George Hancock (June 13, 1754July 18, 1820) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

planter and lawyer from

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. He represented Virginia as a

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in the

U.S. House The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from 1793 to 1797.

Biography

He was born in Chesterfield County in the

Colony of Virginia The Colony of Virginia, chartered in 1606 and settled in 1607, was the first enduring English colonial empire, English colony in North America, following failed attempts at settlement on Newfoundland (island), Newfoundland by Sir Humphrey GilbertG ...

to George and Mary (Jones) Hancock. George Hancock was appointed a colonel in the Virginia militia, where he served as aide de camp to Count

Casimir Pulaski Kazimierz Michał Władysław Wiktor Pułaski of the Ślepowron coat of arms (; ''Casimir Pulaski'' ; March 4 or March 6, 1745 Makarewicz, 1998 October 11, 1779) was a Polish nobleman, soldier, and military commander who has been called, tog ...

. When General Pulaski was mortally wounded at the battle of Savannah, it was Colonel Hancock that pulled the general off of his horse. George Hancock married Margaret Strother in 1781. It was in that year that Hancock purchased 300 acres in and around

Fincastle, Virginia Fincastle is a town in Botetourt County, Virginia, United States. The population was 755 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Botetourt County. Fincastle is part of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area. History The town of Fincas ...

, that was to become Santillane. Work began in 1795 on Santillane using George Hancock's slaves. The exterior was completed around 1800 using bricks fired on site. The interior was probably completed a couple of years later. The first documented reference to the residence as "Satillane", was on a letter head dated 1805 that was sent by Margaret Hancock. George and Margaret Hancock's daughter, Julia, married General

William Clark William Clark (August 1, 1770 – September 1, 1838) was an American explorer, soldier, Indian agent, and territorial governor. A native of Virginia, he grew up in pre-statehood Kentucky before later settling in what became the state of Misso ...

at Santillane on January 5, 1808, upon his return from exploring the Louisiana Territory with

Meriwether Lewis Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 – October 11, 1809) was an American explorer, soldier, politician, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery, with ...

. The newlyweds lived left Santillane in the spring of 1808 for St. Louis, so General Clark could become the Superintendent of Indian Affairs and Commander of Militia in the Missouri/Louisiana territory. Sometime in 1811, a roof fire began at Santillane. Though it's unknown how extreme the damage was to the house, it must have been enough for the family to evacuate. Hancock, along with his wife Peggy and son George moved on to Fotheringay, selling Santillane to Henry Bowyer. In 1796, Hancock purchased the

Fotheringay Fotheringay was a short-lived British folk rock group, formed in 1970 by singer-songwriter and musician Sandy Denny on her departure from Fairport Convention. The band drew its name from her 1968 composition " Fotheringay" about Fotheringhay ...

property near

Elliston, Virginia Elliston is a census-designated place (CDP) in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States. It lies between the city of Roanoke and the town of Christiansburg in the southwestern part of the state. The population as of the 2010 Census was 902. ...

. The Fotheringay house was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1969.

Electoral history

*1793; Hancock was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives with 60.47% of the vote, defeating Independents Caleb Munsey and Charles Clay. *1795; Hancock was re-elected unopposed.

References

"The Fincastle Herald" May 18, 2005; "The Roanoker Magazine" May 1988

External links

Hancock's Congressional biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hancock, George 1754 births 1820 deaths People from Chesterfield County, Virginia Virginia lawyers American planters Federalist Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia American slave owners 19th-century American lawyers