Albert John Coles (also known as Jan Stewer; 14 March 1876 – 18 August 1965) was an English author.

Jan Stewer is generally known in the South West of England as a character in the song "Widecombe Fair", the chorus of which ends with 'Uncle Tom Cobley and all'. This was also the name adopted by Albert John Coles, who, over 64 years, wrote and performed Devonshire dialect stories, plays and songs under this name. He was also (as Mr. A. J. Coles) by turns a schoolteacher , soldier, farmer, managing editor of a newspaper, and "journalist, playwright" (self description in 1939). He was described by John Betjeman, before he was Sir John, as "to be numbered amongst the great understanding humorists". Coles wrote many books, wrote some 5,000 stories for local papers, toured town and village halls with his vaudeville stage acts, wrote, acted and produced plays, (one of which was performed in the Haymarket Theatre in London), acted in films and broadcast on the BBC, in the course of his career as Jan Stewer.

Known homes: Woolwich (1876), Sandgate (1881) Folkestone (1891, 1892).

Albert John Coles was born on 14 March 1876. His mother was Elizabeth Coles, born Stephens, and his father was Sergeant-Major William Coles of the Royal Artillery. He was born in one of the married quarters of the Woolwich Arsenal.

Elizabeth, his mother, had six children, three of whom survived: Henry William (born Woolwich, 1872), Albert John (Woolwich 1876) and Bertha. (Sandgate, 1883) William Arthur was born in Willand in 1871, died in Woolwich, 1871. Susan Elizabeth, Woolwich, 1874, d. 1875. Third Child, unknown. William Coles had two daughters by a previous marriage, his first wife dying in Mauritius, where he was stationed. His eldest was Williamina Mary, (not Wilhelmina ], known as"Mina". She also named her daughter "Williamina". She was born in Alderney, Channel Islands, in 1863. Jane Louise Elizabeth was born in Mauritius in 1866. She was known to the family as "Louie". She is named Jane L. in the 1871 census, Louisa E. in 1891; "Louisa" in 1881. She married Herbert Webb in 1893.

William and Elizabeth were married on 17 Jan 1869 in Willand, where both were born. Elizabeth Stephens in 1839, William in 1834. Her father, Thomas, was a "Farmer of 55 Acres." in 1851, in 1861 her mother was a widow, "Farmer of 70 Acres." William Coles' father, John Coles, was a (farm) labourer, as William was before enlisting.

Coles attributed his devotion to the county, its language and customs, to his mother. "The county of Devon was the only place on earth for my mother and she often used to tell me about the countryside around Willand and speak to me in the Devon dialect." His son, H.A.T. Coles said his father as a child spent holidays in Devon. It is interesting that of them all only Albert returned to Devon. His father, mother, brother and sister stayed in Kent. Bertha and their mother, Elizabeth were registered as living in the School House, Puddington, in the census of 1901. They presumably came for the wedding of Florence and Albert. No other evidence of interaction known.

Sometime after 1876—and before 1881—William Coles was promoted to the rank of Master Gunner, and put in charge of the Martello Tower constructed from Sandgate Castle, to which the family moved. He was the last Master Gunner. In 1881, at the age of 5 (1881) A. J. Coles was a school pupil, and his half-sister, Tomsa, was a pupil teacher at the British School. A Pupil Teacher in the 19th century was like an apprentice. They taught younger children, under supervision, and so learned the "trade" of teaching, at the same time continuing their own education. They gained qualifications after 5 years. Bertha Coles was born in Sandgate in 1883.