When John Hancock was born on 19 January 1770, in Orland, Hancock, Maine, United States, his father, John Hancock, was 31 and his mother, Mary Walker, was 30. He died in 1813, at the age of 43.
Do you know John? Do you have a story about him that you would like to share? Sign In or Create a FREE Account
+7 More Children
Thomas Jefferson's American Declaration of Independence endorsed by Congress. Colonies declare independence.
"""At the end of the Second Continental Congress the 13 colonies came together to petition independence from King George III. With no opposing votes, the Declaration of Independence was drafted and ready for all delegates to sign on the Fourth of July 1776. While many think the Declaration was to tell the King that they were becoming independent, its true purpose was to be a formal explanation of why the Congress voted together to declare their independence from Britain. The Declaration also is home to one of the best-known sentences in the English language, stating, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."""""""
Historical Boundaries: 1789: Hancock, Massachusetts, United States 1820: Hancock, Maine, United States
English: from the Middle English personal name Hann + the hypocoristic suffix -cok, which was commonly added to personal names (see Cocke ).
Dutch: from Middle Dutch hanecoc ‘winkle, periwinkle’ (a type of shellfish), probably a metonymic occupational name for someone who gathered and sold shellfish.
History: Thomas Hancock, the uncle of Declaration of Independence signatory John Hancock (1736/7–93), was among the foremost of 18th-century American businessmen. He was a descendant of Nathaniel Hancock, who was known to have been in Cambridge, MA, as early as 1634. Born in Braintree, MA, John Hancock was president of the Second Continental Congress and the first governor of the state of MA.
Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.
Possible Related NamesAs a nonprofit, we offer free help to those looking to learn the details of their family story.