Rev. Col. John Hancock Jr. (June 1, 1702 – May 7, 1744) was a colonial American

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

man, soldier, planter, politician, and father of politician

John Hancock John Hancock ( – October 8, 1793) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father, merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot (American Revolution), Patriot of the American Revolution. He was the longest-serving Presi ...

. Hancock was born in

Lexington, Massachusetts Lexington is a suburban town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located 10 miles (16 km) from Downtown Boston. The population was 34,454 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The area was originally inhabited by ...

, He was the son of Col. John Hancock Sr. and Elizabeth Clark.

Biography

Hancock graduated from

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...

in 1719 and served as a librarian there from 1723 to 1726. He was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...

on November 2, 1726, and settled in

Quincy, Massachusetts Quincy ( ) is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the largest city in the county. Quincy is part of the Greater Boston area as one of Boston's immediate southern suburbs. Its population in ...

, as pastor of United First Parish Church, Quincy, Massachusetts until his death.Weis, Frederick Lewis (1977). ''The colonial clergy and the colonial churche s of New England.'' Genealogical Pub. Co., He also owned one household slave. He died when his son John was seven years old, Soon after, John's mother sent him to live with his father's brother, Thomas Hancock.Barthelmas, Della Gray (1997). ''The signers of the Declaration of Independence: a biographical and genealogical reference.'' McFarland, Hancock Cemetery in Quincy is named in his honor.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hancock, John Jr. 1702 births 1744 deaths American slave owners Harvard College alumni Hancock family (Massachusetts) Harvard University librarians Clergy from colonial Massachusetts People from Lexington, Massachusetts