H. Irving Hancock - Biography

Biography

Hancock was born in Massachusetts on January 16, 1868. His parents were William Henry and Laura (Oakes) Hancock. Hancock married Nellie Stein on December 21, 1887. They had two daughters, apparently adopted: Vivian Morris Hancock and Doris Hancock.

A prolific author who liked to work at night, Hancock wrote for the New York Journal, the New York World, and Leslie's Weekly. Much of his writing was the kind of "Boy's books" initiated by the famous Stratemeyer Syndicate, based on the assumption (which proved hugely successful) that "boys want the thrill of feeling 'grown-up'" and that they like books which give them that feeling to come in series where the same heroes appear again and again. However, the bulk of Hancock's works in that genre appear to have been handled by publishers other than Stratemeyer. (A comprehensive list of his publications does not yet exist, the list appearing on this page being far from complete).

For some time it was considered that, unlike other writers, he invariably used his own name, in the form "H. Irving Hancock". However, Edward T. LeBlanc and J. Randolph Cox, who researched the period's "dime novels", concluded that a series of books attributed to “Douglas Wells” were in fact written by Hancock.

The same researchers recount that Hancock ‘…had been a journalist for the Boston Globe from 1885 to 1890, served as a war correspondent in Cuba and the Philippines during the Spanish-American War. He produced more than 50 serials for Norman Munro’s juvenile magazine "Golden Hours" between 1889 and 1901.

His output included westerns, detective stories (set in New Orleans and in Asia), and historical adventures. China and Japan were the setting of such stories as 'The Great Tan-To; or Dick Brent’s Adventures in Up-to-Date Japan'.” Hancock was, however, charged with perpetuating racial stereotypes in his depiction of the Chinese "Supervillain" Li Shoon in a sereies of stories published between 1915 and 1917".

Hancock's experience as a war correspdent provided inspiration for books about the Spanish-American War. He also published books on Physical Fitness and an "Encyclopedia of Knowledge and Manners", and served as the editor of a "History of West Point". In a magazine article he warned of the dangers of smoking, at a time when such dangers were not widely known. He was also apparently a sports writer and an early Western expert on Jiu-Jitsu.

Much of Hancock's writing had a patriotic character, his books and stories having a considerable proportion of military heroes placed in settings ranging from the American Revolutionary War, through the Spanish-American War and the First World War, and up to an imaginary German invaion of the USA (see following section).

In addition to his writing activity, Hancock organized the Ferguson-Hancock Laboratories together with Prof. George A.Ferguson in 1908.

Hancock died of liver ailments at his home, in Blue Point, Suffolk County, New York on March 12, 1922.

Despite the enormous amount of material published by Hancock, some of his biographical details are not completely clear. The 1920 United States Federal Census contains the following: "H. Hancock, Birth: abt 1868 - Massachusetts Residence: 1920 - Brookhaven, Suffolk, New York". This seems to refer to Harrie Irving Hancock, but it is not completely certain - hence the above question mark following the date of his birth.

According to Gene Horton of Blue Point, Hancock is buried in an unmarked grave at the Blue Point Cemetery.

One Hancock book still in print is "The Complete Kano Jiu-Jitsu", co-authored with Katsukuma Higashi and originally published by G. P. Putnam & Sons in 1905 in New York (presently republished by Dover Publications).