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The Misses Hancock's School
Susan Hancock (1859-1952) and her four sisters ran the 'Central School' for some ten or so girls in the rooms built in 1882 for such a purpose on either side of the 1841 Wesley Chapel in Cantonment Street. Elizabeth Eaton was the informant for an article in the Fremantle Shipping News, 20 April 2022, in which the school is said to have run 1891-1904.
The 1841 [[../churches/wesley.html|Wesley Chapel]] was the first Christian church in Fremantle (Strong). Errington writes (147) that the Chapel was opened on 24 May 1842.
The chapel is the central building in the photo; the additions on either side are classrooms built in 1896. The extant church is to be seen on the left of the photo.
The photos below are from Fremantle Shipping News as supplied by Elizabeth Eaton, whose grandmother Ruby Mitchell, is in them.
Perhaps that is the Chapel behind the group, in which Ruby is seated in front, in black. SLWA holds a copy of a photo call no. 1003B, which may be this one.
Library description:
Students of Miss Hancock's School, held at Wesley Sunday School, Fremantle [picture]
Photograph 1898?
Group portrait in front of fence with facade of church in background. Back row, left to right: Susan Hancock (Principal), Katie Newbold, Hilda Richards, Kittie White, Eileen Fitzgerald, Minnie Hancock (Principal), Ada Richards. Front row: Florrie (?), Ruby Mitchell, Daisy Pearce, Muriel Hicks. The Misses Hancock (Minnie, Susan, Elizabeth, Dinah and Mary) ran the Central School for Ladies. The school was held in the Wesley Church hall, Cantonment Street, Fremantle. See a notice in the West Australian of 25 Dec. 1897, p.12d.
Photo by Buckley & Bell. The doorway behind might be the same one as in the top photo.
In this photograph, by [[../people/nixon.html|Charles Nixon]], Ruby is seated second from right. The children are dressed for the performance of an unknown subject. The location would have been [[../buildings/nixon.html|Nixon's studio in William Street]].
FSN does not name Susan Hancock's father, but he is likely to have been [[../organisations/pensioners.html|EPF]] David Hancock, as in the DWA entry following. He was also a teacher, and his eldest living child was Susan.
HANCOCK, David, b. 20.10.1820, d. 3.3.1900 (Frem), son of John & Dinah, arr. 7.2.1853 per Dudbrook as an Enrolled Pensioner Guard, m. 1.11.1853 (Frem C/E) Elizabeth GRAY b. 29.7.1834 (Ireland) d. 28.12.1899 (Frem), dtr. of Simeon. Chd. Elizabeth b. 1857 d. 1857, Susan b.1859 d.1952, Dinah Ann b. 1861 d. 1927, David Letchford b. 1864 d. 1905, Elizabeth Emma b. 1868 d. 1952, Hinnie Lydia b. 1875 d. 1947, Mary Charlotte b.1879 d. 1960. Formerly Private 45th Regt. Fremantle Commissariat Storekeeper 1862-76. Resided at 60 Attfield St. Teacher at Fremantle Grammar School & in 1876 was contractor with Convict Dept . C/E .
The FSN article continues:
Miss Susan Hancock was born in 1859 in [[../westend/cliff.html|Cliff Street]], in what was then known as the [[../buildings/commissariat.html|Commissariat]] buildings. She was one of five girls all of whom remained unmarried. They had one brother who did marry.
Miss Hancock’s father came to Fremantle in the early days of the Swan River Colony, and ... taught with Sir [[../people/briggs.html|Henry Briggs]] at the [[../churches/fgs.html|Fremantle Grammar School]] in High Street. His obituary notes that he was one of the founders of the Fremantle [[../organisations/literary.html|Literary Institute]] and was a life member of the [[../organisations/mechanics.html|Mechanics]] and [[../organisations/working.html|Working Men’s Institute]].
Susan spent most of her adult years working in or running schools. Before opening the Central School she had taught for five years at Bishops Girls School, conducted in the [[../buildings/cloisters.html|Cloisters]] in St George’s Terrace, Perth, and before that, at Bunbury from 1887 to 1890. After the Central School closed, she ran a school in Attfield Street, Fremantle 1905-1928.
References and Links
[[../books/erickson.html|Erickson]], Dictionary of West Australians.
DEATH OF AN OLD COLONIST.
Mr. David Hancock, sen.
By the death of Mr. David Hancock, sen., who expired at his residence, Attfield-street, Fremantle, on Saturday morning, another one of our oldest colonists has been removed. The deceased gentleman, who was in his 80th year, died from senile decay. The late Mr. Hancock was born at Kensington, England, and arrived in the colony in 1853. Prior to coming to Western Australia he was a member of the 42th Foot, Sherwood Foresters, and spent seven years in South Africa. He served under Sir Harry Smith in Cape Colony, and was present at the surrender of Pietermaritzburg. Shortly after has arrival in this colony he joined the Commissariat Deportment as conductor of stores. He was afterwards transferred to a post in the Convict Department, where he remained till 1889, when he retired on a pension. The deceased gentleman actively interested himself in the work of philanthropic institutions, and was ever ready to assist in any entertainment organised for a charitable object. He was one of the founders of the Fremantle Literary Institute and was a life member of the Mechanics and Working Men's Institute. As a citizen he gained the respect and esteem of all with whom he came in contact. He leaves a family of five daughters and one son, Mr. David L. Hancock, an officer of the Fremantle Municipal Council. The funeral of the late Mr. Hancock took place yesterday afternoon, the remains being interred in the Church of England portion of the new Fremantle Cemetery. The cortege was a very large and representative one. Archdeacon Watkins conducted the burial service, and the funeral arrangements were carried out by Mr. A. E. Davies.
This page incorporates material from Garry Gillard's Freotopia website, that he started in 2014 and the contents of which he donated to Wikimedia Australia in 2024. The content was originally created on 23 April, 2022 and hosted at freotopia.org/schools/hancock.html (it was last updated on 6 December, 2023), and has been edited since it was imported here (see page history). The donated data is also preserved in the Internet Archive's collection.