An agreement, signed and dated 12 August 1805 ⁽¹⁶⁾, between John Hancock Snr. and Daniel and Brown of Hanley and Stoke, confirms that the partnership with Mr. Severne had come to an end.  John was now employed as an enameller and layer of grounds of various sorts on both china and earthenware for a term of 2 years.  His weekly wage was to be 30 shillings and he was engaged to work at either of Daniel and Brown’s manufactories situated in Hanley and Stoke which were located within the works of Spode II⁽¹⁷⁾.  It was here that John Hancock put into practice “at Mr. Spode’s manufactory for Messrs. Daniel and Brown,” his invention of “lustre⁽¹⁸⁾.”  Henry Daniel’s receipt books which   contain a reference for John Hancock’s new gold dated 1816⁽¹⁹⁾, confirm that John was still at the Spode factory until that date, after which he went to work as Colourmaker and Manager of the Enamelling Department for the Wedgwood⁽²⁰⁾ company. 

He did however still continue to supply Spode and Henry Daniel with colour recipes after 1816⁽²¹⁾. According to Haslem⁽²²⁾ John Hancock remained in the employ of Messrs. Wedgwood until within a few years of his death.  Simeon Shaw had described John Hancock as “an enameller of no mean talent⁽²³⁾.”  John’s thorough knowledge of bodies, glazes and enamel making, as well as his generosity in making his invention of lustre available cheaply to anyone who wanted it, is possibly the reason that out of respect for him in his old age, he was referred to by many as “Father of the Potteries ⁽²⁴⁾.”  When he died in 1847⁽²⁵⁾, he left behind 6 sons, John, George, James, Thomas, William and Sampson, all of whom had been trained in the ceramic business.  

A CHINA MANUFACTURER IN THE MAKING

Sampson Hancock was born on the 7th of April, 1817 ⁽²⁶⁾, the second child but first son born to James and Margaret Hancock.  James Hancock, Sampson’s father, had married Margaret Beet at the pretty little church of St. John the Baptist at Claines, on the outskirts of Worcester , on the 21st November, 1814⁽²⁷⁾.  Probably named in honour of his uncle, Sampson was baptized almost one month after his birth on the 4th of May⁽²⁸⁾, not at the same church where his parents had married but at St. Swithin’s, Worcester , which was situated close to the Worcester manufactory⁽²⁹⁾ where his father was employed. The couple had two more sons and a second daughter⁽³⁰⁾, all of whose baptisms took place at different churches within Worcester .  

Although I have discovered very little concerning Sampson’s early life, by the time of his marriage in 1839⁽³¹⁾, when aged 21, Sampson had left Worcester and was living in High Street, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire.  More than likely is the possibility that Sampson had taken up residence in Burton whilst employed by Mr. William Edwards, (brother in law of the second Mr. William Duesbury⁽³²⁾), who in conjunction with Mr. Tunnicliffe had commenced a china manufactory at the Hay in the town around 1832⁽³³⁾.  Some years later Mr. Edwards began a china manufactory in the High Street⁽³⁴⁾, Burton ⁽³⁵⁾,  where George Hancock, Sampson’s uncle had been engaged in 1835 to superintend the Burton China Works on behalf of Mr. Edwards.  Prior to this  engagement George Hancock had worked with Billingsley⁽³⁶⁾ at Mansfield in 1801 and several years later in 1819⁽³⁷⁾, had taken up employment at the Derby factory in Nottingham Road after leaving the Potteries where he had been employed by Ridgways of Cauldon Place⁽³⁸⁾.  George had remained several years at Derby until his engagement by Mr. Edwards, who at the time was employing staff from both Derby and the Potteries ⁽³⁹⁾.  According to Haslem⁽⁴⁰⁾ George Hancock remained there for approximately a year before returning to the Potteries in 1836.  Whether Sampson had found employment during the time when his uncle was supervising the workforce is hard to determine.   

The marriage of Sampson Hancock to Elizabeth Jefford took place on the 29th January, 1839 , at Holy Trinity Church , Burton upon Trent .  At the time of their marriage both Sampson and Elizabeth resided in High Street.  Both Sampson’s and his father James’ occupations are listed as “painter” in the Marriage ‘Register⁽⁴¹⁾ and it is interesting to note that their surname was spelt “Handcock,”  the “d” being omitted at a later date.  Elizabeth Jefford had been baptized at the same church on the 1st of June, 1817 ⁽⁴²⁾.  Her parents John and Ann Jefford had two more children following Elizabeth ’s arrival, a second daughter, Emily⁽⁴³⁾ who was later to become  a witness at Sampson and Elizabeths