Anna Daniels Cole

Anna Daniels was born in April 1753. She appears to have been the only child born to the marriage of John and Geertruy Hilton Daniels. However, her father was buried in December 1754.

In November 1770, this individual married John Cole at the Albany Dutch church. At that time, both partners were identified as residents of the city of Albany. By 1780, four children had been baptized in Albany. The last child christened "Pemberton," late in December 1780 probably honored Cole's predecessor as jailer, skipper and Tory refugee William Pemberton - the boy's godfather.

These Coles made their home in the first ward where John was known as the jailer and as a member of the Albany Masonic Lodge. The marriage was not to be a long one as Cole had been ill and was dead by March 1779, when the first ward real property of "widow L Cole" (Anna's mother-in-law) was the only Cole entry on the city assessment role.

In December 1780, "Widow Anna Cole" petitioned the city council saying that she [through the agency of the sheriff] was living with four small children in the court house and had been turned out by the new jailer. Reminding the council that they were homeless in the winter, she asked for a "small lot of ground near the Slaughter house" - as several persons have promised her and that they would "assist her in erecting a small House so that she may be enabled to do something for the support of herself and Family." The petition was referred to the Aldermen of the first ward.

Apparently some form of her request was granted. As late as September 1788, the city records noted that Widow Cole was permitted to continue on her leased lot rent free because of her poverty. After that, her name drops from the community-based record examined thus far.

We move on for now still seeking information on the later life and passing of Anna Daniels Cole

Sources: The life of Anna Daniels Cole is CAP biography number 7756. This sketch is derived chiefly from family and community-based resources.

The petition of Anna Cole: The transcription of the entries relating to the petitions of Widow Cole appears on page 316 of MC, volume I. However, that particular page appears to be missing from the only currently available online versions of that resource.