Hole was born at
Ardwick near
Manchester the only son of Samuel Hole of Caunton Manor and his wife, Mary Cooke of
Macclesfield. He was raised in
Newark and educated at Mrs Gilbey's Preparatory School then
Magnus Grammar School in Newark. After a period of foreign travel through France, Germany and Italy he studied theology at
Brasenose College, Oxford. He spent 43 years at his father's parish of
St. Andrew's Church, Caunton, firstly as
curate and from 1850 as its
vicar. As well as the living of Caunton he was appointed to be rural Dean of Southwell, a Prebenary of Lincoln, in 1873. He had a short period as Select Preacher to Oxford University. He became
honorary chaplain to
Edward Benson, the then
Archbishop of Canterbury, He was in great demand as a preacher across the whole country. Hole was deeply concerned about the working man drawing the parallel between Jesus' background as a carpenter and the honest toil of the poor. He became
Dean of Rochester in 1887. Apparently he welcomed the appointment which brought him into contact with the men in
Chatham Dockyard and the local
lime and
cement works. His preaching continued to be popular, both in the
Cathedral at Rochester and in his tours around the country. He retired from preaching tours at the age of 73 and yet embarked on a lecture tour in the United States to raise funds for the cathedral at the age of 75. As Dean his duties were not simply clerical, he had responsibility for the fabric of the medieval cathedral. Under his leadership significant restoration and reconstruction work was carried out. After he turned 80 Hole rarely left Rochester. He died in Rochester on 27 August 1904 and is buried in the churchyard at Caunton. There are two memorials to Hole at
Rochester Cathedral. The most impressive is a recumbent marble life-size figure by
F. W. Pomeroy. Hole is further remembered on the number 3 bell at Rochester: "In remembrance of S. Reynolds Hole, Dean. Died 27th August - 1904". In 1861 he married Caroline Francklin, daughter of John Francklin of
Gonalston and Great Barford. They had one son, Samuel Hugh Francklin Hole (b.1862) who became a barrister. ==Roses==