah Esther Dowland

Household of John Bennett Cole

He is married to Mary Elizabeth Sherren.

They got married January 1864 at Weymouth, Dorset, England, he was 23 years old.Source 3

Notes about John Bennett Cole

John was a jeweller, watchmaker and silversmith who was born in Sherborne, Dorset. He was educated, so a letter (written by his father and held at the record office) at King's School, Sherborne. John Cole's jeweller's business was situated in Bond Street, Melcombe Regis and in 1871 the couple are listed as living at 15 Bond street with John described as a watchmaker employing 2 men and 1 boy. and a servant, Ann Clarke aged 21. John's jewellery store was listed as 14-16 Bond Street. He did not own the premises but rented them from a person named Taylor., interestingly the property next door was owned by the Sherren family. The business continued at 14-15 Bond Street until 1914. In 1915 the name of Bond Street was renamed St. Mary Street and his address was 87 St. Mary Street. and the business was there until it was no longer in the directories in 1927, therefore the store had closed. John B. was the son of John, also a chronometer examiner. John and Bessie will have been married at the Weymouth Wesleyan Methodist church which burned to the ground in the year 2002. John and Bessie on the census returns for 1871 and 1881 had no children of their own. however, they did perhaps take a keen interest in the welfare of what was most probably a godson, John Bennet Cole Beale, born to a Methodist family in Weymouth in 1880 and who later became mayor of Bournemouth. His father founded the notable department store of J.E. Beale in Bournmouth in the 1880's and is still there, but privately owned. John and Bessie must have moved from their home above the shop in Bond Street when Bessie's cousin, John H.L. Courtenay, married in October 1881 as from the rate books for 1882, it is not John B. Cole listed as occupier there, but John H.L.; probably the Coles moved then to Westam, now part of Weymouth but then in WykRegis. By the time of a rate book in 1891, John is shown as owning Sunnyside there, which had a house, stables and an allotment gardens known as Littlefield and a garden at Walls Close. He also acquired some land at Snakedown which is nearby. In 1891 census return, John and Bessie Cole are listed as living at Sunnybank, Wyke Regis, next door to Bessie's brother, John Angel Sherren. Living with John and Bessie were her niece, Alice the daughter of her brother, Frederick, and a servant, Annie Shilling aged 21 and born in Ipswich. John Cole was described as 'living on his own means' so he had left the business to be run by a manager. It was from this time that he began a new venture. he bought up the bricks from the demolished Old Royal Hotel and employed workmen to use these for building houses in Westham. these houses are still there and are described as well built. John and Bessie were both active Methodists and alterations to their church followed in 1950's a generous bequest from John. There is a plaque on the wall outside the church as well as one inside the church in memory of James Sherren and his work for the Methodist movement in the town. John Cole was obviously interested in local affairs as he served as councillor, date of 4 Nov. 1895 and 4 Nov. 1897. At some time after 1901 they moved to 1 Linden Villas, just a few houses from Sunnybank and lived there until they died. In the will, their servant Anne Shilling who was with them for some 40 years, was the sole executor and received effects totalling 3,478 pounds.(excerpt taken from Thea & Frances Clayton's book).

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Timeline John Bennett Cole

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