Coles, George, 1792-1858

Reverend George Coles was born in England in 1792 and moved to the United States around 1818. An ordained Methodist preacher, he traveled around New York and Connecticut for several years, spending most of his time in New York; he lived in Poughkeepsie, Hudson, Peekskill, Cortlandt, and other towns. He served as an editor for the Christian Advocate and Journal and wrote several books, including My First Seven Years in America (1852) and Heroines of Methodism, or, Pen and Ink Sketches of the Mothers and Daughters of the Church (1857). He married Belinda Wilson of South Salem, New York, on October 16, 1820, and they had at least 5 children: Electra, Hester, Phebe, George W., and James. He died in 1858.

From the guide to the George Coles collection, Coles, George collection, 1821-1851, (William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan)