Hancocke History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsHancocke is one of the oldest family names to come from the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from from the baptismal name for the son of John, which was originally derived from the diminutive form Hann, a popular English name derived from the Flemish Hann, when translated means John. The suffix cock was added to the surname to indicate familiarity. Early Origins of the Hancocke familyThe surname Hancocke was first found in Yorkshire where one of the first records of the name was Hanecock Birunc who was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Warynus Hancok, Robert Hancok, Willelmus Hancok and Agnes Hankok as all living in Yorkshire at that time. 1 Farther south in Devon, John Hancock was Warden of St Mary's College, Ottery St Mary in 1446. Early History of the Hancocke familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hancocke research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1631, 1654, 1676, 1692, 1693, 1699, 1701, 1703, 1707, 1714, 1721, 1723, 1726, 1737, 1772, 1792, 1793 and 1820 are included under the topic Early Hancocke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Hancocke Spelling VariationsOnly recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Hancocke has undergone many spelling variations, including Hancock, Hancox, Hancocks, Hancocke, Handcock and others. Early Notables of the Hancocke familyNotables of the family at this time include John Hancock (1737-1793), president of the Continental Congress, the first signer of the American Declaration of Independence. Because his signature was so legible, the expression "John Hancock" meaning signature evolved.Crang & Hancock, were noted organ builders. John Crang, a Devonshire man, settled in London and became a partner with Hancock, a good voicer of reeds. The latter added new reeds to many of Father Smith's... Migration of the Hancocke family to IrelandSome of the Hancocke family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Hancocke were among those contributors: Hancocke Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
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