Served as president of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress and the Continental Congress, where he famously signed the Declaration of Independence,
| When Burke met | 1778 |
| Where Burke met | Boston |
| Occupation | Civil Office |
| Interaction with Burke | Asked Burke to train marines on the Deane |
| Identity Status | Confirmed |
| Genealogy | Wikitree |
| Memoir Pages | 24 |
Notes
John Hancock (January 23, 1737 – October 8, 1793) was an American merchant and statesman born in Braintree, Massachusetts, and a longtime resident of Boston. The son of Reverend John Hancock Jr. and Mary Hawke Thaxter, he was raised by his wealthy uncle, Thomas Hancock, eventually inheriting the lucrative House of Hancock mercantile firm. A 1754 Harvard College graduate, Hancock emerged as a leading Patriot during the American Revolution. He served as president of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress and the Continental Congress, where he famously signed the Declaration of Independence, and later as the first and third governor of Massachusetts. While his shipping operations led British officials to accuse him of smuggling—most notably during the 1768 seizure of his sloop Liberty—historians debate the accuracy of these charges. Hancock married Dorothy Quincy, but their two children died before reaching adulthood.
Sources
Burke, William. Memoir of William Burke: A Soldier of the Revolution, Reformed from Intemperance, and for Many Years a Consistent and Devoted Christian; Carefully Prepared from a Journal Kept by Himself; to Which Is Added, an Extract from a Sermon Preached at His Funeral, by Rev. Nathaniel Miner. Hartford, CT: Case, Tiffany, 1837.