Genealogical and Family History
of the
STATE OF MAINE

Compiled under the editorial supervision of George Thomas Little, A. M., Litt. D.

LEWIS HISTORICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY
New York
1909.

[Please see Index page for full citation.]

[Transcribed by Coralynn Brown]

[Many families included in these genealogical records had their beginnings in Massachusetts.]

HANCOCK The first record that we have of the Hancock ancestors in this country is in a deed recorded in Salem, Mass. This states that William Hancock, William Hancock Jr., and others bought land in Haverhill in 1728. (I) William Hancock, born in Londonderry, Ireland, probably about 1670; came to this country some time previous to 1728 and settled at or near Haverhill. (II) William (2), son of William (1) Hancock, was born in Londonderry, Ireland, about 1707, and came to this country with his father. The first record which we have of him in Maine is where he bought land in Naraganset No. 1, now Buxton, in 1749, where he is referred to in the deeds as "of Haverhill." Shortly afterward he must have removed to Buxton, as his residence, in a deed of 1750, is said to be Narraganset No. 1. He was evidently a man of ability and intelligence, as his name is mentioned in connection with all the enterprises of the town until his death in 1769. He was one of a committee who built the first meeting house at Buxton Lower Corner, and called the Rev. Paul Coffin its first pastor, Jan. 31, 1763. In 1754 the town authorized him to build a fort or garrison, and in 1760 he was one of a committee sent to treat with the general court for the settlement of the town lines. Children of Wm. & Sarah Hancock: 1. Mary, married John Boynton, of Haverhill, a direct descendant of the Boyntons who came from Rowley, Yorkshire, England, and settled in Rowley, Mass. 2. Isaac, see forward. (III) Isaac, son of William (2) Hancock, must have located in Buxton about the time that his father did, for he purchased his home lot, Nov .30, 1752, and is accredited at that date to Narraganset No. 1. In 1755 he was lieutenant of the company of Captain John Lane, who became his father-in-law, as he married, Dec. 15, 1756, his only daughter, Joanna, who bore him three children: 1. William, see forward. 2. Sarah, born 1763. 3. John Lane. Joanna (Lane) Hancock was born Sept. 18, 1738, died Oct. 19, 1827. She was noted for great personal beauty, superior intelligence and business ability. After the death of Isaac Hancock in 1764 she married John Garland, of Buxton, to whom she bore several children. She was the daughter of Captain John (2) and Mary (Nowell) LANE, who were married about 1732, and had five children: John (3), b. July 30, 1734, d. July 14, 1822; Henry, b. Aug. 19, 1737, d. same year; Joanna, above mentioned; Daniel, b. May 11, 1740, d. Sept. 11, 1811; Jabez, b. Sept. 21, 1743, d. Apr. 30, 1830. (John (3), Daniel and Jabez were captains in the revolutionary war and performed valiant service for their country. They had a practical military education, for their father, Captain John (2) Lane, took them with him in his expeditions against the French when they were very young, Jabez being only eleven years of age when his name first appeared on the muster roll. Captain John (2) Lane was commander at Fort Hallifax on the Kennebec, 1743-44, and was appointed in 1744 to take charge of the four companies raised in Maine to join the expedition against Crown Point, where he lost his life July 14, 1756. Mary (Nowell) Lane, his wife, was the daughter of Peter Nowell, of York, who married Lydia, daughter of Daniel Jenkins. Captain John (1) Lane came from Limerick, Ireland, settled in Hampton, New Hampshire, and was appointed commander of Fort Mary, Winter Harbor, where he died about 1717. He married, about 1693, Joanna Davidson, daughter of Daniel Davidson, of Newbury, Mass.; children: Abigail, John (2), bor at Hampton, N. H. Nov. 1, 1701, and Mary. (IV) William (3), son of Isaac Hancock, was born Feb. 3, 1761, died Nov. 19, 1836. He married Aug. 26, 1782, Elizabeth Leavitt, born Nov., 1764, died May 29, 1841, daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Phinney) Leavitt, who were married Jan., 1756. Samuel LEAVITT was born 1732, died 1797; was son of Joseph Leavitt, of York, who was one of the three persons who built mills in 1761 on Little river in Narraganset No. 1. Sarah (Phinney) Leavitt, his wife, was born May 18, 1734, died April, 1793; she was the daughter of Captain John PHINNEY, the first settler of Gorham, who was born Sept. 19, 1693, died Dec. 29, 1784, and Martha (Coleman) Phinney, who was born March 4, 1698, died Dec., 1784. Captain John Phinney was the son of Deacon John Phinney, who was born in 1665, died in 1746, and Sarah (Lombard) Phinney. Deacon John Phinney was the son of John and Mary (Rogers) Phinney, who were married in 1664. John Phinney was the son of John and Christine Phinney. Martha (Coleman) Phinney was the daughter of James COLEMAN, who died in 1714; he married, 1694, Patience Cobb, born in 1668, died in 1747. James Coleman was the son of Edward Coleman, who was the son of Thomas and Margaret (Lombard) Coleman. Patience (Cobb) Coleman was the daughter of Sergeant James COBB, born 1634, died 1695, and Sarah (Lewis) Cobb, born 1643, died 1735. Sergeant James Cobb was the son of Elder Henry Cobb, who died in 1675, and Patience (Hurst) Cobb, his first wife, whom he married in 1631, died 1648. Dr. Cousins is directly descended from Elder Henry Cobb through both his first wife, Patience (Hurst) Cobb, who was the motehr of Sergt. James Cobb, who is an ancestor of the Hancocks, and his second wife, Sarah (Hinckley) Cobb, mother of Jonathan Cobb, an ancestor of the Sawyers and Hobsons. Children of William (3) and Elizabeth (Leavitt) Hancock: 1. Isaac, married Mary Rand, daughter of Michael Rand. 2. Phineas, married Mary Bean, daughter of Stephen Bean. 3. William, married, March 30, 1805, Anna Rand, dau. of Michael Rand. 4. John, married (first) Jane Smith, (second) Mrs. Eliza Pingree. 5. Betsey, see forward. 6. Hannah, married Nicholas Ridlon. 7. Mercy, married Isaac Ridlon. 8. Ruth, married John Bean. 9. Pattie, married Thomas Haines. 10. Anna, married John Rand, son of Michael Rand. 11. Molly, married John Foster. 12. Joanna, married Eleazer Kimball. There are living in Steep Falls quite a number of the descendants of Hannah (Hancock) Ridlon and two grandsons of Molly (Hancock) Foster, John and Wilbert R. Foster, sons of John Foster, of Parsonsfield. (V) Betsey, daughter of William (3) Hancock, was born Sept. 12, 1792, died April 27, 1867. She married, in 1815, Jabez Hobson and was the mother of Sewell Hobson, the grandmother of Martha Alma (Hobson) Cousins, and the great-grandmother of Dr. Cousins. HANCOCK Several persons of this name settled in Massachusetts in early colonial days, and from them sprang some of the most distinguished men of Mass. Nathaniel Hancock, one of the "first company," was in Cambridge as early as 1634, and resided on the easterly side of Dunster street, between Harvard and Mount Auburn streets. He died in early life, about 1648, and his widow Joanna was appointed fifteen years afterward, in 1663, administratrix of his estate. Children: Mary, Sarah, Nathaniel, John, Elizabeth and Lydia. Nathaniel (2), third child and only son of Nathaniel (1) and Joanna Hancock who reached mature age, was born Dec. 18, 1638, died April 12, 1719. He was a shoemaker and inherited the homestead. He was one of the town drummers, and in 1685 recovered judgment for eight pounds against the selectmen for drummng, and for the maintenance of drums for sundry years past. He was admitted to the church May 31, 1667 (at which time he was baptized), and elected deacon Jun 7, 1705. He married (first) March 8, 1664, Mary, daughter of Henry Prentice, and (second) Dec. 27, 1699, Sarah Green, who survived him and probably married John Cooper June 21, 1720. From Nathaniel (2) Hancock are descended the family under consideration in this article. Children, all by 1st wife: Nathaniel (died young), Mary, Sarah, Nathaniel, Abigail (died young), John, Samuel, Abigail, Elizabeth, Ebenezer, Joseph and Solomon. (I) Joseph Hancock, who was probably the son of one of the last above named, was born about 1730. He was married in Hampstead, N. H., Aug. 15, 1754, to Abigail Kezar, born Feb. 11, 1738, in that town, a daughter of John and Judith (Heath) Kezar. Soon after his marriage he settled in Northfield, N. H. Three of his children were born in Hampstead: George, b, 1756. Joseph, b. 1757. Sarah, b. 1759. Northfield at that time was a portion of the town of Canterbury, and he died there before the close of the eighteenth century. There were probably other children born in that town. (II) Joseph (2), second son of Joseph (1) and Abigail (Kezar) Hancock, was born in 1757 in Hampstead and was baptized there in June of that year, but lived in Northfield, N. H., and died while temporarily absent from home, March 2, 1841. He was a soldier of the revolution, serving in Lieut. Co. Henry Gerrish's battalion on the Ticonderga alarm of 1777. He was in Capt. Benjamin Sias' company of Col. Thomas Stickeny's regeiment at Bennington, and was at Saratoga when General Burgoyne surrendered. He married (first) Polly Heath, who was the mother of his ten children. He married (second) Susanna Page. Children: 1. John, married Elizabeth Lyford and removed to Illinois. 2. Jacob, married Judith Wyatt and lived in Northfield. 3. George, married Sarah Forrest and also lived in Northfield. 4. Charles, married Betsey Manuel. 5. Jesse, married Anne Chase. 6. Kezar, settled in Illinois. 7. Susanna, married Joseph Gerrish. 8. Polly, married Josiah Phillbrick, of Hampton. 9. Sally, married Morrill S. Moore. 10. William, mentioned below. (III) William, youngest child of Joseph (2) and Polly (Heath) Hancock, was born in Northfield, and lived in that town on the Intervale farm, since occupied by the Manuel family. He was a Congregationalist in religion, a Whig in politics, and served in the state militia. He was a worthy citizen and died in August, 1846. He married Hannah Hall Haines. Two Children: Clara Ann, the eldest, became the wife of James B. Straw, of Manchester, N. H. (IV) Orrin Jerome, son of William and Hannah H. (Haines) Hancock, was born Dec. 26, 1830, in Bristol, N. H., and was educated at Franklin Academy and New Hampton Institute. He came a Christian clergyman and was stationed at Albion, Skowhegan and Saco, Maine, and subsequently at Newton and Belmont, N. H. He is a minister of the Christian church and a Republican in politics. He has served on various school committees and as supervisor of schools. He married, Dec. 11, 1866, at Manchester, N. H., Mary Aphia Rummery, born July 18, 1844, in Manchester, daughter of Jerome B. and Abigail Fogg (Dyer) Rummery. Jerome B. RUMMERY was born March 24, 1811, in Parsonfield, Maine, son of William and Margaret (McGrath) Rummery, the former born Dec. 16, 1769, and the latter March 22, 1770, in Saco, Maine. Abigail Fogg (Dyer) Rummery, was born April 21, 1814, in Nottingham, N. H. Orrin J. Hancock & wife are parents of: William Jerome; an infant unnamed; Edward Henry and Eva Mabel. (V) William Jerome, eldest child of Orrin Jerome and Mary A. (Rummery) Hancock, was born Dec. 14, 1867, in Albion, Maine, and obtained his elementary and secondary education in the public schools of Skowhegan, Maine. He subsequently entered the Univ. of Maine, at Orono, from which he received the degree of Bachelor of Science in 1888 and Master of Science, 1892. In 1889 he was graduated from Bryant & Stratton's Business College at Manchester, N. H. He early engaged in teaching in the public schools of Maine and was subsequently professor of chemistry in Antioch College at Yellow Springs, Ohio, from 1890 to 1892; he was teacher of science in Starkey Seminary at Lakemont, New York, 1892-93; and professor of chemistry in Antioch College from 1893 to 1898. Since 1898 he has continued to the present time as teacher of chemistry in Erasmus Hall high school of Brooklyn, New York. He is an independent in politics, and is identified with Bedford Council, No. 655, Royal Arcanum, of Brooklyn. He is a member of the Omega Mu Chapter of Phi Gama Delta fraternity. With his family he is identified with the Second Unitarian Church of Brooklyn. He is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Chemical Society, the Chemistry Teachers' Club of New York, of which he was president for the year 1906-07, and the New York State Science Teachers' Association. Professor Hancock has made a number of improvements in laboratory apparatus. He is one of the auhtors of "First Principles of Chemistry," published by Allyn & Bacon in 1907, and a laboratory manual to accompany the same in 1908. He married, July 6, 1892, at Yellow Springs, Ohio, Carrie May Ellis, born July 31, 1868 in that town, daughter of Charles Rufus and Eliza (Miller) Ellis. The former was born Aug. 29, 1843, in Otsego county, New York, and served as a private in Company D, Fifty-seventh Regiment of State Volunteers from Oct. 16, 1861 to Dec. 31, 1863. He was enrolled as corporal of the company, Jan. 1, 1864, by re-enlistment, and served until discharged Dec. 20, 1865. He was subsequently a merchant and farmer and died at Yellow Springs, Ohio, April 29, 1880. He was the father of a daughter and a son, namely: Carrie May Ellis, and Charles Herbert Ellis, b. May 29, 1873.