Mary Sayward was born in Wayland, MA and moved to Cambridge when she was 10. She was the youngest of four children and the only girl. Her older brothers were William Sewall Sayward, Parkman Sayward, and John Mayhew Sayward. While attending the Museum School of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, she met Charlie Cole at a church dance (See memoir “Rescued” from A Moment Stilled). They were married in Cambridge in 1936, and had two daughters, Carolyn Sayward Cole and Diana Cole. Known as Polly from an early age, she spent her long life as a creative artist, photographer and writer.

Charles Henry Cole II was born in Portsmouth, NH and as the son of a Major in the Marines lived his earliest years in many locations, including Quantico,VA, Pensacola FL and the Philippines. His father died in World War I when Charlie was 10, and he and his brother, Edward Ball Cole Junior “Ted” and his mother lived in Brookline, MA through their high school and college years. Both boys received full scholarships to Harvard set up to honor Major Cole’s heroism in the war. (See A Bridge of Remembrance) It was while Charlie was studying at Harvard School of Design in Architecture that he met Polly at the church dance. As an architect in Lexington, he primarily designed schools and apartment buildings.

The Cole-Welsh Line

Major Edward Ball Cole was born in Hingham, MA, and was the youngest of five sons - Charles Henry, E. Morton, George, Fred S.and Edward B. Cole. E. Morton and Fred died in childhood. Both Charles H. and Edward B. “Ned” joined the military where Charlie was promoted General in the Army an Ed to Major in the Marines. They both served in France during World War I. Major Cole was killed in the Battle of Belleau Woods in June 1918 and was given numerous citations from the U.S. And France for his bravery. (See his page on:

http://www.scuttlebuttsmallchow.com/cole.html The American Legion Post in Hingham is named after him.

Mary Elizabeth Welsh was born in Philadelphia, PA and was the youngest of three children. After her mother died  and her father remarried, she and her sister Julia were forced out into the world where they found work as seamstresses. Her older brother William had a career as an actor and arranged an audition for Mary with the Daly Theater Company. For two years she sang in the chorus and in small parts in Victor Herbert’s operettas. It was onstage in a performance of “Babes in Toyland” that Ed Cole first saw his future wife. They were married in 1904 and in 1917 he was deployed to France. (See A Bridge of Remembrance)

Charles Henry Cole was a banker living in a large home overlooking Hingham Harbor. The Hingham cemetery is the site of the Cole graves, and Cole Hill and Cole Street are named after the family.

Mary Lyons Ball

William J. Welsh, contractor

Mary T. Welsh