William Hancock (abt. 1697 - aft. 1769)

Born about 1697 in Londonderry, Ireland

Descendants

Died after 3 Aug 1769 after about age 72 in Buxton, York, Massachusetts Bay Colony

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Biography

William Hancock was born about 1707 [Note: this date seems too late given daughter's birth] in Londonderry, Ireland. The first record of him was a deed recorded in 1728, in Salem, Massachusetts pertaining to land purchased in Haverhill, Massachusetts by he and his father, William.^[1] He was a "respectable man", and a trapper. His trapper camp was on the Great Hancock Pond in Hiram, Maine. He mysteriously disappeared, and even though he was searched for, his body was never found.^[2] He passed away sometime after August 3, 1769.^[3]

In 1749, he bought land in Buxton, Maine, and shortly thereafter removed from Haverhill to Buxton, Maine where he made his residence. He was highly involved in the enterprises of the town of Buxton.^[1]

William and his wife, Sarah (last name unknown) had three known children: Mary, Isaac and John.^[1] Another source lists additional children, Elizabeth, Agnes and Ann. (see below)

William died in about 1769.^[1]His will was probated in York County, Maine. William's will lists his wife Sarah; his daughter Elizabeth Lane and her sons, John , Isaac, and William Lane; other grandsons, John and William Hancock, and their sisters, Mary and Sarah; his daughter, Mary Boyinton and her son John; his daughter, Agnes Haysetine and her son Samuel Haysetine, and his son Isaac, who had two sons. His son-in-law, John Lane, was his executor.^[4]

William Hancock, Family of Haverhill, Massachusetts (later Buxton,Maine)

William Hancock came from Londonderry, Ireland, and first sat down at Portsmouth, N. H. He was styled of Haverhill, Mass., when he purchased his right of land in Narragansett, No. i, now Buxton, Oct. 14, 1749. On this land he settled as early as 1750. His residence was on the right-hand side of the road that leads from the old meeting-house to Salmon Falls. He was a man of respectability, who died in middle life. In his will, made in 1769, he mentions his "flanker house," which was, of course, a house stockaded as a defense against the Indians. He is said to have taken the first newspaper that came to the township, printed in Portsmouth. The family burying ground was in the pasture, and the graves could be seen not many years ago, though without monuments. Mr. Hancock's estate inventoried. His wife's name was Sarah. There were two sons:^[5]

Known Children

1. John Hancock: John was a hunter and trapper, whose favorite hunting-ground was about the ponds and streams of the present town of Hiram. ' The two Hancock ponds and Hancock brook in that town were named for this man. He disappeared suddenly, and the searching party found only his camp and a spoon on the west side of Great Hancock pond; no trace of his body, gun, or traps could be found. It was reported that one John Brown, of Scarborough, appeared in Buxton with a hand-sled loaded with furs, wearing a coat supposed to have been Hancock's. The peltry was disposed of at Portland and Brown was not again heard from in that vicinity.
2. Isaac Hancock: The second son of William and Sarah, married "Joanna Lane" daughter of Capt. John Lane on Dec. 15, 1756. He owned a farm on the easterly side of his father's and resided there. There were conflicting statements respecting the cause of his death. One is that he was accidentally killed by a falling limb or tree while looking after his workmen, who were cutting timber; the second tradition, and the most probable one, is that he d. from drinking a large quantity of brandy on a wager. This last statement was supported by persons of reliability who were conversant with all the circumstances. He was a lieutenant under the first Capt. John Lane in 1755. His widow, who was a woman of superior mind, was m. second, in 1765, to John Garland, who kept the "Garland Tavern" at Buxton Old Corner
3. Mary Hancock: Mary was the eldest daughter. of William and Sarah Hancock. She married John Boynton, of Buxton.
4. Elizabeth Hancock: Elizabeth married Captain John Lane, 2d, and had issue.
5. Ann Agnes Hancock,^[4] married Timothy Haseltine

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Little, George Thomas, editor Genealogical and Family History of the State of Maine, published 1909 by Lewis Historical Publishing Company, reference page 234
2. ↑ Chapman, Rev. Jacob and Fitts, Rev. James H.. Lane Genealogies. Exeter, NH: John Templeton, The Newsletter Letter Press, 1891. Page 230.
3. ↑ Will of William Hancock from York Co. Probate Records, Vol. 1:76 dated 3 Aug 1769, proved 2 Oct 1769 in Narraganset (book) No. 1, pp. 169-170.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Goodwin, William Frederic Records of the Proprietors of Narraganset Township, No. 1: Now the Town of Buxton, York County, Maine, from August 1st, 1733, to January 4th, 1811, published 1871. Reference pages 169-70
5. ↑ Saco Valley settlements and families an historical, biographical, genealogical, traditional, and legendary by Gideon Tibbetts Ridlon, (1895);Publisher Portland, Me. by The Author;pages 722-723

• Marriages to Lane family members by children of William Hancock: Chapman, Jacob; Fitts, James Hill Lane genealogies, published 1891. Reference pages 230-1

Acknowledgement

Dola Nowell Acree created William Hancock (-bef.1769) on 27 Feb 2019.