Parish St Paul
CFHS code 135a The monument was found in 2000 but no inscription recorded.
Monument
This substantial tiered column is located 1 row west of the central path and about 5 monuments north of the south path in the parish of St Paul’s. Ivy obscures the monument from general view. The inscriptions are not that easy to read but were carved into the stone and once painted black.
Inscription
east face
In memory of
William Cole
[of] at Oakington
January 25th 1866
[In the 79th year of is age]
south face
In …………..
Elizabeth Cole wife of William Cole
Who died May …..
Aged 96 years
The north face is covered in ivy and no inscription appears on the west face
The grave register records 6 people buried here.
William Cole (c.1787 – 25 January 1866)
William was born in Coton, a village three miles west of Cambridge and married Elizabeth Linton in Oakington on 18 September 1811. The couple had at least ten children: Simon (1814-1848), Mary (1816-1906), Elizabeth (1821-), Ann (1824-1891), Henry (1825-1894), Harriet (1827-1909), Catherine (1828-1919), Sarah (1830-1901), Linton (1833-1868) and one son not yet identified. He was a farmer in Oakington and in 1851 was farming 485 acres, and employing 20 men and boys. He retired and in 1861 was living at Fern House, 35 Hills Road with Elizabeth and daughter Ann. He died at home aged 78 years old.
Elizabeth Cole (née Linton) (1789 – 29 April 1885)
Elizabeth was the daughter of James and Elizabeth and was born in Westwick (now Oakington). She was baptised on 19 July 1789 and married William Cole when she was 22 years old. After his death she continued to live at Fern House with daughters Mary, Ann and Sarah. She died at home aged 96 years old.
Ann Cole (c.1823 – 9 March 1891)
Ann was the second daughter of William and Elizabeth and was born in Oakington. She lived with her mother and died at Hills Road aged 68 years old.
Sarah Cole (c.1830 – 30 January 1901)
Sarah was also born in Oakington and lived at Hills Road. In 1891 however she had returned to The Manor House, Oakington where she was housekeeper for her widowed borther Henry. After Henry died in April 1894 she returned to Hills Road and died there aged 70 years old.
Mary Cole (1816 – 28 January 1906)
Mary was eldest daughter of William and Elizabeth and was born in Swavesey. She died at Fern House, Hills Road aged 89 years old. The contents of the house were sold of auction in September 1906 and included: ‘set of mahogany dining tables, bagatelle board complete…pianoforte by challenger in walnut case, 7ft. spanish mahognay sideboard….glass and china, including some fine cut glass, also dessert service and 2 dinner services, 14 lots of silver, plated articles, a large quantity of fine quality linen, the bedroom appointments, mostly in solid mahogany, include 2 well-made wardrobes, 4 chest of drawers, 4 kneehole dressing table…’ etc.
Harriet Linton (née Cole) (c.1827 – 24 March 1909)
Harriet was born in Oakington and in 1861 was living there with her brother Linton. Linton was a farmer of 250 acres, and employed 11 labourers. He died unexpectedly in September 1868 in Douglas, Isle of Man.
Harriet married widower William Linton (her cousin) in Oakington on 7 August 1869. William was a farmer, the father of Francis and had been widowed the previous year leaving him with nine children. They went to live at his family home: The Manor House, Orcheston St. George, Wiltshire, but the marriage was shortlived as he died on 7 December 1869, four months into the marriage. In 1871 Harriet was living in Orcheston with four of William’s children (aged 5, 9, 10 and 19 years old), a cook and housemaid. She was described as a farmer of 556 acres, employing 15 men and 10 boys. She later lived with step-daughter Sarah Linton at 11 Willoughby Road, Hornsey, London (1891), before moving to live with elder sister Mary at Fern House, Hills Road (1901). She died at 11 Sedgwick Road, Bexhill-on-Sea in Sussex aged 82 years old.
Sources:
Ancestry
Newspaper archives
CFHS Grave Register
by Mary Naylor and Claire Martinsen