Jane Cole Fonda, my 2nd great grandmother is a brick wall, in the respect that I haven't found out who her real parents are. My mother did this research on her great grandmother and at first thought Jane was the daughter of Palmer Cole. Palmer Cole (I have found only one Palmer Cole) in the 1830 census for Providence, Saratoga County, NY has 1 female and 1 male between the ages of 20-29; 1 male 0-4 years of age. In the 1840 census for Ephratah, Fulton County, NY for Palmer Cole: 1 male and 1 female between 30-39 yrs of age, 1 male between 10-14 yrs of age and 1 female 0-4 yrs of age *Jane?; In the 1850 Census for Providence, Saratoga Co., NY we have this listing: Palmer Cole age 48, Sophie Cole age 47, Jonathan Cole age 24, Jane E. Cole age 13, and Pamelia Cole age 22 who I think is probably Jonathan's wife. In the 1860 Census I find Palmer Cole age 58 with Susannah Cole age 39 living in Elma, Erie County, NY. I have no proof that this is my Palmer Cole, but additional research shows this Susannah may be Susannah Patterson. If Palmer's wife, Sophie died between 1850 and 1860, he may have married again. I will need to search for a death record of Sohpie Cole between 1850-1860.
Palmer Cole of the 1860 Census was born in Rhode Island. In the 1910 Census for Johnstown, Fulton Co., NY in the household of Emmett and Mabel Fonda, there is a Jane E. Fonda listed as grandmother who's father was born in Rhode Island. This Jane E. had 9 children with 8 of them still alive in 1910. What I need to do is follow Emmett's line back to see if I can find them and see who the real grandparents are. Mother said Emmett was a cousin to her.
NOTE: I tried searching for Emmett in the census backwards but had no luck in finding him.
I also tried searching for John Fonda the one that married Jane E. Cole according to Mom. I am beginning to think this line is really messed up and I may have to start with who I know for a fact is my relation - like my grandfather John Fonda, his mother Emma J. Copp and his father Winfield Scott Fonda, who is the son of the John Fonda I am having trouble with along with his wife.
Emmett Fonda in 1910 was married and had Jane E. Fonda living in his household. Though she is listed as "grandmother", she is really Emmett's mother according to Mom's records. Emmett was born in 1881 and Jane would have been around 47 years of age when he was born, if he is in fact her son. I think I will start from scratch - though Mom did and a lot of her information comes from family members, and that is what may be wrong here. According to a family group sheet I have John Fonda (gg-gf )(1826-1890) and Jane A(E). Cole (1837-1916) had 9 children but Benjamin died in 1906 and Mary Evalyn died in 1879. The rest of these children are Winfield Scott (g-gf) (1853-1933), then Benjamin, Agnes, Edith Viola, then Mary Evalyn, William H., Erwin, Herbert, and Emmett Blair. So that would be 2 children died before 1910 with 7 still living.
In 1910, my gf John (1886-1965) and his brother Winfield, sons of Winfield Scott Fonda (g-gf) and Emma J Copp Fonda, were in the same household; Winfield was married to Violet and they had children Addie and Richard.
In the 1900 Census for Mohawk, Montgomery Co., NY, Scot Fonda aka Winfield Scott(g-gf) Fonda and Emma J. Copp Fonda had 7 children; Viola (1883), Winfield (1884), John (gf), Edgar (1888), Nathan (1896), Eva (1897), and Ida (1898).
In the 1880 Census Winfield S.(g-gf) and Emma J. Fonda had Frederick (1877)and Jane L.(1879) Between 1880 and 1900, a period of 20 years more children would have been born and some died: (Emma J. had 11 children, 9 living in 1900)
Now his father, my gg-gf John Fonda and Jane E Fonda were in Broadalbin, Fulton Co., NY in the 1870 Census and had Agnes, Ben, Charlie, Eva (Mary Evalyn) and Willie (William H). Charlie is not listed elsewhere and would have been born about 1863. GG- GF John died in 1890 in Fulton Co., NY. This all according to my Mothers records. She had sent for the death certificates of John Fonda and Jane Cole Fonda. On the death certificate of John Fonda the informant is W.S. (Winfield Scott) Fonda; on the death certificate for Jane Fonda the informant is of course Emmett Blair Fonda who she was living with at the time of her death. Now is where the discrepancies show up:
On Jane's death certificate: Fathers Name: Solomon Fonda - of Saratoga, NY (This should be COLE)
Mother's Maiden Name: Jane Austin, birthplace unknown.
My mother had crossed out the name Jane and wrote in Rhoda as well as crossed out the name Fonda and wrote in Cole after she had talked to Emmett Blair Fonda who was the informant on her death certificate.
After doing much research I did come across a Saloman Cole and Jane Cole who were the parents of Rhoda Ann Cole living in the same area as Palmer and Sophia Cole in the 1850 Census for Providence, Saratoga, NY. ***Palmer and Saloman could be brothers. This Jane could be Jane Austin Cole **make an effort to find out.** It is not inconceivable that Emmett when filling out the information put in the wrong names if Jane and Saloman were indeed related and may have helped to raise Jane E. after Sophie died. **Find out when Sophie died and where she is buried, parents names if possible**.
** Find death certificate of Sophie 1850-1860: Find birth record of Sophie ca. 1803: Find marriage record of Sophie and Palmer Cole between 1821 - 1826: Find death record of Palmer Cole, aft 1860: Find marriage record of Palmer and second wife, bef 1860: *There is a story my mother told me that she said her father told her that his grandma was married at age 13 or thereabouts. Jane E. was 13 in the 1850 Census. Find marriage record for Jane E. Cole and John Fonda aft 1850 bef 1860: The places they lived were in Fulton and Saratoga counties 1850 and 1860.
