Thomas Hancock was born in South Petherwin, Cornwall, in 1877, the son, and one of nine children, of William John and Mary Ann, also known as Mary Hannah, Hancock (née Dawe). His father was an agricultural labourer, as was Thomas, and sometime after his birth, the family moved to the neighbouring hamlets of Stoke Climsland, and later Callington.
In 1907, Thomas, and his brother-in-law, William Bowden, decided to go to Bisbee, Cochise County, Arizona, in the United States of America, to work in the local copper mines. The two men boarded the
New York in Southampton on the 26th January, and on disembarking in New York City, they made their way overland to Arizona.
It’s not known when he returned to England, but in 1911 he was living with his parents at Venterdon, Stoke Climsland, and was described as a “fruit grower”. Then, on the 29th March 1913, he boarded the
Philadelphia in Southampton, to return to Bisbee. On arriving there, he resided at 30. Tombstone Canyon.
In the spring of 1915, he decided to return home to England, and as a consequence, he booked third class passage on the May sailing of the
Lusitania to Liverpool.
Sometime in April 1915, he left Bisbee for New York and on the morning of 1st May, he joined the liner at her berth at Pier 54 in the harbour there, in time for her delayed sailing, which began just after mid-day.
Just six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May, he lost his life as a result of the torpedoing and sinking of the vessel by the German submarine
U-20. At that time, the Cunarder was only twelve miles off the coast of southern Ireland and only hours away from her Liverpool destination.
As Thomas Hancock’s body was never recovered and identified afterwards, he has no known grave. He was aged 37 years.
Some time after his death, his family applied to The Lusitania Relief Fund, for financial help. This fund had been set up immediately after the liner had gone down, by The Lord Mayor of Liverpool and other local business dignitaries to help second and third class passenger survivors and the relatives of those who had perished, who had come upon hard times as a result of the sinking. It was thought that saloon class passengers were wealthy enough not to need help and each claim was met on its merits.
The awards committee obviously favoured the claim for it is known that nearly two years later the Fund was still making payments to a Mr. W.J. Hancock, who was presumably his father.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1881 Census of England & Wales, 1891 Census of England & Wales, 1901 Census of England & Wales, 1911 Census of England & Wales, UK Outward Passenger Lists 1890 – 1960, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, Liverpool Record Office, 1914 Bisbee City Directory, PRO BT 100/345, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Peter Boyd-Smith, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.