His wife was Mary ,whose testament at a trial at the Old Bailey on 30 August 1786 tends to indicate that she was his equal business partner, if not even the boss!
JOHN BENJAMIN COLE
I keep a goldsmith's shop in Barbican .
MARY COLE .
I am wife to the last witness; the prisoner came into my shop
MY SHOP ?
Another Old Bailey trial on 12 July 1797 relate a theft from the shop, in the Barbican from Mrs Cole, her husband being away
He had a son , also called John Benjamin Cole , apprenticed to Richard Sayer, Jeweler (Goldsmiths Apprentice Book 10, page 21)
The card index at Goldsmiths Hall however, gives him as apprenticed to his father !
An Old Bailey trial of 16 September 1807 gives an interesting sidelight on 0one of the Coles, presumably the son.
ELIZABETH MERRIFIELD and MARY GREEN , were indicted for feloniously stealing on the 25th of August a leather pocket book, value 2 d. and a gold pin, value 7 s. the property of John Benjamin Cole , privily from his person.
JOHN BENJAMIN COLE . On the 25th of August, about nine o'clock in the evening, I met the two prisoners at the corner of Golden-lane; I gave them something to drink; then they asked me to go home with them and to go to bed with them; I did, I was very much in liquor.
Q. Did you go to bed with them both. -
A. Yes
On 24th October 1811 he proved London Consistory Court the will of William Sharp, a well known silver bucklemaker. He had been appointed executor by the codicil dated 8th October as joint executor - " my good friend Mr John Benjamin Cole of Barbican , Silversmith "
COLE, John Benjamin (Grimwade p.392)
Moderators: buckler, MCB, silverly
Re: COLE, John Benjamin (Grimwade p.392)
4 October 1809 John Benjamin Cole by consent of the parties turned over to his father of Barbican Silversmith a Citizen and Barber of London.buckler wrote:He had a son , also called John Benjamin Cole , apprenticed to Richard Sayer, Jeweler (Goldsmiths Apprentice Book 10, page 21)
The card index at Goldsmiths Hall however, gives him as apprenticed to his father !
As an aside, the son's original contract to Richard Sayer Arnell of Jewin Street London Jeweller and Goldsmith of London is dated 5 October 1703. Someone either forgot or just didn't bother to correct the century on the preprinted form.