FIVE GENERATIONS OF W.S. COLE & SON

William J Cole moved to St Nicholas-at-Wade with his wife Charlotte in 1891 and began to care for the village deceased and their relatives. With him came William and Edgar his sons who were soon involved in the business helping him run both Builders and Undertakers. Edgar continued at St Nicholas-at-Wade with the funeral and building business until his early death in 1939.

In 1914 William Stephen Cole and Amy his wife moved to the neighbouring village of Monkton where he continued the funeral business his father had begun. Eventually all the funeral work was carried out at Monkton. It was the need for carpenters to make coffins that led to the old tradition of building and funeral businesses often running alongside each other. This tradition still lives on at W.S. Cole & Son, although today coffins come to us ready made leaving only the furnishings and trimmings to be fitted.

In the late 1930's William Stephen had the opportunity to acquire the funeral business of G Terry in Minster. The funeral side was moved to Monkton, leaving the Minster premises to be used for building works. W.S. Cole & Son was formed with his son Bernard Cole who joined the business in 1940. The business continued to care for the bereaved families and the number of funerals steadily increased.

Bernard and his wife Joyce carried on the business after the death of William in 1966. The same year the Acol Methodist Chapel closed, this was purchased to convert into a Chapel of Rest, which was now needed as the tradition of keeping the deceased relative at home was declining.

Jonathan, the fourth generation of the Cole family, started work in 1968 again working in both the building and funeral side of the firm. The company continues to maintain close links with the rural areas of Thanet and surrounding villages East of Canterbury but frequently take custom in nearby towns. Christopher Cole joined the company in 1999 and for some time prior to Bernard's death in 2003 there were three generations of Cole 'Boys' in the hearse when attending funerals.

It was Bernard Cole who introduced computers into the family business and after Bernard's death Jonathan, his wife Nicolette and son Christopher aim to continue the traditional values established by their father and grandfather whilst incorporating today’s needs and desires. Happy to do things in the way it has been for years but equally pleased to accept and provide for more modern and unconventional practices.