John D. Hancock (abt. 1733 - 1802)

Born about 1733 in Fluvanna County, Virginia

Descendants

Died 10 Nov 1802 at about age 69 in Patrick Springs, Patrick County, Virginia

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Raymond Nichols [send private message] and Joann Pierce [send private message]

Biography

Revolutionary War Patriot

John Hancock is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A050862.

John Hancock is an NSSAR Patriot Ancestor.
NSSAR Ancestor #: 174339
Rank: Patriot

Captain John Hancock performed Patriotic Service in Virginia in the American Revolution.

Captain John D. Hancock was born around 1733 or 1735 in Palmyra, Fluvanna County, Virginia or in Albemarle County, Virginia. ^[1]
He was the son of Benjamin Hancock and Jane Armager^[2]
His family were members of the Church of England.

Various county names are used in John's history, mostly because the county lines were fluctuating during his lifetime.
From Wikipedia^[3] -- "The area which is now Fluvanna County was once considered part of Henrico County, one of the original shires of the Virginia Colony.
Henrico was divided in 1727 and the Fluvanna County area became a part of Goochland County.
In 1744 Goochland was divided and the area presently known as Fluvanna became a part of Albemarle County.
When Amherst County, Nelson County and Buckingham County were split off from Albemarle County, the Albemarle County Seat was moved in 1762 from Scottsville to Charlottesville. When the Albemarle County seat was moved citizens in the Fluvanna area would now have to trek over the Southwest Mountains to reach the new seat at Charlottesville. Fluvanna area citizens lobbied the Virginia General Assembly to create a new county.
Finally, in 1777, Albemarle County was divided again and Fluvanna County established."

John D. Hancock (Hancocke) married Elizabeth Maddox on October 16, 1755 in St. James Northam, Goochland County, VA.
Reverend William Douglas (of the "Douglas Register of Goochland") officiated. This is their listing in the Douglas Register:-
"Hancocke, John & Eliz. Maddox, both in this parish, 1755, Oct 16," p2.
Their marriage is also listed in the Register of St. James Northam Parish:^[4]
ELIZABETH MADDOX was the daughter of JOHN MADDOX and ELIZABETH SHERWOOD. ^[1][5]
She was born January 1/3, 1732/33 in Fluvanna, Virginia and died about 1805 in Virginia (prob Patrick County) or perhaps she went to Floyd Co, KY. with her youngest daughter Susanna in 1804 and died there.

Since Albemarle county was divided off from Goochland in 1744^[6], before John's marriage, he must have moved from Goochland west into Albemarle County in 1762. Goochland Co., Virginia Fee Book named "John Hancock of Albemarle Co."

1762, March 18, John Handcock enters the vacant land between the lines of Benjna Dickson, Jas. Roberts, Wm. Wright and Geo. Currie and Brs. Sandy Creek not exceeding 400 Acs. ^[7]

1774, Jun 5 - "In consideration of the sum of 10 shillings of good and lawful money, John Hancock was granted one certain parcel of land, containing 87 acres, lying in Co. of Albemarle, on the S. branches of Cunningham's Creek, beg. at Wm. Moore's corner to pointers in Colonel Hopkins' line, So. on George Hilton's line, East to Thomas Jefferson's line, then on to Wm. Moore's (Morris') line North to beg." [Vol 42, p. 709.]

John Hancock was 10 years older than Thomas Jefferson.

Thomas Jefferson (b 1743) also lived in Albemarle Co, VA. and the Hancock land bordered the Jefferson land. In fact, the Hancock land bordering Monticello was surveyed by Peter Jefferson, father of Thomas (Peter Jefferson died in 1757). [In 1764 Thomas Jefferson inherited his father's 2750-acre estate. In 1768 he began building Monticello. In 1770 Jefferson moved into Monticello. In 1772 he married Martha Wayles Skelton, whose dowry almost doubled his holdings.]

1776-1781 Military Service -
May have served as a Private in the Revolutionary War or in the Virginia Militia as a LT. under Captain Thomas Blackburn (Revolutionary War). His title "Capt. John Hancock" must have come from some military service.

1777 -- John had four sons. He gave each of them a farm as they became of age. On August 7, 1777, John Hancock of Fluvanna Co., gave his oldest heir, Benjamin, 182 acres of land located on Cunningham Creek.
On Aug. 1, 1777, John D. Hancock of Fluvanna Co., for love and affection, deeded his son Benjamin Hancock 182 acres on Cunningham Creek, and his son Lewis Hancock 87 acres adjoining the lines of Thomas Jefferson, John Haden and Henry Haislip (D.B. 1, pp. 18 and 19). This deed is signed "John Hancock."

1785 -- Late in life John moved to that part of Henry Co. from which Patrick Co. was taken in 1791.

1799 -- Jan. 27, John Hancock and Elizabeth his wife, of Patrick Co., in consideration of $260.00, deeded land to Jacob Mayo, of Fluvanna Co. (D.B. 3, p. 505).
Sept. 13, 1802 (D.B. 4,p. 182), they deeded him 147 acres in consideration of $100.00.
[Two of his daughters married Mayo men: Judith m Valentine Mayo, Elizabeth m Rev. Wm. James Mayo. Their father was Jacob Mayo, but they also had a brother named Jacob Mayo.]

John Hancock died between November 10, 1802 and December 1802 at 69 years of age in son Benjamin's home in Patrick Springs, Patrick County, Virginia. Buried on the northeast slope of Bull Mountain, ^[8] perhaps at the Liberty Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery.

Find A Grave: Memorial #80398643

John Hancock left will dated Nov. 10, 1802, in Patrick Co.,Va., Dec. Court, 1802, in which he devised his son Lewis Hancock "the land whereon I lived in Fluvanna Co.," and the balance of his estate he devised to his wife for life or widowhood, and then to be divided among his children, [From "Hopkins of Virginia and Related Families" by Walter Lee Hopkins]

1802 Will

NOVEMBER 10, 1802
Patrick County, Virginia, John Hancock's will in Patrick County, Virginia mentions his son, Major Hancock. November 10, 1802, Patrick County, Virginia.

"In the name of God Amen. I, John Hancock, of the county of Patrick, being in good health and in my perfect sense... I do make, constitute and appoint this my last will and testament;... my body I give to the earth to be decently buried according to the will of my executor hereinafter mentioned, and as for all the rest of my temporal estate, I give and bequeath as followeth:

Item. I give and bequeath to my son, Lewis Hancock the land whereon I lived in the county of Fluvanna, to him and his heirs forever.

Item. I so lend to my well beloved wife, my sole estate in doors and out doors during her natural life, and after her decease, to my son, William Hancock should have a part of the land whereon I now live; that is from the end of the mill dam on the ridge to the north line to him and his heirs forever.

Item. The remainder part from there down, I give and bequeath to my son Major Hancock to him and his heirs forever.

Item. I give and bequeath to my son Benjamin Hancock all my wearing clothes. [He had previously given Benjamin a farm of 182 acres on Cunningham Creek in Fluvanna Co., VA]

Item. And after the decease of my wife, my will and desire it that the rest of my estate be equally divided between my five daughters and my son William Hancock, to-wit: Nancy Corn, Rodie Lane, Elizabeth Mayo, Judath Mayo, and Susannah Hancock.

Item. And proportionable part with them to be given to my daughter Mary Morrison's two eldest children, to-wit: Allen Morrison and Jency Morrison, to be sold and equally divided among them.

Item. And I do appoint my son William Hancock my whole and sole executor of this my last will and testament.

Interlined before assigned

John Hancock L. S.

Barna Bas Balisle

C. John Scott X his mark

Mary W. Thompson X her mark

Patrick County, December Court 1802.^[9]

Returned Dec. Ct. 1802, p.46

Inventory of John Hancock estate,

Includes: Cattle, horses, plantation equipment, household furniture, sheep and books.

Also, cotton due from George Lain.

83/4 gal. brandy due from W. J. Mayo, also same amount due next Oct.

Total: $382.17

Appraisers: David Harbour, Moses Harbour and Danridge Slaught ^[10]

Children 1756-1778

1. Benjamin Hancock, born 1756, Cunningham Creek, Albemarle Co, VA; m Nancy Ramsey & Anna "Nancy" Corn, 1780 Fluvanna Co, VA; d 1817, Lebanon, Wilson Co, TN.
2. Lewis John Hancock, born 1757, Cunningham Cree, Albemarle Co, VA; m Sophia Celia Duncan, 1778 Fluvanna Co, VA; died 1828 Union Hall, Franklin, Co, VA
3. William L Hancock, born abt 1759, Patrick Co, VA; m Sarah harding 1785 Shenandoah Vo, VA; died 1841/9 Wayne Co, KY
4. Nancy Elizabeth Hancock, born 1763 Goochland Co, VA; m Jesse Corn 1780 Fluvanna Co, VA; died 1848, Winchester, Franklin Co, VA
5. Rhoda/Rhodice Hancock, born about 1766 in VA; m Samule Layne/Lane 1784 Flluvanna Co, VA; died about 1850 Fluvanna Co, VA
6. Mary Hancock, b abt 1768 VA; m William James Morrison 1795 Fluvanna Ca, VA; d before 1802
7. Armager "Major" Hancock, born 1770 Fluvanna Co, VA; m Jane/Jeannie Perry Morrow 1793 Patrick Co, VA & Sarah Gwen Hancock Rains; died after 1860, Clinton Co, KY
8. Elizabeth Maddox Hancock, born 1773, Fluvanna Co, VA; m Rev. William James Mayo 1790, Goochland Co, VA; d 1840, Paris, Edgar Co, IL
9. Judith Hancock, born 1778 Fluvanna/Patrick Co^[11], m Valentine Mayo 1794 Patrick Co, VA;
10. Susannah Hancock, born about 1772/1780 in Patrick Co, Va; m David Spurlock Sr, 1804 Patrick Co, VA; moved to Floyd Co, KY 1804; moved to Ark. 1830; d bef 1850 Sharp Co, Ark.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Donna Cooper, Donna Cooper's Family Connections,
2. ↑ http://rfmin.net/mjgen/hancock/hancock.html
3. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluvanna_County,_Virginia
4. ↑ Register of St. James Northam Parish, p25 - https://archive.org/details/jstor-1915734/page/n1
   "1775 (sic, should be 1755), Oct 15, John Hancock & Elizabeth Maddox, both in this parish."
5. ↑ Source: S627 Title: Family of John D. Hancock, http://www.members.cox.net/trm/HancockJohnD.htm
6. ↑ Map - http://www.elec-intro.com/EX/05-14-07/1751-1760.gif
7. ↑ Entered record book in Halifax, Pittsylvania, Henry, Franklin and Patrick Counties, Virginia.
8. ↑ Source: S627 Title: Family of John D. Hancock, http://www.members.cox.net/trm/HancockJohnD.htm
9. ↑ Source: #S513
10. ↑ Will of John Hancock; Pioneer Families of Franklin Co, VA.
11. ↑ Richard Rasmey's "John Hancock and his Descendents of VA"

John D Hancock BIRTH 1733 New Kent County, Virginia, USA DEATH 10 Nov 1802 (aged 68–69) Patrick Springs, Goochland County, Virginia, USA BURIAL Liberty Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery, Patrick Springs, Patrick County, Virginia, USA MEMORIAL ID Find A Grave: Memorial #80398643

• J.W. Hancock Title: Benjamin Hancock's Family of birth and death.
• Colonial Virginia Soldier, Veteran, and Prisoner Rolls
• Virginia Marriage Index

* Virginia Grave Index

• William A. Thomas, Green Bay.

Acknowledgments

• Thanks to Raymond Nichols for starting this profile.
• Thanks to Janet Dabney for WikiTree profile Hancock-1657 created through the import of Carroll-Dabney-Simons-Wells Fa.ged on Oct 8, 2012.
• Thanks to Michael Lechner for the WikiTree profile Hancock-1373 created through the import of 60a.GED on Jan 11, 2012.
• Other contributors: Mary Jo Freeman

Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Raymond and others.