Amy Ward Hancock

Birth Date and Place: Feb. 28, 1769, Somers, Tolland, Connecticut

Father: Jacob Ward
Mother: Irena Jones Ward
Spouse: Thomas Hancock
Death Date and Burial: Jan. 14, 1847, Kanesville, Pottowattamie, Iowa


Children:
Elijah Hancock, born Sept. 21, 1786, Longmeadow, Massachusetts
Thomas Hancock, Jr., Jan. 25, 1788, Springfield, Hampden Co., Massachusetts
Clarissa Hancock, born Sept. 3, 1790, Springfield, Hampden Co., Massachusetts
Solomon Hancock, Aug. 14, 1793, Springfield, Hampden Co., Massachusetts
Alva Hancock, born April 19, 1796, Springfield, Hampden Co., Massachusetts
Joseph Hancock, born Mar 18, 1800, Springfield, Hampden Co., Massachusetts
Levi Ward Hancock, born April 7, 1803, Springfield, Hampden Co., MA
Sarah Abbott Hancock, born June 18, 1805, Bristol, Ontario Co., New York
Amy Hancock, born Sept. 18, 1807, Bristol, Ontario Co., New York

Amy Ward was born 28 February 1769 at Somers, Tolland County, Connecticut, to Jacob Ward and Irena Jones Ward. The Ward family had eight children, five girls and three boys. We do not have much information on the Ward Family except for a short biography written by a granddaughter, Sarah Hancock, who said that her grandfather, Jacob Ward, was a general in the army of the Revolutionary War. She said, “My mother, Amy Ward, was a daughter of Jacob Ward, spoken of the Lexington in the history of the Revolutionary War of 1776.” Her pedigree has been traced to William Ward of Sudberry, England

The Wards were a religious family and bible study was a part of their daily lives. Amy married Thomas Hancock, 25 May 1786 at Longmeadow, Hampden County, Massachusetts, the area where the Hancock family lived. Thomas was the cousin to the well-known patriot, John Hancock, signer of the Declaration of Independence. Thomas and Amy had nine children, her oldest son, Thomas fought in the War of 1812.


Thomas and Amy first lived at Bristol, Ontario County, New York, and stayed there for two years. The family then moved to Pittstown, where they stayed for one year then later going to Ontario County, New York. Amy was very religious in her training, as was the way in that part of the country at the time. Her son Levi relates the following story:
“My father’s mother died (Thomas’ mother, Jamima Wright). We were all in the house, the door facing west. We were aroused by the sound of a noise like a musket being shot at the northwest corner of the house. All ran out to see what it was, but nothing could be seen. One week from that day, my father’s mother died. It was said by all that this was the sign of her death.”
“A few days after the grandmother’s death, Amy’s baby girl died from the same fever. Their Presbyterian minister preached the funeral sermon. Amy said to him, “I want your to tell me what you think about the child. Do you think she will be saved?” The minister said, “I cannot tell. It depends wholly on this, has it been baptized?” Amy said, “I have not had a chance to have it done.” He said, “Amen, the state of your child is very uncertain.” These words almost broke mother’s heart. She had a long sick spell and was so ill and weak, her husband had to do the house work. My father had to do the cooking. Solomon tried to do the washing. He remembered at one time he put some flannels into lye and boiled them as they used to do the cottons and linens. He learned his lesson too late, but one doubt never to be forgotten.
While they were still living in the Woodruff house, the children went to Miss Polly Woodruff. Amy still sick and depressed found her lonely comfort in praying and reading the bible. One night she suddenly told her family, “I shall not have to worry any more.” “Why?” asked her husband. “In my prayers I asked the Lord to make it known to me that my child will be saved. Which he did. I shall not worry any more.”

All that summer nothing was heard of but war with the British. Amy heard that her son Thomas had enlisted in the war of 1812. Then bad news came of how Hull had surrendered to the British, that the Americans had been taken prisoners, and that Thomas was among them. The next summer, an old neighbor who lived in Bristol, Ontario, called “Uncle Tom, I have brought your son Thomas along.” No person can imagine how that mother felt when she found her son was alive. As she took his hand she said, “Oh, Thomas I never expected to see you again. We heard you were dead.” When his father asked him about the war he told how he came to enlist and was forced to camp over in Canada and fight. He had been taken prisoner and had sailed down the St. Lawrence River into the Atlantic, then to the United States and exchanged. He said he was tired of war. The war continued until the next October, when Comodore Chauncy took seven of the British Squadron.

Sometime around 1813 they joined others who were willing to brave the Western frontiers, and they moved their family to Chagrin, Ohio, where they settled for a time. Their new farm was described as a lovely place, having apples, peaches, cherries and other fruit. It was at Chagrin, near Kirtland, OH, where they first heard missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who were able to answer some of the questions they had about the bible. Thomas and Amy were baptized in the Chagrin River in 1830. All the family members were baptized within a few months. It is interesting to compare their baptism dates and places and imagine how each one was baptized as they had to opportunity to hear the message. Most of them were baptized in 1830, the very year the church was organized. They associated with other early church stalwarts such as Lorenzo and Eliza R. Snow, Isaac Morley, Parley P. Pratt and his brothers. Oliver Cowdery, Edward Partridge, Amasa Lyman, and other strong leaders had settled in the Kirtland area and joined the church early on. Two of Amy’s sons, Levi Ward Hancock and Solomon Hancock, were called by Joseph Smith to be in the original seventies quorum. They are both mentioned in Section 52 of the Doctrine and Covenants, when they are called to do missionary work. Levi was a member of the Mormon Battalion, set apart by Brigham Young as spiritual advisor to that famous company, and was musician for the group as they marched along. Amy’s husband, Thomas, was a poet and singer, and all the children were as well.

Thomas and Amy and their childrens’ families moved from Ohio with the body of the Saints, and were in Nauvoo and surrounding areas during the years the church was headquarter there. They owned several pieces of property. Thomas and Amy often lived with Levi and his wife, Clarissa and their family during this time. Thomas did not live to come west. He died at age 81 at Morley Settlement near Nauvoo 1 October 1844, just four months after the prophet died. We have been unable to establish just where he is buried. Amy started west with some of her children, but died at Kanesville, Pottowattamie County, Iowa, 14 January 1847, and is buried there. She was 78. She is considered a Utah pioneer because she started the journey to the valley. They had two sons who also died on the way to Utah. Their son, Alvah Hancock, died in 1847 at Mt. Pigsah, Iowa (Winter Quarters), and is buried there. His wife Juletta Eames Hancock brought their children on to Utah. Solomon also died before reaching the valley, and his wife and children came to Utah settling in Payson, Utah.

This information gathered at the Daughters of the Utah Pioneer Museum in Salt Lake City. Information originally submitted by:
Dora G. Monson (2005-06) - St. George, UT-based on “Hancock and Adams Families” by Charles Hancock, “Joseph Smith’s Kirtland Eyewitness Account” by Karl Ricks Anderson
Rhoda Perkins Wakefield (1962) second great granddaughter

Compiled by Kari R. Kirk 2008, Posted with permission