Georgia:  Coweta County:  Biography of MATTHEW COLE 

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MATTHEW COLE, vice-president of the R. D. Cole Manufacturing company 
of Newnan, Ga., and a son of Robert and Elizabeth (Famborough) Cole, 
was born in 1823 in Jasper county, Ga. His father was an early settler 
of Georgia, and at that time Georgia was in a wild state, and near 
where he settled, in the woods, there was a large amount of fox 
grapes, enough to make wine for the whole state if manufactured, 
and there was also an abundance of chestnuts. 

Matthew Cole was reared on the farm and received but a limited amount 
of schooling, learning more out of school than in. He began to work at
the wagon-making trade when quite young, and many a time he has had to
drive to Augusta, a distance of 200 miles, for provisions. He was in
partnership with his brother when they started their business in 1854,
since which time their business has largely increased. He was married 
in 1847 to Emily Woods, by whom he had one child, which died in infancy,
the mother following in 1849. 

Mrs. Cole was a daughter of John Woods, who was the first settler in 
Newnan, and who sold 200 acres where Newnan now stands for $200. 
In 1851 Mr. Cole married H. T. Nall, by whom were born six children:
Amanda, R. D., Jr., M. F., E. M., F. B. and R. N. R. D., Jr., is now
general manager of the R. D. Cole Manufacturing company. He attended
school at the state university three terms, when he was taken sick 
and had to give up school. M. F. graduated at the commercial college 
at Atlanta. He is now the secretary and treasurer of the R. D. Cole
Manufacturing company. E. M. went to Cornell college, N. Y., but 
after being there one year his health failed and he had to give up 
his schooling. He is now superintendent of the machine shop. F. B. 
also attended Cornell college one year. He is now the draftsman for 
the R. D. Cole Manufacturing company. R. N. attended the same school 
in New York. He is now bookkeeper for the same firm. R. D., Jr., and 
F. B. have both held official city positions. 

Mrs. Cole, the mother of these children, was born and reared in Georgia 
and died a member of the Baptist church, of which Mr. Cole and all 
the children except one, F. B., are members. Matthew Cole was a 
member of the "Joe Brown's pets" of Georgia during the late war. In 
this company, of which he was first sergeant, were seven attorneys 
and five physicians. He served through a short part of the war, but 
there was a petition gotten up at home for someone to be detailed 
to return to look after the women and children, and almost everyone
signed the petition for Matthew Cole to be the man. He was a member 
of the Masonic order for several years.

Transcribed from MEMOIRS OF GEORGIA published by the Southern Historical 
Association, 1895.