Levi Ward Hancock was born 7 April 1803 in Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States to Thomas Hancock (1763-1844) and Amy Ward (1769-1847) and died 10 June 1882 Washington County, Utah, United States of unspecified causes. He married Clarissa Reed (1814-1860) 29 March 1833 in Kirtland, Ohio, United States. He married Emily Melissa Richey (1830-1857) 24 February 1849 in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. He married Elizabeth Woodville Hovey (1835-1879) 19 February 1856 . He married Ann Tew (1835-1884) 19 July 1857 in Endowment House, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. He married Mary Morgan (1819-c1880) 9 August 1868 .
Levi Ward Hancock was an early convert to Mormonism and was a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for nearly fifty years. He was also one of the witnesses of the Book of Commandments. He served both in Zions Camp and The Mormon Battalion.
Like many early Latter Day Saints, Hancock practiced plural marriage. Hancock was married to five wives, three of whom eventually divorced him; he was the father of 18 children.
Timeline
- 1803 : Born in Massachusetts
- 1830 : Mayfield Ohio, hears preaching of Latter Day Saint missionaries Parley P. Pratt, Sidney Rigdon, and Oliver Cowdery
- 1831 : LDS Mission to Missouri with Zebedee Coltrin (1804-1887).
- 1833 : marriage #1 - Clarissa Reed (1814-1860) - Kirtland, Ohio
- 1834 : Zions Camp March from Ohio to Missouri
- 1835 : Hancock was ordained a seventy in the Church and was selected as one of the first seven presidents of the Seventy. On April 6, 1837, Hancock was released from this position because it was mistakenly believed that he, like five of the other presidents of the Seventy, had already been ordained a high priest. When it was discovered that this was not the case, Hancock was restored to his position on September 3, 1837. Hancock would serve as one of the presidents of the Seventy until his death.
- 1837/1838 : Writes several LDS Hymns.
- 1840-46 : Member of Nauvoo Legion and Nauvoo Police Force - 1843 designated chief musician in the Nauvoo Legion.
- 1840-46 : Notable Fife player in the Nauvoo Brass Band.
- 1840 : Signed testimonial witness to the Book of Commandments
- 1844 : Member of the Council of Fifty
- 1846/47 : Marched with The Mormon Battalion from Iowa to Los Angeles, serving as a musician in Co 'E'. He then led a group of about 100 men to Utah to join the main body of Saints there.
- 1847 : Member of 1st Utah Territorial Legislature
- 1849-Feb-02 : Marriage #2 to Emily Melissa Richey (1830-1857) in Salt Lake City
- 1850 (?) : Part of Dixie mission to Washington County, Utah to grow cotton
- 1857-Jul-19 : Marriage #3 to Ann Tew (1835-1884) in Salt Lake City
- ?? : Marriage #4 to Cordelia Miller
- 1872 : Ordained patriarch of Washington County Stake (?)
- 1882 : Died in Washington County.
Biography
Zions Camp Participant
This Judith Mehr rendition depicts struggles endured by members of Zion's Camp, an expeditionary force to help Church members in Jackson County redeem their brethren.
One of the most interesting episodes in the early history of LDS Church was the march of Zion's Camp (1834). The members of the Church in Missouri were being persecuted, and the Prophet Joseph made it a matter of prayer and received a revelation on February 24, 1834. The Lord instructed the Prophet to assemble at least one hundred young and middle-aged men and to go to the land of Zion, or Missouri. (See D&C 130:19–34.)
Zion’s Camp, a group of approximately one hundred and fifty men, gathered at Kirtland, Ohio, in the spring of 1834 and marched to Jackson County, Missouri. By the time they reached Missouri, the camp had increased to approximately two hundred men.
Levi would march to Missouri with his brother, Joseph Hancock (1800-1893), both were ordained to the Quorum of Seventy of the church in the following year.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Mosiah Lyman Reed Hancock (1834-1907) | |||
| Sarah Hancock (1835-1835) | |||
| Amy Elizabeth Hancock (1836-1862) | |||
| Francis Marion Hancock (1838-) | |||
| Francis Marion Hancock (1841-1927) | |||
| John Reed Hancock (1841-1881) | |||
| Levison Hancock (1845-1848) | |||
| Levi Ward Hancock (1847-1915) | |||
| Joseph Smith Hancock (1849-1929) | |||
| Sariah Hancock (1835-1835) | |||
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Cordellia Hancock (1848-1922) | |||
| Emily Melissa Hancock (1849-) | |||
| Temperance Jane Hancock (1852-1940) | |||
| Levi Ward Hancock (1855-1911) | |||
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Levison Hancock (1858-1954) | 9 June 1858 Spanish Fork, Utah County, Utah, United States | 11 April 1954 Orem, Utah County, Utah, United States | Emily Almira Mangum (1866-1950) |
| Zenis Hancock (1860-1860) | |||
| Zenif Hancock (1860-1860) | |||
| Zenil Hancock (1860-1860) | |||
| Ether Thomas Hancock (1862-1919) | |||
| Cyrus Hancock (1865-1866) | |||
| Solomon Marcenia Hancock (1868-1918) | |||
| Samuel Alfred Hancock (1871-1905) | |||
Siblings
Vital Records
Massachusetts Birth Record
- Name: Levi Ward Hancock
- Event Date: 07 Apr 1803
- Event Place : Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts
- Father's Name: Thomas Hancock
- Mother's Name: Nancy
1850 US Federal Census
Taken at Utah County, Utah Territory - Household ID# 49: The Mormon territory was originally known as Deseret before being designated Utah Territory
- Levi W Hancock - M/47 - B:Mass (Head)
- Emely M Hancock - F/21 - B:Alabama (Wife)
- Cordelia Hancock - F/2 - B:Deseret (Step-daughter)
- Emely M Hancock - F/6 months - B:Deseret (daughter)
1880 US Federal Census
Taken at Salt Lake City, Utah; Living in the household of his daughter.
- Jno. T. Matthews - M/38 - B:England - Head
- Cordelia Matthews - F/30 - B:Utah - Wife
- Thos Matthews - M/9 - B:Utah - Son
- Orson Matthews - M/7 - B:Utah
- Wm. Matthews - M/3 - B:Utah
- Levi Hancock - M/77 - B:Mass - Father-in-law
References
- Biography of Levi W Hancock - Wikipedia
- General Authority Pages - Grandpa Bill's
Residences
Footnotes (including sources)
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