Husband James Denton Hancock, LL. D. 1 2 3
Born: 9 Jun 1837 - Wyoming Valley, Luzerne Co, PA 1 4
Christened:
Died: 11 Oct 1929 5
Buried: 14 Oct 1929 - Franklin Cemetery, Franklin, Venango Co, PA 6
Father: James Hancock (1793-1880) 1 7
Mother: Mary Perkins ( - ) 1 7
Marriage: 1865 8 9
Other Spouse: Mary Kate Hitchcock ( -1929) 8 9 - 1873 - Mt. Carmel, New Haven Co, CT 8 9
• Additional Image: James Denton Hancock, LL.D.
• Additional Image: James Denton Hancock, LL.D.
Wife Ella C. Hitchcock 8 9
Born:
Christened:
Died: 1871 8 9
Buried:
Father: Lawrence Peres Hitchcock (1811- ) 9 10
Mother: Elizabeth Johnston ( -1848) 9
Children
1 M Lawrence Peres Hancock 8 9
Born: 10 Jun 1866 9
Christened:
Died: Aft 1929
Buried:
Spouse: Louise Cooper ( - ) 5
General Notes: Husband - James Denton Hancock, LL. D.
He was reared in his native county, obtaining an academic education at Wyoming Seminary and other local institutions, and graduated at Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio, in June, 1859. In 1861 he became a tutor at the Western University of Pennsylvania, where he was elected professor of mathematics in the following year. In 1863 he was admitted to the bar at Pittsburgh, and was engaged in the practice of his profession in that city until 1865, when he removed to Franklin and has resided there continuously thereafter. In 1877 he was appointed attorney for the Allegheny Valley Railroad Company; he was appointed attorney in Pennsylvania for the Pittsburgh, Titusville and Buffalo Railroad Company in the following year, continuing in that capacity until 1888, when he became general solicitor for the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad Company with headquarters at Buffalo. He was appointed a trustee for Warren Insane Hospital in 1881 by Governor Hoyt, and continued in that position by successive reappointments, serving as president of the board in 1888. Politically he was a Democrat after 1861, and prominent in the movement for tariff reform. In 1883 he delivered a lecture upon the subject of "Petroleum versus Protection" at Franklin and other places; it attracted wide attention and was awarded a silver medal by the Cobden Club, of which the author was elected an honorary member. He was chairman of the sub-committee and drew the original draft of the resolu-tions passed at the Tariff Reform Convention at Chicago in 1885, and in 1889 was chairman of the committee on resolutions. He was the author of numerous articles upon various economic questions relating to the tariff. [HVC 1890, 806]
He was born in the Wyoming Valley, in what was afterward Plains Township, Luzerne County, PA, grew up there and acquired his early education in the common schools and Wyoming Seminary. In 1855 he entered Kenyon College, at Gambier, Ohio, graduating therefrom in 1859 with the degree of B. A., and subsequently having conferred upon him the degree of M. A. and the honorary LL. D.; he delivered the Phi Beta Kappa address in 1872 and the alumni address in 1899. Becoming a tutor in the Western University upon the completion of his college course, he became the professor of mathematics until 1861, and while engaged in teaching took up the study of law with William Bakewell, of Pittsburgh. Having gained admission to the bar in Allegheny County in 1862 he practiced in Pittsburgh for about three years, in 1865 removing to Franklin, where he made a permanent location. He applied immediately for permission to practice at the Venango County bar, which he received the fourth Monday of January. For ten years he was solicitor for the Allegheny Valley Railroad Company, appointed in 1877, and in 1878 he was appointed attorney for the Pittsburgh, Titusville & Buffalo Railroad Company, serving as such until 1888, when he became general solicitor for the Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad Company, with headquarters at Buffalo, New York. He resigned the latter in December, 1891. Mr. Hancock had cases in almost all of the courts of western Pennsylvania, as well as in many in the eastern portion. Although he retired from active busi-ness in 1896 he retained a number of important associations, owning valuable oil lands in Venango County and being a director of the Fayette Gas Company and of the Pittsburgh, Youngstown & Ashtabula Railroad Company; for some years he was a director of the Exchange Bank of Franklin. He was the owner of the Hancock block, located at the corner of Twelfth and Liberty streets, Franklin, originally known as the Plumer block and later as the Savings Bank block until it came into Mr. Hancock's possession. He was the first tenant in that block, having his law offices there for many years.
In 1881 Mr. Hancock was appointed by Governor Hoyt one of the trustees of the State Hospital for the Insane at Warren, Pa., and served thirteen years, being president of the board in 1888. He was a loyal Democrat since 1861, and in 1892 was nominated by the party for Congressman from his district, losing that year by a small number of votes, as he did also in 1894, when nominated for Congressman-at-large. In 1896 he was nominated for elector-at-large, but declined to be a candidate then on account of his opposition to the policy of the party on the silver issue. After-ward he went as a delegate to the Indianapolis convention of 1896, which nominated Palmer and Buckner.
Mr. Hancock was prominent in the tariff reform movement. In 1883 he delivered a lecture on the subject of "Petroleum versus Protection" at Franklin and other places, which attracted wide attention, and was awarded a silver medal by the Cobden Club, of which he was elected an honorary member. He was chairman of the sub-committee and drew the original draft of the resolutions passed at the Tariff Reform Convention at Chicago in 1885, and in 1887 was again chairman of the committee on resolutions. He was the author of numerous articles upon various economic questions relating to the tariff. In 1893 he wrote a paper entitled "The Evolution of Money," which was adopted and published under the auspices of the National Board of Trade of the United States. He is a member of the Civil Service Reform Association. For a number of years he was an active member of the Pennsylvania Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, has served as president of the State organization, and was national president general in 1904-05. He affiliates with the Foresters. He was a trustee of Kenyon College, his alma mater, and never allowed his interest in educational projects to lapse. In Franklin he was the founder of the public library and made the first contribution given toward its establishment. Mr. Hancock was formerly a communicant of the Episcopal Church and served as vestryman, but his religious association was later with the Unitarians. [CAB, 450]