The records found for Leonard B. Cole of Leominster include the federal
censuses for 1850 and 1860 of Leominster, Worcester Co., Massachusetts,
his
probate file, Case No. 4675, the records of his first and second
marriages,
records of the births of several of his children at Leominster, as well
as the
record of him in the book "Bunce Family and Genealogy" by Leslie R. Bunce
and Vida E. Bunce, copyright 1977. His name is also found on the list of
children of Polly (Burnap) and Webster Cole on p. 614 of the book,
History of the
Town of Sutton, Massachusetts, from 1704 to 1876; including Grafton until
1735; Millbury until 1813; and parts of Northbridge, Upton and Auburn,
compiled by Rev. William A. Benedict and Rev. Hiram A. Tracy, published
for
the town by Sanford & Company, Worcester, 1876. Another record for
Leonard
Cole is the death certificate on file at the Massachusetts State Archives
in Boston, Mass. Deaths for 1885, Vol. 366, pg. 420, where it states he
died at age 72 years, 10 months, 23 days of consumption (tuberculosis).
The ancestry of Webster Cole, father of Leonard, can be found on p.
70 of the book, Cole Family of Stark, New Hampshire: Descendants of
Solomon
Cole of Beverly, Massachusetts by Henry Winthrop Hardon, privately
published
1932 Haverhill, Mass. by The Record Press. Solomon Cole in turn was the
only son of John and Ann Cole. John was the eldest son of Robert Cole,
one
of the 13 original proprietors of Providence, Rhode Island and a member
of the
Winthrop Fleet of 1630, (see: pp. 50-51 Line of Robert Cole in The
Genealogical
Dictionary of Rhode Island, comprising three generations of settlers who
came
before 1690 (with many generations carried to the fourth generation) by
John
Osborne Austin, published 1887, reprinted with additions 1969, 1978,
1982, by
Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, Md. (with additions and
corrections
from The American Genealogist magazine articles by G. Andrew Moriarty).
The following is an obituary on Leonard Cole in the newspaper,
"Leominster Enterprise" dated August 26, 1885:
"LEONARD COLE
"The life of Leonard Cole, whose death occurred but lately, was
in many ways remarkable, full of all the activity and variety incident to
a teamster's experience before the days of rapid transit. [Travel by
train.]
"Mr. Cole was a native of Leominster, being born in the north
part
of the town September 19, 1812, and so at the time of his death 72 years
old. When he was a year old his parents moved to Millbury and at the age
of 8 years he left home and from that time till 14 he lived with a
physician.
These years, even under the most favorable circumstances, must have been
anything but pleasant. A boy of that age needs a home. His next
experience
was the real beginning of life for him, as his work was driving a team.
At
19 he had by hard work, economy and trade, accumulated enough to buy
eight
horses and all the necessary equipment for teaming. For the next
fourteen
years that is from about 1831 to 1845, he engaged in teaming from No.
Leominster. This was before any whistle stirred the echoes among these
hills, in the days when men talked of nullification of whigs and
democrats;
when slavery was shaping itself into a National issue, when daily
newspapers
were unknown, all news was a matter of yesterdays, when a journey to
Boston
was a thing of toil and all produce must be teamed to the great centers
of
trade. The years of Mr. Cole's early manhood recall a manner of life now
almost forgotten. These years of teaming were full of activity.
"People from the neighboring towns brought the products of
their
farms and employed him to carry them to Boston, and bring in return
whatever
merchandise they desired. He drove eight and ten horses and transported
tons of freight between Leominster and Boston. A teamster's life in those
days was by no means free from adventures, often laughable, sometimes
dangerous. The roads were often poor and the bridges unsafe. At one
time,
Mr. Cole drove his horses across Chelsea bridge when the keeper refused
to
take toll, because he was afraid the bridge would go down. He had ten
horses. Holding himself ready to jump at a moment's notice, he rode the
leader and the others followed till all were safely over. Mr. Cole was a
lover of horses, but had a special delight in training and handling those
naturally difficult to manage. A vicious animal of this class he drove
over
seventy-five thousand miles.
"Mr. Cole came to Leominster center some thirty-five years ago
and bought the place where he recently died. He was the last of the old
line of teamsters, the representatives of a life full of hardship; for he
often left Boston with his load of freight at nine o'clock at night. And
yet he did not find it necessary to indulge in intoxicating liquors. The
remarkable vitality of Mr. Cole's constitution is shown by the fact that
he
lived a week after the Dr. said he was dying, and often the report of his
death was constantly on the street. During his last illness he was
remarkably cheerful even after he was fully aware that he could not
recover.
'All the old teamsters are gone' he said 'and why should I not go.'
"Fifty years ago he married Mary Harris of Lunenburg, by whom
he
had five children, four girls and one boy [Mary Ann (1844-1845), Charles
Leonard (1846-1920), Elvira Lawrence (1849- ?), Carrie L. (b. after 1850-
?),
Elizabeth (Lizzie) L. (b. after 1850- ?), Mary Ellen (Nellie) (1853- ?)
and possibly a son who d. in infancy, Albert or E.S. Cole (b. 1860 - ?)].
In 1866, he married a second time; this time to Maria Hulley [actually
her
surname was Hawley]. We will remember meeting Mr. Cole soon after
coming to this town; and his familiar presence on our streets will be
long
remembered."