The earliest records of the Cole family that I can verify start back in 1768 with James Cole in Throckmorton, a village about 4 miles from Pershore and 3 miles north of Lower Moor. James parents were James Cole and Ann Day (not verified) and on 12th April 1788 he married a girl, named Hannah Harrold from Dunchurch near Rugby, some 45 miles from his home village. After the marriage they lived in Throckmorton but Hannah had already had a child born illegitimately in Dunchurch – James born in Jan 1788 and baptised on 27th January 1788. After moving to Throckmorton they had a further 8 children up to the year 1808.
The eighth and last but one child was Joseph Cole born in August 1804 in Throckmorton. Joseph spent most of his life in agriculture and eventually married a girl called Elizabeth Roper from Besford, Worcestershire. (on some census forms it states Bidford, Warwickshire but her parents came from Elmley Castle so I feel Besford is the most likely birthplace), they had 9 children and the seventh of these born in 1843 was Moses Cole.