Mercy (Wright) Coles (abt. 1641 - 1708)

Born about 4 Jun 1641 in Oyster Bay, New York

Ancestors

Wife of Robert Coles — married 1 Jan 1670 in Oyster Bay, New York

Descendants

Died 21 Oct 1708 at about age 67 in Musketa Cove, Long Island, New York

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Biography

Mercy Wright was born at Oyster Bay, New York in 1641. She was the daughter of Nicholas Wright and Anne.^[1]

In 1670, at Oyster Bay, Mercy married Robert Coles who was born in Rhode Island about 1648. He was the son of of Robert Coles and Mary Hawxhurst. ^[2]

Mercy and Robert had nine children. Mercy passed away in 1708 at Musketa Cove, Long Island, New York. Robert Coles wrote two wills before his death in 1715, included in the following account:

Musqueto Cove

November 11th 1786

"An Account of the Landholders with the number of Acres each possesses within the Patent: And also the Sums annexed that they are to pay as Quit-rent for fourteen Years past and fourteen years to come, which is to be a final payment Viz :"

It contains a total of forty-six names, including forty-one living and five deceased, whose estates were also taxed. It is interesting to note that they recognized their debt to the Crown after more than a century, and after their victory in the American Revolution.

At the time the list was made James Townsend was the largest individual landholder, with 279 acres. And the family with the greatest combined acreage was that of Coles, with holdings of over 900 acres.

Two of the most interesting and revealing items in the book are the first and second wills of Robert Coles. It is believed that he was about twenty years of age in 1668, the year Musquito Cove was settled, and unmarried. In 1670 he married Mercy Wright, of Oyster Bay, and they eventually had nine children.

The first will is dated March 17, 1689/90, when he was about forty-two years of age. It is written in his own hand, and begins: "In the name of god amen I Robert Coles being in perfect memary doe Comit my body to the dust from when it was taken and my soule to god that gave it I also dispose of my esteat as follows: -"(sic)

In the first will his handwriting is firm, as is his signature. He left most of his "land and meadows" to his sons. The phrase "land and meadows" is especially interesting here. It seems to imply that the meadows - generally used for grazing - may have been considered of less value than the land, which could possibly be built upon, or cultivated. And the fact that he bequeathed the meadows in his will indicates that they were his own property and not owned by the town which issued rights to its inhabitants for cutting salt hay, as was the case in many Long Island communities.

To his wife he left the house and orchard, with the land and meadow adjoining. But she was to enjoy its use only during her widowhood and upon her remarriage or death they were to go to his sons. The house, built in 1668, stands today, being the oldest dwelling in Glen Cove. The original structure was very small and plain. It was very similar in architecture to the home built by Joseph Carpenter and probably those of the other proprietors. But larger additions were built through the years so that they now dwarf the original home.

In addition to the house and property his wife was also to have his "neger boye" during her widowhood, but he was to fall to the sons upon her death or remarriage. And he left all of his movable estate in her care to be distributed among their daughters at her discretion.

Robert Coles wife died in 1708 and four years later he made a second will, which begins as follows:

"In the name of god amen the twenty fivth day of July 1712. I Robert Coles of Muskeeto cove in the bounds of oyster bay in Queens County in the Coloily of New york being very sick in body but of perfect mind and memory thanks be given unto god for it--." (sic)

Unlike the first will, which he wrote himself, this is in another hand and his signature is very shaky. In this he left all of his real and personal estate to be divided among his children, with the exception of a trunk, containing his writings, that he bequeathed to his son Nathan, and a few pieces of furniture that his wife had left to certain of their daughters. There is no mention of his "neger boye" in this will.

Although obviously in a very feeble condition when the second will was prepared, Robert Coles lived on for nearly three years. He died on April 16, 1715 and was buried beside his wife in a small family plot across the road from their home. The material in this old record book provides us with a glimpse of how the early settlers at Musquito Cove lived some three centuries ago. I wonder what interesting information was lost on the several pages that are missing from the old volume.^[3](Entered by Sara V Mosher, Dec 9, 2017)

Robert Coles and Mercy Wright are mentioned on P. 15 of the Lounsbury Family Tree. They are mentioned in their family tree as the parents of Mercy Coles who married Benjamin Carpenter. Benjamin Carpenter is important as the father of Hannah Elizabeth Carpenter who married Samuel Lounsbury.

According to the Lounsbury Family Tree records, Mercy Coles was born in 1684 so I guestimate Robert's and Mercy's births at 1655 per Wikitree protocols until we get further information.

Research Notes

• Musketa Cove was an area of Oyster Bay (settled in 1653) and was founded in 1668. It was later renamed Glen Cove.

Sources

1. ↑ Bunker, Mary Powell. Long Island Genealogies. Joe Munsells's Sons Publishers. Long Island, New York. 1895.
2. ↑ The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record (New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, 1901) Vol. 32 "Hawkhurst Family"
3. ↑ Long Island Genealogy: Mosquito Cove Proprietors Book, Robert R. Coles http://longislandgenealogy.com/mosquito/1.htm

• Macdonough, Rodney. The Macdonough-Hackstaff Ancestry (Press of S. Usher, Boston, 1901) Page 455.

• Cole, Frank Theodore “Early Genealogies of the Cole Family in America” : Hann & Adair; Columbus, Ohio 1887 pp 92, 93 https://archive.org/details/earlygenealogies00cole/page/91/mode/1up

• Oyster Bay Town Records (Town of Oyster Bay, New York, 1940) Vol. 1, Page 653.