M. 7 Jun 1612, in Great Bowden, Leicestershire, England2
Wife: Arrold Dunnington
D. 15 May 1646 in Charlestown, Massachusetts3
When English Puritans made their historic 1630 migration to Massachusetts, Ryse Cole was among them. Ryse, also called Ryce, Rice or Rise, was born about 1589.1 His parents may have been Isaac Cole and Jane Meryot, but this isn’t proven. His birthplace was said to be Norwich, England, but by 1612, he was living in Great Bowden, a village in Leicestershire where on June 7, he married a woman named Arrold Dunnington.2 They were known to have five children born from about 1616 to 1625.
Ryse and his wife were among the thousands of people living in England who became non-conformists of the officially sanctioned church, and they sought to live in a place where they could freely practice their religion. It had been ten years since a colony had been established in America at Plymouth, and settlers had been trickling into the region ever since. Then in 1630, Puritan leaders in England organized an effort to bring over a larger number of people.
The migration was led by John Winthrop, and it totaled about 700 people on 11 ships.4 The first four ships left Yarmouth, England on April 8th, landing at Massachusetts Bay in June. Other ships followed soon after carrying more passengers, plus the supplies to set up a new colony. Ryse and his family were on one of ships, but there are no records identifying which one. The colonists landed at the site of present-day Charlestown, where a small number of English people already lived. The intention was to build their settlement there, but after a few months of sickness and hardship, most of the people relocated across the bay, and this became Boston.
Arrival of the Winthrop Fleet in Massachusetts.
A few of the settlers stayed behind in Charlestown, though, and it’s believed that Ryse and his family were among them. By the end of 1632, enough additional arrivals allowed them to form their own congregation. The founding of the Charleston church took place on November 2nd, and both Ryse and Arrold were listed as original members.5
Ryse’s two oldest children had an interesting connection to a man named Samuel Fuller, who had arrived on the Mayflower years earlier. Fuller lived in the Plymouth colony, but he went to Charlestown at the time the Winthrop Fleet landed in 1630, and offered his medical skills to treat their illnesses. Three years later, it was noted in Fuller’s will that he had taken in Ryse’s daughter Elizabeth in order to educate her, and that Ryse’s son Robert was also taken in as a servant.5 This was a practice among some Puritans known as “sending out” — they believed that placing their children in another household provided preparation for life that they wouldn't get at home. It’s unknown if the two children went to live with Fuller in 1630 or later, but it’s likely their relationship was established during the summer of 1630.
As was typical in early colonial New England towns, Ryse was granted plots of land scattered in the surrounding area. While he lived with his wife and children in a community clustered near the water, he owned eight other tracts outside of town, the largest of which was described as “50 acres in Water Field.”5 Within a few years, some of this land would be inside the boundaries of new towns that split off from Charlestown.
In May 1646, Ryse wrote his will, and he died on the 15th of that month.3 The will wasn’t probated until his widow Arrold passed away in 1662.2 Ryse and Arrold were ancestors of Franklin Pierce, George W. Bush, Barbara Bush, Jeb Bush and James Spader.6
Children:
1. Robert Cole — B. about 1616, (probably) Great Bowden, Leicestershire, England;5 M. Phillip5
2. Elizabeth Cole — B. about 1619, (probably) Great Bowden, Leicestershire, England;5 D. 5 Mar 1688, Woburn, Massachusetts;7 M. Thomas Peirce (~1608-1681), before 1639, Charlestown, Massachusetts5
3. Mary Cole — B. about 1621, (probably) Great Bowden, Leicestershire, England;5 D. 7 Oct 1683, Charlestown, Massachusetts;8 M. Richard Lowden (~1612-1700), about 1640, Charlestown, Massachusetts5
4. John Cole — B. about 1623, (probably) Great Bowden, Leicestershire, England;5 D. about 1673, Charlestown, Massachusetts;5 M. Ursula ______, before 16555
5. James Cole — B. about 1625, (probably) Great Bowden, Leicestershire, England;5 M. Ruth _______, before 28 Aug 16555
Sources:
1 Estimated birth year of Ryse Cole based on date of his marriage
2 “Colonists from Great Bowden, Leicestershire — Rice Cole of Charlestown, Massachusetts,” Leslie Mahler, The American Genealogist, Vol. 78, July 2003
3 Death record of Rice Cole, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
4 John Winthrop (Wikipedia article)
5 Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633, Vols. I-III, Robert Charles Anderson
6 FamousKin.com listing for Rice Cole
7 Find-a-Grave listing for Elizabeth Cole Pierce
8 Death record of Mary Lowden, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
