Probate of the Will of John Cole of Stokesley (c1812-1892)

John Cole of Stokesley made his Will on 19 December 1885. 

He left all his “household goods and Furniture plate linen Books Glass and China” to his two daughters Elizabeth Sarah and Jane.

His executors were William Robinson of Enterpen, Hutton Rudby, Yeoman, and George William Rickatson of Stokesley, Grocer.

The rest of his estate was divided equally between his daughters and his son William.

The Will was witnessed by C E Jameson, solicitor, Stokesley and J W Skeen, his clerk.

John Cole died on 2 February 1892, by which time William Robinson of Enterpen had died, so his Will was proved by George William Rickatson alone on 12 March 1892.  The gross value of his estate was £1,385. 10s. 0d.

John Cole was born in Gateshead and had lived in Stockton-on-Tees and Kirkby-in-Cleveland.  in his Will he is described as "gentleman", probably because he had been retired for some time.  In his working life, he had been an engine driver and a publican.  In 1861 he was running the Tilery Inn in Garbutt Street, Stockton-on-Tees.  By 1871 he had moved with his family to live near Stokesley and in 1881 he and his wife Elizabeth, then aged 69 and 55, were living at Cleveland Cottage in the parish of Kirkby-in-Cleveland near the Station Hotel, Stokesley. 

In 1891, John Cole was living in High Street, Stokesley.  He was a 70 year old widower, born in Gateshead, and in his household were his unmarried daughter Jane (30) and his married daughter Elizabeth S Passman (32).

Ten years earlier, he and his wife Elizabeth (55) had been living at Cleveland Cottage in the parish of Kirkby-in-Cleveland near the Station Hotel, Stokesley.  His wife was born in Hutton Rudby, and their unmarried daughters Jane and Elizabeth were with them.  They were then 24 and 25 years old, and had been born in Stockton. They had been living there for at least ten years

In 1861 John had been running the Tilery Inn in Garbutt Street, Stockton.  His son William was then an apprentice painter aged 19; there was a gap of 13 years between William and John's elder daughter Elizabeth.  The censuses show that William had been the middle son of three - there had also been an older boy, John, and a younger boy, James.