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JOHN HANCOCK, residing on section 34, Canton Township, was born in Kane County, Ill., May 7, 1843. His parents, Robert and Betsey (Woonacut) Hancock, were natives of England, who decided that they could do better by leaving their native land, and emigrated to the United States in 1835. They lived in the State of New York for a few years, then removed to Illinois, settling in Kane County, where they were numbered among the pioneers. The father was a shoemaker by trade and worked in St. Charles until his death, which took place at the age of thirty-six years. The mother afterward married John Hand, but was again left a widow. She then came to Iowa, and died in Benton County at the advanced age of eighty-four years. There were but two children born to Robert and Betsey Hancock — Mary Jane, now the wife of Edgar U. Benedict, and John, the subject of this sketch. He received his education in the common schools at St. Charles, Ill. In 1862, when but nineteen years of age, he enlisted in Co. E, 127th Ill. Vol. Inf., and served until June, 1865, when the regiment was mustered out of service. He participated in all the battles and skirmishes of his regiment, among which were the siege of Vicksburg and the Atlantic campaign. He was wounded but once, and that very slightly. On returning home, he learned the molder's trade at St. Charles, which occupation he followed until 1868, when he came to Iowa and settled in Benton County, where he now resides, in Canton Township, and is the owner of 162 ½ acres of land.
Mr. Hancock was united in marriage, on the llth day of April, 1868, to Charlotte Munn, born in Kane County, Ill., April 11, 1852. They have six children — Jennie M., Grace E., Bessie A., Lottie S., Lillie A. and Leroy. In politics Mr. H. is a National Greenbacker.
Source Citation: "1887 Benton County, Iowa Biographies" [database online] Benton County IAGenWeb Project. <http://iagenweb.org/benton/>
Original data: "Portrait and Biographical Album of Benton County, Iowa." Chicago: Chapman Brothers, 1887, p. 352.
Transcribed by: Sue Soden. Submitted to the Benton County IAGenWeb Project on February 18th, 2009. Copyright © 2009 The IAGenWeb Project.
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