Individual 61: Thomas Hancock

Individual Record 61

Name} Hancock, Thomas

Family History} Hancock

Title}

Race} White

Sex} Male

Birth: Date} Exa 16 Jan 1842

Place} Chittlehampton, Devon, England

Marr.: Date} Exa 6 Mar 1866

Place} St. John Evangelist, Westminster, Middlesex, England (Link)

Death: Date} Exa 6 Feb 1922

Place} Granada, San Mateo, California

Burial: Date} Exa 9 Feb 1922

Place} IOOF Cemetery, Half Moon Bay, San Mateo, California

Grave Marker} Yes

Source 1}	954 = Birth certif
Source 2}	1618 = Baptism rec
Source 3}	940 = 1851 Eng cen
Source 4}	941 = 1861 Eng cen
Source 5}	141 = Marriage rec
Source 6}	709 = 1871 Eng cen
Source 7}	937 = Passenger list
Source 8}	485 = Family hstry
Source 9}	786 = Book
Source 10}	169 = Tax record
Source 11}	134 = Title abstr
Source 12}	171 = Geog history

Parents: } James Hancock & Jane Loosemore
Relationship No.} 19

1st Household No.} 210 = Chittlehampton, Devon, England

Occupation 1} Itinerant preacher
Occupation 2} Farmer

Religion/Church} Primitive Methodist & Salvation Army

Spouses: Prime} Howells, Mary Anne
Total Number of} 1

Source 13} 100 = 1891 CAN cen
Source 14} 113 = Newspapers
Source 15} 94 = 1910 USA cen
Source 16} 170 = Invitation
Source 17} 313 = Newspaper

Source 17} 768 = Deed
Source 17} 493 = Deed
Source 18} 298 = 1920 USA cen
Source 19} 34 = Death certif
Source 20} 1632 = Death record

Source 21} 83 = Cemetery rec
Source 22} 1588 = Cemetery rec
Source 23} 733 = Photographs
Source 24} 738 = Photographs

Notes: Thomas Hancock was born 16 Jan 1842 in Chittlehampton, Devon, England. He was the second child of James Hancock and Jane Loosemore Hancock. [Source 485 indicates that he had a "J" middle initial, but this has not been verified.] He was baptised on 2 Feb 1842 in the Anglican Church, South Molton, Devon.

In the 1851 English census, Thomas, 9, was living with his family in Kings Nympton Parish, South Molton, Devon. His father was a farmer. His siblings now included Frances, 13, Ann, 6, William, 4, James, 2, and John, 4 months.

In the 1861 English census, Thomas, 18, was living with his family on Boslop Farm, in Bishops Nympton Parish, South Molton, Devon. The family was now complete, with Frances, 22, Ann, 16, William, 14, James, 12, John, 10, and George, 1.

Thomas married Mary Anne Howells on 6 Mar 1866 in the Parish Church of St. John Evangelist, Westminster (near Westminster Abbey), London. He was then 24 years old, residing at Kingston-on-Thames, located on the River Thames. He was an itinerant preacher and becoming a a well-known Bible scholar.

Thomas and Mary Anne moved frequently, and their children were all born in different locations. Henry was born in Twickenham, Middlesex; George in Alcester, Dorset; and Frank Sturminster Marshall, Dorset

In the 1871 English census, Thomas, 29, and his wife Mary A., 27, were living in Alcester, Dorset. Thomas was a temperance missionary for the Dorset Temperance Association. Their children were Henry P., 4, George J., 3, and Frank T., 1.

Their last English born child Fannie was born in Ross'nhill, Devon. Henry died in May 1873 at 6 years of age. After having four children in England, Thomas and his family left Bristol for America on the S.S. Arragon and arrived in New York on 9 May 1873.

In January 1877, Thomas was deeded 32½ acres in Bosanquet Township, Lambton County, by the Canada Company. He worked the land as a farmer. At the time, only 20 of those acres were cleared. The farm was a couple of miles from the town of Forest.

On 14 Jan 1877, the dedication service was held for the new Primitive Methodist Church in Forest. Brother Hancock led the choir. The pastor, Rev. Thomas G. Scott, was assisted on the Forest Station circuit by six circuit or lay preachers. The table at the left shows that, in the spring of 1878, Thomas Hancock was the lay preacher assigned to preach at the Primitive Methodist churches in Forest, Ebenezer, and Zion every other week — for a total of about six services per month. The table also lists another lay preacher, Hugh Nickels, a family friend and neighbor from their days together in Devon, England.

From the mid-1870s to the mid-1880s Thomas and Mary Anne had six more children. They built a large windmill on their farm and, during the next decade, raised their children, wheat, and oats — and had hollyhocks around their yard. The Queen Victoria postage stamp at the right was used during this time.

A Year in the Life of Thomas
The following brief articles, that appeared in The Forest Standard newspaper in Forest, Ontario, Canada, from February 1895 to March 1896, provide a sampling of Thomas Hancock's life:

21 Feb

Mr. Thos. Hancock will occupy the lake road Methodist church pulpit next Sunday.

6 Jun

Mr. Thos. Hancock had strawberries on the market yesterday. He says he has never had them so early before.

11 Jul

We are just finishing two thousand copies of Mr. Thos. Hancock's new book on Bible Protestantism containing 144 pages. Get one.

8 Aug

The Brussels Post says: "Thos. Hancock, of Forest, father of Lieut. Hancock, of the Salvation Army, in this place, was visiting his son, and took a prominent part in the Army services. Mrs. Hancock was also here. Mr. Hancock has written a book entitled Bible Protestantism, and is pushing the sale of it. The work is highly recommended by both pulpit and press."

12 Sep

Thos. Hancock occupied the pulpit in the Second Congregational church, Watford, last Sunday.

24 Oct

Mr. Thos. Hancock, author of Bible Protestantism, is in receipt of the following, which speaks for itself:

		Goderich, Oct. 18, 1895
	To whom it may concern: This is to certify that Mr. T. Hancock lectured in the Orange hall in this town, and we as a lodge were highly pleased with his address, and would highly recommend him to the order in other towns.
		Jas. W. Rusk, W.M., L.O.L. 182.

9 Jan

Thos Hancock, Forest, preached morning and evening in Zion Congregational church, Sunday. Mr. Hancock is perhaps one of the best posted bible students in Canada, and his discourses are therefore full of information, and his reasoning is sound — Sarnia Observer.

23 Jan

The following officers were recently elected and installed by L.O.L. No. 830, Forest, for the ensuing year: .... Chaplain - Thos. Hancock....

20 Feb

Mr. Thos. Hancock will move to Sarnia shortly, and will take charge of Rev. Mr. Madill's Mooretown appointment.

10 Mar

Auction sale of farm stock at lot 35, S.B., Bosanquet, on Friday, March 27th at 1 p.m. - Thos. Hancock, prop., W. Sparling, auct.

Thomas' grandson Wilfred, about 90 years later, said that Thomas was an ordained Pentacostal preacher.

Thomas and Mary Anne immigrated to the U.S. in 1900, but remained British citizens. Attracted to California and the Corning area by dramatic promotional advertising for land in the "Maywood Colony", they bought a farm, mortgage free, on River Road, 3.3 miles NNE of the center of Corning, California. In the 1910 US census, Thomas, 68, and Mary, 66, were living here. He was 'working out' and they were listed as alien.

Thomas and Mary Anne celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in Corning on 6 Mar 1916. But by the time of their party Thomas and Mary Anne had already decided to buy property in El Granada, California Their son Frank already lived there. They sold the last of their Maywood Colony investment properties on 12 Feb 1917.

Finally, in June 1917, they moved to Granada, California. In the 1920 US census, Thomas, 78, and Mary A., 75, were listed in Granada, Twp. 4, San Mateo. Now Thomas was no longer working.

Thomas died 6 Feb 1922 in El Granada, age 80 years, three weeks, and three days. He is buried in the IOOF Cemetery, Half Moon Bay, San Mateo, California.