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Note: T and lived there all his life. He built the Thomas Cole homestead near his sawmill (now incorrectly called the "1719" house.) The homestead is still a presence on the Norwalk/Danbury Road. The house moved out of the Cole family when Thomas' youngest son, Sherman Cole sold it and moved to Norwalk with his family in the late 1850's Thomas was baptized on 3 June 1753, according to Wilton Church records. Thomas Cole served in the Revolutionary War as a private. He also worked as a teamster for the war effort. A local folk tale has it that his mother rode from her home in Wilton on horseback, passing through both British and American lines and brought him safely back home after he became sick at White Plains, NY. His wife, Mary Resseguie was from a prominent Ridgefield, CT family and her father had considerable real estate in the Wilton area (But see notes on Alexander Resseguie, Jr.). Thomas operated a sawmill and possibly a carriage shop in Wilton. Thomas and Mary joined The Wilton Congregational Church about 1811, but Mary switched to Methodism later in life (after Thomas had died), when her youngest son Sherman was one of the founders of the Zion's Hill Methodist-Episcopal Church in Wilton in 1844. So, Thomas is buried at Joe's Hill, the old Congregational cemetery, while his wife Mary is at Zion's Hill, the Methodist cemetery. Thomas and Mary had a large family and their son, Sherman, also a carriage maker became active in Wilton town politics. Thomas and his family are listed in the vital records of Norwalk, CT.(Barbour Collection) Thomas is listed in the DAR Patriots List. His wife received a widows pension after his death. Her youngest son, Sherman Cole, assisted her in obtaining the pension. Thomas and Thomas Jr. are listed in the 1800-1850 Census for Wilton, CT. In the 1830 Census, Thomas is listed as head of the household. (He died later that year). Thomas, Jr. and Curtis Cole live next door. Although there were slaves in Wilton, the Cole families stayed clear of owning them. He is buried in Hillside Cemetery (Joe's Hill Section). A grave marker exists but was hidden for many years behind a large boxwood bush. The legibility of the marker is poor but still readable. Thomas' grave is one of the few that still has a footstone. Apparently, most footstones were removed for ease of grass mowing many years ago, but the boxwood bush hid his headstone and footstone for all these years. Many years ago, Mrs James Sturges of Wilton wrote: "I was a girl of about 18 at the time and witnessed pension papers for him on a number of occasions ". The following is a letter from the Veteran's Administration which was sent to Mr. Charles R. Hale, 131 Washington St. Hartford, Connecticut on 4 March, 1932. "Dear Sir: Reference is made to your letter relative to Thomas Cole, a soldier of the Revolutionary War. The data contained herein are obtained from the papers on file in pension claim W. 17637, based on the Revolutionary War service of Thomas Cole. He enlisted in 1776 and served three months as private in Captain Samuel Comstock's Company in Colonel John Mead's Connecticut regiment. He enlisted in the spring of 1779 and served nine months in Captain Nathan Gilbert's Company in Colonel Stephen St. John's Connecticut regiment and was in the Battle of Fairfield. He enlisted in the spring of 1780 and served nine months in Captain Nathan Gilbert's Company in Colonel Stephen St. John's regiment. He enlisted in March 1781 and served three months in Captain Nathan Gilbert's Company in Colonel Stephen St. John's regiment. He died December 10, 1830. His widow, Mary, was allowed pension on her application executed August 16, 1838, then a resident of Wilton, Connecticut, and aged seventy-five years Very truly yours, Signed: A.D. Hiller Assistant to Administrator" See notes on Mary Ressiguie for some conjecture on her birth.
Note: Thomas Cole was born in the Pimpewaug (later Cannondale) section of Wilton Parish, Norwalk, C
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