Chapter 16: FRANCIS JOHN HANCOCKS (b.1900), GARAGE PROPRIETOR

In 1919 Francis John ( known as Frank ) was already calling himself a motor mechanic. On 18 February of that year he travelled to Dublin to enlist with the 11th Hussars, a cavalry regiment nicknamed the 'Cherry Pickers' after an incident in the Peninsular War (1809-1814), when they were engaged in an action with the French in a cherry orchard. The 11th Hussars had fought in France from 1914 to 1918 largely in a dismounted role. Horses inevitably gave way to mechanisation with the Eleventh being the first cavalry in the Army to be equipped with armoured cars in 1928. Frank enlisted for on a short service term, which was due to expire on 31 March 1921. His enlistment was actually a re-enlistment for he was already serving with the 2/1st North Somerset Yeomanry, to which he was presumably conscripted near to the end of the First World War.

Francis John Hancocks

When Frank traveled to Dublin, Ireland was still wholly British territory. The subject of Irish home rule had dogged British politics throughout the late 19th century. It was supported by the majority of the Irish people but bitterly opposed by the Protestant Irish in the north of Ireland. The Home Rule Bill was finally passed in 1914, but the outbreak of the First World War forced its postponement. Although some Irish supported the British war effort, others joined Sinn Fein (Gaelic for "ourselves alone"), a political party that opposed all links with Britain. Sinn Fein rose up in rebellion in Easter 1916, seized a number of public buildings in Dublin, formed a provisional government and proclaimed independence. But, after five days of fighting, this Easter Rising was put down and the ringleaders shot.

In elections held in 1918, Sinn Fein won a majority of the seats, but its members refused to attend the British parliament and set up their own Dail (National Assembly) in Dublin instead. The conflict escalated into three-years' of guerrilla warfare, as Sinn Fein fought the British and Ulster Protestants for a united and fully independent Ireland. In 1921, Britain offered dominion status for southern Ireland, with the six northern counties of Ulster remaining within the United Kingdom. The Irish delegation to the London peace conference accepted the plan. But Eamon De Valera (1882-1975) denounced them, the Irish president, and civil war broke out between the two factions in Ireland. The war ended in 1923 with the victory of the new Irish Free State government. The partition of Ireland into North and South was a compromise measure, and it did not provide a permanent resolution to the tensions between Nationalist Catholics and Protestant.

After serving in Ireland Frank was shipped, on H.M.T. "Teutonic", to another Empire war zone, Palestine. On 1 April 1920 Private Hancocks on attachment to the Royal Engineers was based at Cleopatra Camp in Alexandria. One month later Lance Corporal Hancocks joined the Royal Engineer Signals proper. By October of the same year he had joined 3rd Lahore Divisional Signal Company stationed in Jerusalem. Sapper F J Hancocks was demobbed from 4 Company Royal Engineers on 13 May 1921.

Frank returned to his parent’s home at 113 St Luke's Road, where he joined his fathers decorating business. Within seven months of his return he married Florence Dora Kate Bentley, who was already living with him in St Luke's Road. The marriage took place on Boxing Day 1921 at St Mary and St Ambrose, the parish church for Edgbaston. After marriage the couple took a property at 1157 Warwick Road, in Acocks Green. Frank carried on with his decorating trade, but also added the skills of plumber and gas fitter.

Whilst at Warwick Road two children were born to Frank and Florence Dora Kate. Dorothy Frances (Chapter 17) in 1923 and John Peter (Chapter 18) in 1930. Shortly after their son was born the family moved back to St Luke's Road, to number 119 next door to Frank's parents.

Frank and his family enjoyed their regular stays at 'Grasmere', the families weekend chalet in Grimley. It was here that he set up his alternative enterprise of Cocker Spaniel breeding, under the name of Grimley Cocker Kennels. The Second World War had its impact on the Hancocks family. John died at 'Grasmere' during the war, and the properties and lockups in St Luke's Road were damaged by fire as a result of incendiary bomb attacks on Birmingham. John Peter was evacuated to Grimley and Dorothy Frances drove an ambulance.

In order to rebuild the severely bomb damaged parts of the city, Birmingham Corporation set about the compulsory purchase of whole blocks of properties. Most of the north side of St Luke's Road was included in the scheme. Alice Maud and Frank first received official notice of the Councils intentions in July 1948, only four months after they had applied for planning permission to repair bomb damage to the St Luke's Road garage. The compulsory purchases of 117 and 119 St Luke's Road went ahead in October 1951, at which time both Alice Maud and her son became tenants of the Corporation for which they paid a joint annual rent of £520.

With the benefit of his share of the compulsory purchase revenue, and his mother’s bequest, Frank went about acquiring a small farm in his beloved Worcestershire. On 30 July 1953 he bid £6800 at auction to secure Rowley Farm in Holt, the neighbouring parish to Grimley. (For details of the background to Rowley and neighbouring farms see the local history essays by the same authors as this work).

With the benefit of a place in the country Frank moved out of Birmingham to live in the farmhouse. He left the care of the St Luke's Road garage to a live in manager, a Scotsman - 'Jock'. Notice to quit St Luke's Road was served in 1965. By that time Frank was suffering from terminal lung cancer so the burden of closing down the lock-ups and winding up the business fell largely to his son, John Peter.

Francis John died at Rowley Farm on 7 November 1966. His widow Florence Dora Kate stayed in the farmhouse until 1989 when she moved to a local nursing home, where she died in 1994. They share a grave in Holt Parish Church burial ground.

FRANCIS JOHN b.1900 d.1966 m. FLORENCE DORA KATE BENTLEY

…..DOROTHY FRANCES b.1923 d.1987 (Chapter 17)

…..JOHN PETER (Chapter 18)