Charles Cole

Cole, Charles, born May 20, 1733, at Wellow, in Somersetshire, died 1813. In early life was a clothweaver; joined the Baptist church at Bradford, Wilts, and in 1758 began to preach at Whitechurch, Hants. In the year following he became pastor of the Baptist church there, a position he maintained with honour and usefulness for fifty years. He died Dec. 3, 1813.

He published A Three-fold Alphabet of New Hymns. I. On the Public Ministry of the Word. II. On Baptism. III. On the Lord's Supper. To which is added a Supplicatory Supplement, Lon., 1792." The title, "Three-fold Alphabet," was given from the fact that the hymns in each of the first three sections are arranged alphabetically, every letter being represented with the exception of X. The total number of hymns, including the Supplement, is 104. These hymns are sober and scriptural in sentiment, but prosaic in style. Several are found in the older collections as Denham, Gadsby, and others; but they have almost died out of use.

[Rev. W. R. Stevenson, M.A.]

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)