Comments on: The Coles of Brushfield St

By: James Thorpe

James Thorpe — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 19:20:09 +0000

Fascinating to read about my ancestors and the family links to the east end… Thank you

By: Alistair

Alistair — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 20:27:00 +0000

Whilst clearing an old shed I came across an old wooden market box with Harry Cole Ltd. Spittalfields Market and deposit 3/- on the end. I wondered whether it is related to your family and whether you might like it? I’ll forgo the 3/- !

By: Mary Baker

Mary Baker — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 18:46:50 +0000

Kate, lovely reading your account. Like Andrew Cole above, I remember the company Harry Cole and Co. Harry’s twin brothers (whose names I can’t remember but I remember they were mad keen Chelsea supporters!) worked with him but also Harry’s sons Peter and Richard. I’m assuming that Andrew is the son of one of those (?). Two very nice young men indeed. My father was Salvatore Ferrigno, known as Neil. He had an office in the building The Fruit Exchange opposite Harry Cole and Co (now transformed but the original exterior having been preserved, thank goodness! My father inherited his fruit importing business from his father of the same name who inherited it from even his father of the same name! The original Salvatore Ferrigno came to London in around 1860 to import his own lemons from the Amalfi coast, some of which weigh around 2lbs. My father used to take me to Spitalfields Market on Saturday mornings when I was a little girl, presumably to give my mother a rest!! All the men in the market – my father’s customers – were lovely to me but I do particularly remember Peter and Richard Cole. I do hope they are well and perhaps still living in Wimbledon?? Mary Baker nee Ferrigno

By: Mr Melvyn Scott

Mr Melvyn Scott — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 23:14:36 +0000

Hi, a message for Greg Leigh. Greg I used to know you as my name was Melvyn Hyams, do you remember? I have since changed my surname, but H. Hyams (Spitalfields) Ltd. was just along the road from you, next door to the Blue Cafe.

Ah the good old days, did my growing up working there. Do you remember bumping into each other in Riccione, Italy in the early sixties? You were staying at the Atlantic Hotel.

By: Yvonne Jaques

Yvonne Jaques — Mon, 03 Dec 2018 05:52:54 +0000

What a wonderful inheritance and a good deal of work done researching it. Much enhanced by the photographs

By: Edward

Edward — Wed, 28 Feb 2018 22:34:41 +0000

Great to hear your story. Your ancestors on the street were contemporaries of ours. They were Agnes and Paul Rochefort who had a picture framing shop at 10-12 Brushfield Street around 1869 to 1877. Annie Martin, you might find it interesting to know that Agnes’ father Louis Rochefort (yes, that is right – Agnes and Paul were cousins, both born as Rocheforts) also came to London from Germany in the 1840s (the family were in Treptow and Breslau, now Poland). Louis initially worked as a watchmaker, based in Paul St, then 15 Crown Street (now Sun Street) before starting the framing business.

By: Karen Manser

Karen Manser — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 16:26:22 +0000

Dear Kate,

Doing a search on the web, I came across your article, ‘The Coles of Brushfield Street.’ I read this with great interest as it seems that we share common ancestors in the Ollenbittle family. Sarah Ollenbittle, the wife of Robert Cole, was the sister of my direct ancestor, Henry Ollenbittle. I was even more excited to see that you have some photos of the Cole family. I have no photos of Ollenbittles before WW1. I assume that if you had a photo of Sarah, you would have included it with the ones which you used but I just wondered, if you had these, you also might have one of Sarah (or any other Ollenbittles.) If you do have any, I would be very grateful if you would share them with me. In return, I can offer you the death certificate of Sarah’s mother, Sarah Louisa in 1874 (also living in Brushfield Street.) I do have lots of information on the Ollenbittles as far as is available for families such as theirs, but I assume that you would have much of this information as it is available on Ancestry or other genealogy sites.

I hope you do not mind me contacting you in this way & I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,

Karen Manser

By: kay

kay — Sat, 31 Oct 2015 20:15:47 +0000

Hi Kate,

I found this article very interesting, it really brings the families to life. I discovered it after reading the Gadsdons of Spitalfields one. I’m related to the Gadsdons and several ancestors lived in Artillery Ground and worked in Brushfield Street area. One Gadsdon cousin married Maria Cole (my 3xgreat grandparents) and I am wondering if Maria is the sister of Robert Andrew Cole.

The photographs are wonderful to see too. Thank you for sharing.
Kay

By: Margaret Taylor

Margaret Taylor — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 11:29:22 +0000

Hi Kate
Have been reading this article very interesting reading I didn’t realise at the time that my ancestors came from this area, when I was about 18 I used to work in The London Fruit Exchange on one of the companies switchboards many moons ago .I was wondering if I could have a copy to show my children
Regards
Margaret Taylor nee Ollenbuttel

By: Andrew Cole

Andrew Cole — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 16:50:08 +0000

Some great stories and photos. I discovered this while looking for photos of my dad and grandad’s stall at the old Spitalfields market. My grandad Harry set up the business (Harry Cole & Co.) and my dad worked there from the age of 17 until he retired.
I have some lovely early memories of the market when it was still a working fruit & veg market. Dad often tells old stories about the place, including hothead Dino (from Dino’s Cafe in the photos) regularly getting knocked out after starting rows with his customers.