William Hancock (1761 - 1836)

Born 3 Feb 1761 in Buxton, Maine

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Leavitt) Hancock — married 26 Aug 1782 in Church of Christ, Buxton, York, Maine, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Descendants

Died 19 Nov 1836 at age 75 in Buxton, York County, Maine, United States.

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Kelly Stamper [send private message] and Kelley Rosenbach [send private message]

Biography

Private William Hancock served with 6th Massachusetts Regiment (1777), Continental Army during the American Revolution.

William Hancock is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A050917.

This profile is part of the Buxton, Maine One Place Study.

Descendant of Peter Nowell who emigrated from England about 1695.

William Hancock served in the 6th Massachusetts Regiment of the Continental Line (often referred to as the 7th). The regiment saw action at Saratoga, Cobleskill, Cherry Valley, and during the Sullivan Campaign.

He was born on 3 February 1761 in Buxton, ME. He was the son of Isaac Hancock & Joanna Lane.

He enlisted from Buxton, ME under Captain Lane on 20 January 1777. He served in the 6th Massachusetts Regiment from 20 January 1777 to 20 February 1780. William received 100 lashes for theft on 8 January 1779 in Cherry Valley, NY. William received 100 lashes for theft on 6 March 1779 in Cherry Valley, NY.

Hancock served in the military from 2 July 1780 to 22 July 1780 as a private in Capt. Fernald's detachment at Kittery.

William married Elizabeth Leavitt on 12 August 1782.

Children Born to William Hancock & Elizabeth his Wife [1] [in margin:] son of William Hancock

Isaac Hancock Born April 6 1783

Sarah Hancock Born April 31 1786

Molly Hancock Born August 20 1788

Polly Hancock Born November 14 1790

Betsey Hancock Born September 25 1792

William Hancock Jun'r Born October 7 1794

Mercy Hancock Born October 12 1796

Joanna Hancock Born March 19 1798

Hannah Hancock Born February 22 1800

Ruth Hancock Born February 22 1802

Edmund Phinney Hancock Born March 14 1805

John Hancock Born June 30 1807

James Hancock Born January [--] 1804

James Hancock Died February [--] 1804

Mr William Hancock Died November 19 1836

Mrs Elizabeth, Wife of W'm Hancock Died July 29 1841

Edmund Phinney Hancock Died March 15 1843

He died on 19 November 1836. His pension file number is W24404.

Sources

• The Records of the Church of Christ, by Cyrus Woodman, p. 24

• Research of Canyon Wolf - please visit the links above to view my research and sources.
• Maine Men in the 6th Regiment ^[1]
• http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=HAN&GSpartial=1&GSbyrel=all&GSst=23&GScntry=4&GSsr=81&GRid=9012454&
• "Maine Deaths and Burials, 1841-1910," database, FamilySearch ^[2]
• Genealogical and Family History of the STATE OF MAINE Compiled under the editorial supervision of George Thomas Little, A. M.,Litt. D. LEWIS HISTORICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY New York 1909.

HANCOCK

The first record of the Hancock ancestors in this country is in a deed recorded in Salem, Mass. This states that William Hancock, William Hancock Jr., and others bought land in Haverhill in 1728. (I) William Hancock, born in Londonderry, Ireland, probably about 1670; came to this country some time previous to 1728 and settled at or near Haverhill.

(II) William (2), son of William (1) Hancock, was born in Londonderry, Ireland, about 1707, and came to this country with his father. The first record which we have of him in Maine is where he bought land in Narraganset No. 1, now Buxton, in 1749, where he is referred to in the deeds as "of Haverhill." Shortly afterward he must have removed to Buxton, as his residence, in a deed of 1750, is said to be Narraganset No. 1. Children of Wm. & Sarah Hancock:

• 1. Mary, married John Boynton, of Haverhill, a direct descendant of the Boyntons who came from Rowley, Yorkshire, England, and settled in Rowley, Mass.
• 2. Isaac, see forward.

(III) Isaac, son of William (2) Hancock, must have located in Buxton about the time that his father did, for he purchased his home lot, Nov .30, 1752, and is accredited at that date to Narraganset No. 1. In 1755, he was lieutenant of the company of Captain John Lane, who became his father-in-law, as he married, Dec. 15, 1756, his only daughter, Joanna, who bore him three children:

• 1. William, see forward.
• 2. Sarah, born 1763.
• 3. John Lane.
• (IV) William (3), son of Isaac Hancock, was born Feb. 3, 1761, died Nov. 19, 1836. He married Aug. 26, 1782, Elizabeth Leavitt, born Nov., 1764, died May 29, 1841, daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Phinney) Leavitt, who were married Jan., 1756. Samuel LEAVITT was born 1732, died 1797; was son of Joseph Leavitt, of York, who was one of the three persons who built mills in 1761 on Little river in Narraganset No. 1. Children of William (3) and Elizabeth (Leavitt) Hancock:
• 1. Isaac, married Mary Rand, daughter of Michael Rand.
• 2. Phineas, married Mary Bean, daughter of Stephen Bean.
• 3. William, married, March 30, 1805, Anna Rand, dau. of Michael Rand.
• 4. John, married (first) Jane Smith, (second) Mrs. Eliza Pingree.
• 5. Betsey, married Jabez Hobson^[3]
• 6. Hannah, married Nicholas Ridlon.
• 7. Mercy, married Isaac Ridlon.
• 8. Ruth, married John Bean.
• 9. Pattie, married Thomas Haines.
• 10. Anna, married John Rand, son of Michael Rand.
• 11. Molly, married John Foster.
• 12. Joanna, married Eleazer Kimball.

1. ↑ Maine Men in the 6th Regiment
2. ↑ (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F486-FMZ : accessed 12 March 2016), Mr. William Hancock, 19 Nov 1836; citing reference bk 4 pg 59; FHL microfilm 10,594.
3. ↑ Author: Ancestry.com Title: U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.Original data - Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970. Louisville, Kentucky: National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.

• Mrs. Jane Jennings Eldridge, The Leavitts of America From New England to California and Canada, (By author), 27.
• Rev. John Chapman and Rev. James H. Fitts, Lane Genealogies. Vol. 1, (Exeter, N.H.: printed by John Templeton, The News Letter Press. 1891), 236.
• Little, Genealogy of Maine, 234-235.
• G. T. Ridlon, Sr., Saco Valley Settlements and Families, (Charles E. Tuttle Company : Publishers Rutland, VT 1969), 724, He was a man of intelligence and ability as he was connected with all the enterprise of the town until his death in 1769. Helped to build the first meeting house at Buxton Lower Corner.
• House, Names of Soldiers Who Applied For State Bounty, 1835-1838, 28, Hancock, William, Buxton, e Buxton.
• Cyrus Woodman, Church of Christ, 24,47.
• Town of Buxton, Buxton Family Records, vol 1 p 354; vol 3 p 24; Vol. 4 #59[2], #125, #187,, June 22 [1782] William Hancock and Sarah Leavit were published as the Law Directs & the Certificate was given. August 21 the Certificate of the above given out. Sam'l Knight town Clerk

• Descendants of James Sawyer of Gloucester, Ma, 59, 243.
• Fisher, Soldiers, Sailors and Patriots of the Revolutionary War, Maine, 335.
• William Lapham, Hazelton Genealogy, 118.
• Dennett Map, Town of Buxton
• York County Probate Records, 671,
• Secretary of the Commonwealth, Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War, (Boston, 1891), Vol. VII, p. 211.
• History of the Ancient Ryedales, 631.
• Memoir of Paul Coffin, D.D., Collections of the Maine Historical Society, (Portland: Published fpr the Society. 1856), vol 2 p 139.

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Kelly Stamper for creating WikiTree profile Hancock-1892 through the import of Kelly Holtz Family Tree_2013-02-11.ged on Feb 11, 2013.