Richard Mason Hancock (1832 - 1899)

Born 22 Nov 1832 in New Bern, Craven, North Carolina, United States

Husband of Mary E. (Beman) Hancock — married 20 Jul 1856 in New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut, United States

Husband of Jane (Watkins) Hancock — married 6 Jun 1867 in Cook, Illinois, United States

Husband of Gertrude Eugenia (Taylor) Carter — married 26 Apr 1881 in Hamilton, Ohio, United States

Descendants

Died 4 Jun 1899 at age 66 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States

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Biography

Richard Hancock is Notable.

Richard was a Freemason.

Richard Mason Hancock (November 22, 1832 – June 5, 1899) was a carpenter, shop foreman and civil rights activist in the American Northeast and Chicago.^[1]

For a more complete biography of William and Richard Mason Hancock, see Catherine W. Bishir, Crafting Lives: African-American Artisans in New Bern, North Carolina, 1770-1900. Chapel Hill, N.C.: University of North Carolina Press, 2013, pp. 272-3. c.

Richard was the son of William Hancock and Mary Daves. The family lived in New Bern, North Carolina, then moved to New Haven, Connecticut, in about 1854.

He married Mary Beman in 1856 in Connecticut. They moved to Lockport, New York, where they had two children: Fanny and George. Mary died when the children were young.

Richard moved to Chicago in 1862. He married Jane Watkins in 1867 in Chicago. He married Gertrude (nee Taylor) Gross in 1881 in Ohio.

Census

In 1840, the household of William H Handcock (10 free colored persons and 1 enslaved person) was in Newbern, Craven, North Carolina.

• 2 Males - Under 10 - likely Richard (8) and William (2)
• 5 Males - 10 thru 23 - possibly apprentices, employees, or relatives
• 1 Males - 36 thru 54 - William (35)
• 1 Females - Under 10 - likely Franny, age 5
• 1 Females - 10 thru 23 - ?
• 1 Females - 24 thru 35 - Mary (age 26)
• 1 Slave - Females - 36 thru 54

In 1850, the Hancock family lived in New Berne, Craven, North Carolina. All members were born in North Carolina and are "free people of color"^[2]

• Wm Handcock Age 45, mulatto, carpenter
• Mary Handcock Age 36
• Richard Handcock Age 18
• Francis Handcock Age 15
• William Handcock Age 13
• Laura Handcock Age 7
• Mary Handcock Age 5
• Cornelia Handcock Age 2
• Coleston Handcock Age 0
• Chas McLin Age 18, apprentice
• Stephen Bragg Age 17, apprentice

In 1860, the Hancocks lived in Lockport, Niagara County, New York.^[3]

• R M Hantock Age 28
• Mary Hantock Age 24
• Charles Hantock Age 15 last name is actually Beman, he's Mary's brother
• Fanny Hantock Age 2 (daughter of Mary and Richard)

In 1870, the Hancocks lived in Chicago, Illinois.^[4]

• Richard Hancock Age 36, mulatto, occupation pattern maker
• Jane Hancock Age 28, mulatto, keeping house
• Fanny Hancock Age 12 , mulatto, attending school
• George Hancock Age10, mulatto
• George Lee Age 30 (boarder), black, Railroad employee
• Elias Hawkins Age 24 (boarder), black, porter in store

In 1880, Richard (widowed/divorced black male, age 48, occupation: Foreman Eagle Works) and George (single, black male, age 17, occupation pattern maker) are boarders at 183 3rd Avenue in Chicago. ^[5]

Death

Richard died in Chicago, Illinois, on 4 Jun 1899.^[6] He is buried in Oak Woods Cemetery in Chicago, Illinois.^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Mason_Hancock
2. ↑ Year: 1850; Census Place: New Berne, Craven, North Carolina; Roll: 626; Page: 277b
3. ↑ Year: 1860; Census Place: Lockport, Niagara, New York; Page: 983
4. ↑ Year: 1870; Census Place: Chicago Ward 3, Cook, Illinois; Roll: M593_199; Page: 294B
5. ↑ Year: 1880; Census Place: Chicago, Cook, Illinois; Roll: 184; Page: 201C; Enumeration District: 008
6. ↑ Web: Illinois, U.S., Select Deaths Index, 1877-1916
7. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/230068138/richard-mason-hancock