Born ‎1597 England
Francis was the wife of William Cole. She immigrated to America in 1616 on the Susan. The Susan, sailed Jul-Aug 1616, arriving Oct 9, 1616 Virginia. In the Elizabeth City muster of 1624/5, William Cole was listed as living with wife Francis, age 27, who came in the Susan, 1616, and Roger Farbrase, 26, who came in 1621.

William Cole, the first immigrant to Virginia from this line of the Cole family, and Francis had a son, William, born by about 1620, since he was a grown man earning wages in 1636. William Cole of Accomac/Northampton County also had a son, John, an innkeeper.

Born ‎1598 Tillingham, Essex, England, died ‎1647 Accomack, Virginia‎, age 48 or 49 years
William Cole was born in 1598 in Tillingham, Essex, England, and died before 15 Sep 1664 probably in Accomack/Northampton County, Virginia. In fact, County records show he was deceased before 5 Apr 1647. He is the person who first came to America in this family line arriving in the Neptune in 1618. He first settled in the Elizabeth City area 1624-1635; later he lived in Accomack County (the Eastern Shore of the original Elizabeth City area) per land transactions dated 1635, 1642 and 1664. William was the eldest son of Humphrey Cole, the Vicar of Tillingham, Essex, England, and his first wife, Mary Mott. He was named in Humphrey's will as his son William, living in Virginia. The Vicar Humphrey Cole married Mary Mott about 1589; they had six children: Martha, William, Thomas, Robert, Mary, and John.

Having arrived at Jamestown in the Neptune in 1618, William Cole, age 26, was listed on the Elizabeth City muster of 1624/5; he was living with wife Francis, age 27, who came in the Susan, 1616, and Roger Farbrase, 26, who came in 1621. Their neighbor was Alexander Mountney who had patented 100 acres "of Kiccoughtan, in the Corp. of Eliz. Citty", 20 Sept, 1624, lying "east upon William Cole". (Kiccoughtan was a waterfront plantation area east of the Hampton River, by Comfort Poynt on the north side of the channel entrance, now called Hampton. West of the Hampton River was called Newport News where the Nutmeg Quarter Parish was located, and became part of Warwick county after 1634.) His own grant of 50 acres at Kecoughtan is of record, 1625, as land that had been planted. (Each headright was given 50 acres. Each family member transported was given 50 acres, or if a wealthy person paid for someone to be transported, often someone in a trade, then the person paying for the transport of the person(s) received the 50 acre headright. Roughly one in seven people transported survived the settlement effort.)

1618 is considered the starting year of the Great Migration. Tillingham, a seafront farming village, was located about 55 miles northeast of London. Many ships sailed for America at this time. The population of Jamestown in five years went from 400 to 4500 inhabitants. The Neptune had been fitted out by George, Marquess of Buckingham; Thomas, Lord Delaware; Lady Cecily, his wife; and by other adventurers. Chartered by the Virginia Company, it sailed from the Port of London in March-April 1618, under the command of Samuel Argall. It began the voyage with 160 would-be settlers onboard, but due to rough seas and dysentery, 30 migrants died as well as Lord Delaware and Thomas West; Baron De La Warr was the ship's builder and first governor of Virginia. When the Neptune arrived in Jamestown in August, William Cole was among the survivors.

In 1635, William Cole and Roger Farbrace were headrights of William Gany of Kecoughton in Elizabeth City for 1250 acres at Hungar Creek in the new Accomack County, Virginia. In 1642 William Cole bought 100 acres from Levin Denwood in Accomack County, Virginia (renamed Northamption County in 1643). Roger Farbrace is the link that associates this William and Francis Cole in the 1624 muster to Accomack County. This is the family line associated with the Quakers. (The Accomac Indians lived on the Eastern Shore peninsula at the time, which is most likely why it was named Accomack County.)

William was the father of two sons: William, Jr. and John, born c1635, according to "British Roots of Maryland Families". This William Cole, who was dec'd in 1647 and noted as dec'd again in 1664 of Accomack County, Virginia, was not the William Cole married to a Sarah. We know the William Cole from Warwick county who died in 1669 in St. Mary's County, Maryland, was married to a Sarah, and due to conflated information and co-mingled sources, it is a mistaken belief that this William Cole had a second wife named Sarah. The records of the two men have been conflated in research and pedigrees, but the death dates and locations make it clear there were two men. We know his wife was Francis in 1624.

There is no death record for William Cole, and there is conflict in the sources or various histories as to when and where he died, noting there were several men in Virginia named William Cole. We know he was living in Accomack County in 1642, which became Northampton County until 1663 when the northern part of the peninsula again became Accomack County. William Cole had died by 15 Sept, 1664, for on 1 Aug, 1665, a tract of 100 acres in Accomack County, formerly granted "to William Cole, dec' d., and lately found to escheat." was assigned to Richard Hinman, the patent to Hinman stating that Col. Miles Cary, Escheator General, deposed concerning the facts. (Escheat meaning the land reverted back to the government.) We know his son, John, continued living in Accomack /Northampton County, Virginia, as a tavern keeper first established in 1672, and in the 1690s was living in Accomack County. John was probably raised in the Hungar Creek area, and his wife Mary Beedle was raised in Hungar Creek Parish. The Jamestown Society lists William Cole of the Neptune, married to Francis, died by 1664. His association with Roger Farbrase proves he moved to Accomack County. The death date of 1664 has long been used for this William Cole of the Neptune, however, Accomack County records show he died by Apr 1647. John Hinmon was one of the five headright along with William Cole in the 1642 land transaction. On the 5th of Apr 1647, by Court order John Henman became a Creditor to the estate of William Cole, dec'd. Later, 1st Aug 1665, John Henman's son, Richard Hinman was granted the 100 acres that had belonged to "William Cole dec'd and lately found to escheat..." So, he had died between 28 Nov 1642 and 5 Apr 1647.

His son William Jr. was born about 1620 in Virginia; he first married Hester, second Hannah, widow of Galloway, and third Elizabeth Thomas. William was born by about 1620 because he was an adult being paid wages in 1636. Records show the spelling of William Jr's (1620-1678) name changed to Coale. By 1662, William Coale was a minister of the West River Meeting of the Society of Friends of Anne Arundel County, Maryland, further up the Chesapeake Bay; he was mentioned in a letter along with his uncle, Thomas Cole, both having joined the Quaker faith. Many Quakers immigrated to Maryland about 1651; William Jr. was there by 1658. (Tercentenary history of Maryland names William as the son of the William Cole who died in 1669 in St. Marys county. This is probably because of the location of Anne Arundel county north of Calvert county and the proximity to that family. However, the Clarkson letter that named William Cole Jr as a Quaker minister along with his uncle Thomas Cole seems to confirm his relationship with those from Accomack county.)

William's son John was born in Virginia about 1631/1635, according to county court records. He married Mary Beedle from Hungar Creek Parish about 1663; their children are named in county records. Mary was delivering an unnamed child 30 Mar 1668--John did not appear in court for this reason. They had a son John by Mar 1674/75--a Deed of Gift was recorded, but if he died, then their daughter Francis would receive the gift of the animals. This son John born by Mar 1674 may have died because in 1691 twin sons, Richard and John, are named together as under age. In 1685, Mary lived at the Folly, a plantation near Accomac. John placed the property in trust for her for her life, and then it was to go to their sons, William Robert, Richard and John. Their daughter, Frances, married John Doe by 16 Jun 1691. Another county entry dated 15 Sep 1691 named the twin sons, Richard and John, not yet of age, and their brother William, sister Angelica, their mother, and brother Robert Cole. Apparently, Mary was still living after John's death about 1699.Beginning in 1672, John was first a tavern keeper in Townfield, Northampton County, on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. He followed the court as it moved north and had several tavern locations where court was held. In the 1690s, court was held in the house of John Cole at the site that later became the town of Accomac, the county seat. He died before 31 Jan 1699/0 at Accomack/ Northampton County, Virginia, age about 71; a Court entry was recorded in favor of a merchant against John's estate, "Judgement is granted to Ezekiel Parr, merchant, for 3,240 lbs tobacco and cask appearing due per account subscribed and made oath to by him in open court against the estate of John Cole..." Mary's father was named Richard; all the other children were Cole family names.

William is the grandfather of the Sarah Cole, daughter of John, who would go on to marry Charles Gorsuch the younger, son of Charles Gorsuch the elder, who married a different Sarah Cole, daughter of Thomas Cole, William's brother. The two Cole women were cousins.