John Hancock III (1737 - 1793)

Born 12 Jan 1737 in Braintree (now Quincy), Province of Massachusetts Bay

Ancestors

Husband of Dorothy (Quincy) Scott — married 1775 (to 1793) in Thaddeus Burr Mansion in Fairfield, Connecticut

Died 8 Oct 1793 in Hancock Manor, Boston, Massachusetts

Profile manager: Raymond Nichols [send private message]

Categories: Sons of Liberty, American Revolution | Signers of the United States Declaration of Independence | Signers of the Articles of Confederation | President of the Continental Congress | Massachusetts Governors | Granary Burying Ground, Boston, Massachusetts | Namesakes US Counties | American Notables | Notables | American Founding Fathers.

John Hancock III is notable. Join: Notables Project Discuss: notables

Event years 1773-1789. Join: 1776 Project Discuss: 1776

Preceded by The Massachusetts Provincial Congress and new office created October 25, 1780 2nd Governor James Bowdoin

John Hancock 1st Governor of Massachusetts 1780—1785 3rd Governor 1787—1793

Succeeded by Acting Governor Thomas Cushing 4th Governor Samuel Adams

Biography

1st Signer of the Declaration of Independence.

John Hancock (1737-1793), orphaned as a boy, was adopted by a rich uncle who had no children of his own. He was educated at Boston Latin School and Harvard University. Just ten years after graduating from college, he inherited his uncle's very lucrative business and became the richest man in America at the time.

The influence of being a workingman, and then one of means may be what made Hancock so in touch with the people. He despised blind authority and those beliefs lead him to use his contacts and resources in the aid of the independence of the colonies. He spoke out strongly regarding British Rule and was often engaged revolutionary politics at first as a financier and later a outspoken public critic of British rule.

On March 5, 1774, the fourth anniversary of the Boston Massacre, he gave a speech strongly condemning the British. In the same year, he was elected president of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress.

On May 24, 1775, he was elected President of the Second Continental Congress. In August of the same year, he married Dorothy Quincy.

Hancock is best remembered for his large, flamboyant signature on the Declaration of Independence, so much so that the word “John Hancock” is synonymous with “signature”.

Because of the popularity of the Hancock name, many people claim to be direct descendants. However, Mr. Hancock and his wife had two children neither of whom lived to see their teenage years. Lydia Henchman Hancock died an infant and John George Washington Hancock died at age 9, fell through the ice while skating in a pond in Massachusetts.

John Hancock was son of Rev. John Hancock of Braintree and Mary (Hawke )Thaxter of Hingham. After his father died in 1744 he lived with an uncle and aunt, Thomas Hancock and Lydia (Henchman) Hancock.'

Legacy

• Ten US states have counties named in John Hancock's honor. They are: Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, and West Virginia.

Sources

• Find A Grave Memorial# 440
• John Hancock on wikipedia
• John Hancock and "The Declaration of Independence"
• The Family Magazine (Redfield & Lindsay, New York, 1834-5) Vol. 2, Page 112: "He died of the gout, which was hereditary in his family."

Acknowledgments

• Thanks to Raymond Nichols for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Raymond and others.

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