A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hancock, Richard Turner
HANCOCK. (Rear-Admiral of the Blue, 1841. f-p., 29; h-p., 38.)
Richard Turner Hancock was born 23 June, 1764, and died 5 March, 1846, at Weymouth.
This officer entered the Navy, 24 July, 1779, as Midshipman, on board the Formidable 98, Capt. John Stanton, in which ship, under the flag of Sir Geo. Rodney, he took part in the actions of 9 and 12 April, 1782. Returning home from the West Indies in the course of the same year in the Ardent 64, Capt. Rich. Lucas, he next, until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 26 Aug. 1789, served, in the Channel and at Portsmouth, on board the Orestes, Capt. Jas. Ellis, Expedition cutter, Lieut.-Commander Chas. C. Crooke, and Triumph and Barfleur, bearing the flags of Admirals Lord Hood and R. Roddam. His first commission was presented to him in consequence of his having been sent to attend on George III., on the occasion of a visit made by that monarch to Weymouth. His succeeding appointments, we find, were – 11 May, 1790, to the Saturn 74, Capt. Robt. Linzee, in the Channel – 21 Feb. 1792, to the Hussar 28, Capts. Rupert George, John Poo Beresford, Chas. Wemyss, and Chas. Rowley, on the Halifax station – 7 Oct. 1796, to the Unité 38, commanded in the Channel and West Indies by Capts. C. Rowley, Wm. Shield, and J. P. Beresford – and, 5 Jan. 1800, to the Prince of Wales 98, bearing the flag on the latter station of Lord Hugh Seymour. In all but the first of those ships Mr. Hancock officiated as Senior-Lieutenant; and while in the Hussar he contributed, in company with the Thetis 36, to the defeat, 17 May, 1795, of five sail, two of which, La Prévoyante of 24, and La Raison of 18 guns, were captured after a close action of more than an hour’s duration. He also, when in the Unité, assisted at the reduction of the Devil’s Islands, near Cayenne. Being at length (on the earnest and repeated application of Capt. Beresford, under whom he had served on the two latter occasions) awarded a Commander’s commission, dated 4 Sept. 1800, Capt. Hancock was next appointed, 27 May, 1803, to the Plover 18, in which sloop he cruized on the Channel station until posted 25 Sept. 1806. He afterwards served as Flag-Captain, in the 80-gun ships Tonnant and Foudroyant, to Hon. Michael De Courcy, from July, 1807, until Dec. 1812; during which period, besides pursuing a French squadron to the West Indies, he escorted the army home after the battle of Corunna, and was for a long time employed on the Brazilian station. While there Don John, the Regent, offered to invest him with a Portuguese order of knighthood; but, as Capt. Hancock did not conceive he had performed any military service deserving of the honour, it was modestly declined. The Regent, persisting, however, in his resolution of conferring on the Captain some mark of his regard, presented him with his portrait set with diamonds in a valuable gold box. Rear-Admiral Hancook, who had not been afloat since the period of his leaving the Foudroyant, attained Flag-rank 23 Nov. 1841.
He married, first, 1 Jan. 1813, Jane Love, daughter of Rear-Admiral Kinneer; and secondly, 21 Sept. 1826, Elizabeth, daughter and co-heiress of the late John Harwood, Esq., who died 11 Dec. 1843. By his first marriage the Rear-Admiral has left issue three children, one of whom, James Kinneer, is a Lieut. R.N.