Chapter 10: JOHN HANCOCKS (b.1854), HOUSE PAINTER
During the late 19th century, under its mayor Joseph Chamberlain Birmingham became known for its outstanding urban reforms and improvements, such as those devoted to the establishment of public utilities and the clearing of slums. This was the period when John Hancocks was raising his family in the city.
John’s principal trade was that of house painter. This was his trade when he got married, and his trade when he died, however for periods between he was variously described as a shopkeeper and pawnbroker. The latter profession was more properly that of his wife, Julia. John married Julia Crofts (chapter 11) on 28 July 1875 at Edgbaston Parish Church. At that time Julia was an assistant in her fathers pawnbrokers shop. Shortly after John took on a pawnbrokers business whilst living at 62 Macdonald Street. Although not expressly stated in documentation, Julia was no doubt the driving force behind the business. By 1880 the couple, with their growing family, moved to 60 Lee Bank Road to the south west of the city, where John variously described himself as a shopkeeper and painter. The family had one domestic servant. Ten years later the family had moved back to Macdonald Street, this time to number 66. They still employed a single servant.
Julia often took her holidays in the south of France and Madeira, the latter destination being her favourite. She always took her jewellery with her when travelling, carrying it with her in a money belt so that, in the case of 'emergency', it could be pawned for cash. She is remembered as advised her younger female relatives to do likewise.
All was not well in the marriage for in the 1890's John and Julia separated. John went to live at 153 Pershore Road, before moving in with his son John in St Luke's Road. He carried on his trade as house painter more or less up to his death in 1918. He died at St Luke’s Road of phthisis (TB) and was buried in Brandwood End Cemetery. His estate was valued at just over £350. John maintained contact with his estranged wife, and it was she who was the informant at his death.
Following the separation Julia went on to establish a successful chain of pawnbrokers shops in Birmingham. By the turn of the century she had a shop at 66 Macdonald Street, then in about 1907 acquired an additional shop at 99 Winson Street, with a larger premises at 167 and 170 Coventry Road being added in about 1910. This latter premise became Julia's home, which she shared with a companion and her son Arthur Leonard. Having become blind in her old age Julia died of a stroke on 20 March 1940. In a final act of reconciliation she was buried six days later in the same grave as John. Julia estate was valued at over £6000. Executors Oliver Hancocks Hawley (her nephew) and Thomas William Hiley (her son-in-law) saw to the distribution of her bequests. She elected not to will anything to her sons Oliver (Chapter 12) and John (Chapter 13). The former no doubt due to his indiscretions, the latter possibly due to his closeness to his father.
Seven of John and Julia's eight children survived in to adulthood and had families of their own. Rosa married Harry Ashford and had two children. Oliver (Chapter 12) led a controversial life and married twice. John (Chapter 13) married Alice Maud Bull and followed in his father’s profession. Mary (known a May) married Edward Egginton and had a family. Beatrice married Thomas Hiley, a shoe factor, and had a family of her own. Both May and Beatrice had earlier worked as assistants in their mother's original pawnbroker's shop in Macdonald Street.
Arthur Leonard married Agnes Marion (known as Marion) Whitehead. Following service in the Royal Navy during the First World War he worked with his mother as a pawnbroker. After inheriting the Coventry Road business Arthur specialised first as watchmaker then as a jeweller. He retired to 23 King Charles Road, where he died in 1950, but not before passing on his knowledge to his son and only child Roy Gordon. Roy is still running a jewellery business from 17 Warstone Mews on Warstone Lane in Birmingham, with his second wife and business partner Yvonne.
Roy Hancocks' Trademark
A number of members of the Hancocks family have kept on touch despite the passing of generations. Roy for instance was a childhood friend of his first cousin once removed John Peter (Chapter 18), with whom he maintains regular contact. Roy's daughter Susan Jane is also a friend of John Peter, her second cousin, as they share a common interest in militaria.
Hilda Eileen married Roland Sturgess and one child, a daughter, Beryl Audrey. Beryl Audrey in turn married and had three children of her own.
JOHN HANCOCKS b.1854 d.1918 m. JULIA CROFTS (Chapter 11)
…..ROSA HANCOCKS b.1876 d.1943 m.HARRY ASHFORD
……….JESSICA ASHFORD b.1903 d.1977 m.LESLIE WORSFOLD
……….ERIC ASHFORD unmar.
…..OLIVER HANCOCKS b.1877 d.1942 (Chapter 12)
…..JOHN HANCOCKS b.1878 d.1940 (Chapter 13)
…..MARY(MAY) HANCOCKS b.1882 d.- m.EDWARD EGGINTON
……….MARGOT OLIVE EGGINTON m.ERIC KEENE
……………KAY KEENE
……….KENNETH EGGINTON
…..BEATRICE LILIAN HANCOCKS b.1886 d.1981 m.THOMAS(TOM) WILLIAM HILEY
……….ROSA HILEY m.HARRY DAVID RADFORD
……………JANE RADFORD
……………ANN RADFORD m.M. A. HARDY
……….DOROTHY HILEY m.J. MILLER
……….JOAN HILEY m.ANTHONY LOWE
……………ROSAMUND LOWE
……………CHRISTOPHER LOWE
……………SARAH JANE LOWE m.NIGEL ATHERTON
……………TIMOTHY LOWE
…..HARRY HANCOCKS b.1889 d.1897 m.
…..ARTHUR LEONARD HANCOCKS b.1894 d.1950 m.AGNES MARION(MARION) WHITEHEAD
……….ROY GORDON HANCOCKS m.#1 MARGARET FOWLER:#2 YVONNE -
……………SUSAN JANE HANCOCKS
……………PAULA MARGARET HANCOCKS
…..HILDA EILEEN HANCOCKS b.1896 d.1959 m.ROLAND STURGESS
……….BERYL AUDREY STURGESS b.1927 d.1982 m.DESMOND WESTON
……………CLAIR WESTON
……………LYDIA WESTON
……………CLIVE ROLAND WESTON
