Early years
Joseph Cole was born at Odcombe in about 1818.[1] His father, Samuel, had left Odcombe as a young man to work as a sawyer in Dorset.[2] While there, he met and married Elizabeth Minterne of Owermoigne.[3] They married at Bere Regis in 1814 and had their first child while living at Tolpuddle.[4] They then moved to Odcombe, where Samuel worked as a sawyer and carpenter.[5]
In June 1841, Joseph lived at Oil Moor, Hardington, in a cottage now named “Weavers Cottage.” The head of the household was John Hallett, a weaver. John Hallett was the father of Joseph’s future wife, Ann, who, at the time of the census, was a servant at Hardington Rectory.[6] Joseph may have been staying at Ann’s home because he was courting Ann. Alternatively, he met Ann while lodging with her parents.
Service with the Lancers
Not yet ready for marriage, Joseph joined the Ninth Regiment of Lancers in 1842.[7] His regiment was deployed to India, where it saw active service fighting against the Sikhs. Joseph, with his skills as a farrier, was probably responsible for the health and well-being of the regiment’s horses, a crucial role in the success of their operations. He would have found his duties highly challenging in the searing heat.
Marriage
Joseph must have been sturdy and resilient as he survived the battles, heat and disease to return to England. In 1851, he was discharged from the regiment and on 5 July 1852, he married Ann Hallett at Chatham.[8] The couple soon returned to Somerset, where Joseph resumed his trade as a blacksmith in civilian life. In June 1853, he was a blacksmith at Ash, near Martock.[9]
The years as a Yeovil landlord
After a few years at Martock, Joseph and his family moved to the rapidly growing town of Yeovil. By September 1855, he was the landlord of the Globe and Crown Inn in South Street, a role he combined with blacksmithing.[10] While at the Inn, he sometimes broke the law. On 5 September 1855, he was fined £12 10s for selling brandy without a licence; on 13 September 1859, he was fined 40s for being open at prohibited hours.[11] This new venture only lasted about five years. By September 1860, the Globe and Crown Inn had passed to another licensee, and Joseph and his family had returned to Martock.[12] By April 1861, Joseph, his wife, and their four children were living in North Street, Martock, and Joseph was working as a farrier.[13] Their daughter, Frances Harriet, lived with Joseph’s sister, Charlotte, at Odcombe.[14]
Marital breakdown
Sadly, by April 1871, Joseph and Ann had separated. Ann worked as a cook at a house in Elgin Crescent, Kensington, and their youngest daughter worked in the same household.[15] Possibly, Joseph had become difficult to live with, and the death of Ann’s father in January 1867 gave her the means or opportunity to make a new life for herself.[16]
Final years
While Ann lived in London, Joseph lived as a “visitor” in the home of William Parker, a harness maker, in Vicarage Street, Yeovil. His occupation was a farrier.[17] Joseph died in June 1873 at the age of 58 and was buried at Ash.[18]
His widow and children emigrate to New Zealand
In the 1870s, Joseph’s widow and his two younger daughters emigrated to New Zealand. His oldest daughter, Luisa Jane, paved the way by emigrating a few years earlier and marrying her first cousin, Walter Hallett, in 1870. Joseph’s sole surviving son joined them after he left the Royal Navy.[19] Ann died at Napier, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand on 3 November 1896.[20]
References
[1] Odcombe baptism register, entry for 13 December 1818; RG9, piece 1642, folio 18, page 30.
[2] Samuel Cole was baptised at Odcombe on 24 January 1790.
[3] Bere Regis Marriage register, entry for 11 April 1814; HO107, piece 1929, folio 200, page 3.
[4] Bere Regis Marriage register, entry for 11 April 1814; Tolpuddle baptism register, entry for
[5] Their son, Thomas, was baptised at Odcombe on 26 January 1817.
[6] HO107, piece 946, book 10, folio 12, page 16; HO107, piece 946, book 10, folio 12, page 17.
[7] Royal Hospital Chelsea Pensioner Soldier Service Records (summary information on ancestry.com). Joseph’s regimental number was 779.
[8] Royal Hospital Chelsea Pensioner Soldier Service Records (summary information on ancestry.com); Chatham marriage register.
[9] Ash baptism register, entry for 12 June 1853.
[10] St John’s, Yeovil baptism registers records Joseph as a “Smith” on 10 October 1855, a “Farrier” on 9 September 1857 and an “Innkeeper” on 18 May 1859.
[11] Sherborne Mercury, 11 September 1855, p.3; Taunton Courier and Weekly Advertiser, 14 September 1859, p.4.
[12] Pulman’s Weekly News and Advertiser, 24 July 1860, p.2
[13] RG9, piece 1642, folio 18, page 30.
[14] RG9, piece 1640, folio 67, page 15.
[15] RG10, piece 43, folio 33, page 9.
[16] Hardington burial register, entry for 11 January 1867.
[17] RG10, piece 2417, folio 69, page 10.
[18] Ash burial register, entry for 10 June 1873.
[19] Royal Navy Service records: Alfred Benjamin Cole.
[20] Memorial inscription, Old Napier Cemetery, Napier, New Zealand.
