Thomas Hancock (VC): Difference between revisions

Thomas Hancock
Thomas Hancock
Born	July 1823; Kensington, London
Died	12 March 1871 (aged 47); Westminster Workhouse
Buried	Brompton Cemetery
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Rank	Corporal
Unit	9th Lancers
Battles/wars	Indian Mutiny
Awards	Victoria Cross

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Thomas Hancock VC (July 1823 – 12 March 1871) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Details[edit]

He was about 33 years old, and a private in the 9th Lancers (The Queen's Royal), British Army during the Indian Mutiny when the following deed took place on 19 June 1857 at Delhi, India for which he and John Purcell were awarded the VC:

9th Lancers. Privates Thomas Hancock and John Purcell
"The guns, I am happy to say,. were saved, but a waggon of Major Scott's battery was blown up. I must not fail to mention the excellent conduct of a Sowar of the 4th Irregular Cavalry, and two men of the 9th Lancers, Privates Thomas Hancock and John Purcell, who, when my horse was shot down, remained by me throughout. One of these men and the Sowar offered me their horses, and I was dragged out by the Sowar's horse. Private Hancock was severely wounded, and Private Purcell's horse was killed under him. The Sowar's name is Roopur Khan."
Extract of a letter from Brigadier J. H. Grant, C.B., Commanding Cavalry Brigade of the Field Force, to the Deputy Assistant-Adjutant General of Division. Dated Camp, Delhi, 22 June 1857.)

^[1] In a later dispatch from Brigadier-General Hope Grant, C.B. to Major H. W. Norman, Assistant Adjutant-General of the Army, on 10 January 1858, Hope writes:

I had the sincere gratification of naming two privates of the 9th Lancers, who had displayed signal gallantry in the fight - Privates Thomas Hancock, who lost an arm on the occasion, and John Purcell, who had his horse shot under him, and was, I regret to say, afterwards killed at the assault of Delhi. Sir Henry Barnard was pleased to recommend that the Victoria Cross should be conferred on both.

^[2]

He later achieved the rank of corporal. He died in Westminster Workhouse, 12 March 1871, and was buried in a common (unmarked) grave in Brompton Cemetery. A memorial stone was subsequently placed over the burial plot on 15 October 2011.

References[edit]

^ "No. 22083". The London Gazette. 15 January 1858. p. 178.
^ London Gazette

Location of grave (Brompton Cemetery)
Placing memorial stone

[1] "No. 22083". The London Gazette. 15 January 1858. p. 178.

[2] London Gazette

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|English recipient of the Victoria Cross}}
-{{otherpeople}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
-'''Thomas Hancock''' [[Victoria Cross|VC]] (July 1823 - [[12 March]] [[1871]]) was an [[England|English]] recipient of the [[Victoria Cross]], the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to [[United Kingdom|British]] and [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] forces.
+{{Infobox military person
+ | name                 = Thomas Hancock
+ | honorific_suffix     =
+ | birth_date           = {{birth date|1823|07||df=yes}}
+ | death_date           = {{death date and age|df=y|1871|03|12|1823|07||}}
+ | birth_place          = [[Kensington]], [[London]]
+ | death_place          = Westminster [[Workhouse]]
+ | placeofburial        = [[Brompton Cemetery]]
+ | image                = Victoria Cross Medal without Bar.png
+ | image_size           = 125
+ | caption              =
+ | nickname             =
+ | allegiance           = {{flag|United Kingdom}}
+ | serviceyears         =
+ | rank                 = [[Corporal]]
+ | branch               = {{army|United Kingdom}}
+ | commands             =
+ | unit                 = [[9th Lancers]]
+ | battles              = [[Indian Mutiny]]
+ | awards               = [[Victoria Cross]]
+ | laterwork            =
+}}
+'''Thomas Hancock''' [[Victoria Cross|VC]] (July 1823 &ndash; 12 March 1871) was an [[England|English]] recipient of the [[Victoria Cross]], the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to [[United Kingdom|British]] and [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] forces.
 ==Details==
-He was about 33 years old, and a [[private (rank)|private]] in the [[9th Lancers]] (The Queen's Royal), [[British Army]] during the [[Indian rebellion of 1857]] when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
+He was about 33 years old, and a [[private (rank)|private]] in the [[9th Lancers]] (The Queen's Royal), [[British Army]] during the [[Indian Mutiny]] when the following deed took place on 19 June 1857 at [[Delhi]], [[India]] for which he and [[John Purcell (VC)|John Purcell]] were awarded the VC:
+{{blockquote|9th Lancers. Privates Thomas Hancock and John Purcell
-[[Image:Victoria Cross Medal Ribbon & Bar.jpg|Thumb|right|150px]]
-On [[19 June]] [[1857]] at [[Delhi]], [[India]] during the rebellion, when a wagon of one of the batteries was blown up and the horse of the [[brigadier]] commanding the cavalry brigade was shot, Privates Hancock and [[John Purcell]], along with [[Sowar]] Roopur Khan of the Indian Army's 4th Irregular Cavalry, stayed with the officer until he could be dragged to safety by the sowar's horse.  Private Hancock was severely wounded and Purcell's horse was killed under him. Both Hancock and Purcell were awarded Victoria Crosses.
+"The guns, I am happy to say,. were saved, but a waggon of Major Scott's battery was blown up. I must not fail to mention the
-He later achieved the rank of [[corporal]].
+excellent conduct of a Sowar of the 4th Irregular Cavalry, and two men of the 9th Lancers, Privates Thomas Hancock and John Purcell, who, when my horse was shot down, remained by me throughout. One of these men and the Sowar offered me their horses, and I was dragged out by the Sowar's horse. Private Hancock was severely wounded, and Private Purcell's horse was killed under him. The Sowar's name is Roopur Khan."
+Extract of a letter from Brigadier J. H. Grant, C.B., Commanding Cavalry Brigade of the Field Force, to the Deputy Assistant-Adjutant General of Division. Dated Camp, Delhi, 22 June 1857.)}}<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=22083|page=178|date=15 January 1858}}</ref>
-He died in [[Westminster]] [[Poor law|Workhouse]], [[12 March]], [[1871]], and is buried in a common (unmarked) grave in [[Brompton Cemetery]].
+In a later dispatch from Brigadier-General [[Hope Grant]], C.B. to Major H. W. Norman, Assistant Adjutant-General of the Army, on 10 January 1858, Hope writes:{{blockquote|I had the sincere gratification of naming two privates of the 9th Lancers, who had displayed signal gallantry in the fight - Privates Thomas Hancock, who lost an arm on the occasion, and John Purcell, who had his horse shot under him, and was, I regret to say, afterwards killed at the assault of Delhi. Sir Henry Barnard was pleased to recommend that the Victoria Cross should be conferred on both.}}<ref>[http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/22130/pages/1990 London Gazette]</ref>
-==External links==
-*[http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/stewart/brompton.htm Location of grave] ''(Brompton Cemetery)''
+He later achieved the rank of [[corporal]]. He died in [[Westminster]] [[Workhouse]], 12 March 1871, and was buried in a common (unmarked) grave in [[Brompton Cemetery]]. A memorial stone was subsequently placed over the burial plot on 15 October 2011.
-*[http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Hancock&GSfn=Thomas&GSbyrel=all&GSdy=1871&GSdyrel=all&GSob=n&GRid=7710984& Find A Grave biography of Thomas Hancock]
+==References==
+{{Reflist}}
+*[https://web.archive.org/web/20041028141724/http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/stewart/brompton.htm Location of grave] ''(Brompton Cemetery)''
+*[http://www.victoriacross.org.uk/bbhancoc.htm Placing memorial stone]
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Hancock, Thomas}}
@@ Line 19: / Line 47: @@
 [[Category:1871 deaths]]
 [[Category:9th Queen's Royal Lancers soldiers]]
-[[Category:British Victoria Cross recipients]]
+[[Category:British recipients of the Victoria Cross]]
 [[Category:Burials at Brompton Cemetery]]
-[[Category:Indian Rebellion of 1857 Victoria Cross recipients]]
+[[Category:Indian Rebellion of 1857 recipients of the Victoria Cross]]
+[[Category:Military personnel from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea]]
 [[Category:People from Kensington]]
+[[Category:English amputees]]
+[[Category:British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross]]