Treasure Chest Thursday~The Death of Phillip Hancock

There are 59 Trees on Ancestry.com that shows Phillip Hancock b, 1792, d. 1841.
Of course there are no sources for either his birth year or his death year. Every one on these trees have 1 source  and that source is an Ancestry Family Tree.

For those of you reading this and think that an Ancestry Family tree is a source I would suggest reading this In-Depth Genealogist blog post:

http://theindepthgenealogist.com/online-tree-source/

So when did Phillip Hancock die? I don’t have a date of death for Phillip Hancock but I do have some clues. 

The first Source of his death is a February 1841 Newspaper. This is a source; it’s not someone guess; it’s documentation created  at the time of his death.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Chesterfield District.

By Turner Bryan Esq. Ordinary

Whereas, Alfred M. Lowery made Suit to me to grant him Letters of Administration of the estate and Effects which were of Phillip Hancock. These are to cite and admonish all and singular the kindred and creditors of the said Phillip Hancock deceased that they be and appear before me, in the Court of Ordinary, to be held at Chesterfield Court House on Monday 15^th inst. To show cause if any they have, why the said administration should not be granted. Given under my hand and seal, this first day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty one and in the Sixty fifth d year of American Independence.

                                           T. Bryan

                                           O.C.D.

$1,75                                            2t

This without a doubt is the source of the 1841 death year for Phillip Hancock. We can definitely state that Phillip Hancock died before 1 February 1841. 

Phillip Hancock married Sarah Caroline Timmons. Their first known child was Elizabeth Hancock born 1 Jan 1817.  This suggests that Phillip and Sarah were most likely wedded sometime in late 1815 or early 1816.

The 1850 Census shows Sarah Hancock without a husband and with 2 of her children at home in the household.

1850 CENSUS: Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; Roll: M432_851; Image: 354, Page: 175A; Line 21, Dwelling 1175, Family 1175; Sarah HANCOCK, Female, age 61, born in SC; Harriet N. HANCOCK, Female, age 17, born in SC; Temperance J. HANCOCK, Female, age 24, born in SC; James T. HANCOCK, Male, age 4, born in SC and Andrew J. HANCOCK, Male, age 2, born in SC..

Sarah Caroline Hancock tombstone shows that she died 3 October 1858. When Sarah died in 1858, the Estate was sued and there are extensive documents of the Settlement of this Estate in the SC Archives.

Phillip and Sarah had 6 known children:

1. Elizabeth md Thomas Hardy Sellers
2. Mary E. md Pvt Hardy Sellers
3. Sarah C.
4. Temperance Jane, md.  John Jordan, Andrew J. Bone
5. Phillip Jr. md Mary Joanna Rivers
6. Harriett H. md Jonathan F. Hancock

___________________
[1] Equity Notice, The Cheraw Advertiser, Cheraw, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, United States, 3 February 1841, page 3, column 5. Estate of Phillip Hancock.