24 William Cole (1844-1922) founder of Essex Field Club
Education and Career
William Cole was educated at several private schools in north London and later at evening classes at
King's College. He was apparently a studious child, particularly liking science, and was soon lecturing
upon physical science and natural history to his brother and sisters (Thompson 1923). It was while
his two elder brothers, John and Julius, were being educated at a Woodford boarding school in the
early 1850s that he developed his love for Epping Forest.
In 1861 at the age of 17 he was sent into a shipbroker's office in Mark Lane, London. A few years
later in 1867 he entered the office of Mr. Charles Browne, a Lincoln's Inn barrister, as a shorthand
writer. After five years he left to join the staff of a morning newspaper again working as a shorthand
writer. In the 1881 census William Cole was enumerated as a science teacher. In about 1890 he was
appointed Science Organiser and Curator by the Technical Instruction Committee of the recently
formed Essex County Council, and had a London Office at 35 Broad Street. In the same year he
acted as Secretary to the "Suburban Districts Water Supply Committee. In 1891 he became Secretary
to the "Organising Joint Committee on Technical Instruction formed by Essex County Council and
the Essex Field Club. In 1896 he was elected a Fellow of the Linnean Society and became an
Associate in 1910.
When the Field Club's Museum at Stratford was set up in 1900, the then County Borough of West
Ham agreed on 19th March to pay "a grant of not less than £100 per annum towards curatorial
expenses of the Field Club's Collection" (County Borough of West Ham - Reports of Committees
27th March 1900 p.567). The Field Club used this grant to pay a stipend to Cole. This amounted to
£120 in 1904. This was increased to £150 in 1905 and remained at this level until at least 1914. On
9th December 1905 a complimentary Dinner was given to William Cole and two of his brothers at
the Royal Forest Hotel, Chingford, together with an Address and £115.50 in recognition of his many
services to the Club (Christy 1906). His health declined in 1910 and broke down completely in
1916. In 1917 members and friends started a "William Cole Pension Fund" which raised £612.75
and resulted in an annual allowance of £100 being paid to Cole (Thompson 1930 p. 19). As a result
he resigned the curatorship of the Stratford Museum. This was formally announced at an Ordinary
Meeting of the Club on 26th January 1918. In 1919 he was awarded a Civil List pension of £50 a
year "in view of his contributions to the study of natural histoiy and to scientific education and of
his old age". The contribution from the Club's pension fund was thereupon reduced, with Cole's
agreement, to £75 a year.
Personality, politics, religion and appearance.
Cole was a planner, sometimes to the extent that work in hand suffered. He was rather obsessive
about the Field Club and he almost regarded it as his "private possession" (Thompson 1923 p. 170).
In the summer of 1910 he suffered a serious nervous breakdown from which he never fully recovered.
He had partially recovered his health by the beginning of 1911 and resumed his duties. A special
grant of £50 from the Royal Society procured by his old friend Professor Meldola allowed him to
travel abroad for a short while. His health was partially restored but he suffered a relapse in the
spring of 1916 when his health broke down permanently. This was aggravated by the outbreak of the
Great War in 1914, which shattered many of his ideals, and the gradual loss of old friends, brothers
and sisters further depressed him. The death of Raphael Meldola (1849-1915) "a personal and very
dear friend" for nearly 50 years greatly affected him (Marchant 1916 pp. 119-123 & 170-171). His
poor health and infirmity forced him to give up his Club and other activities and he permanently
retired to his seaside home in a Martello Tower at Beacon Hill, St. Osyth (Walker 1938 p. 183).
Percy Thompson in his obituary of Cole stated that some people thought Cole was a difficult man to
work with, did not like opposition and sooner or later repelled helpers in the Club's affairs with his
Essex Naturalist (New Series) 17 (2000)