Orders, Decorations and Medals

China 1900, 1 clasp, Defence of Legations (J. G. Hancock, Consular Service) extremely fine and rare £3000-4000

See colour illustration (Plate II).

57 clasps issued to the members of the British Legation at Peking.

John George Hancock was a Student Interpreter in the Consular Service, one of 12 Students present during the siege. He is mentioned in the despatch of Sir Claude MacDonald, dated Peking, 20th September, 1900:

‘Of the conduct of the Student-Interpreters I cannot speak too highly. They behaved with a pluck and dash, yet steadiness under fire, worthy of veteran troops. On the occasion of a sortie made from the park of Prince Su under the command of Lieutenant Paolini of the Italian navy, volunteers were called for, and Messrs. Russell, Townsend, Bristow, Hancock, and Flaherty immediately came forward. The party, which consisted of Italian and British marines as well as the student volunteers, came suddenly upon a barricade 8 feet high, which effectively barred all further advance, and from which a heavy fire was opened at a distance of a few yards. Lieutenant Paolini fell severely wounded, two Italian marines were shot dead; several of the marines, both British and Italian, were also wounded. The party was thrown into disorder, and crowded through a hole in the park wall. Mr. Russell, who was the senior student, with great coolness ordered the others to take cover behind a projecting piece of wall on the north side of the lane, from which they opened a smart fire on the barricade, and when the marines had all got through, several being wounded in doing so, he ordered the party to dash across the lane two at a time. They did this under a withering fire. All got across in safety except Mr. Townsend, who was shot through the shoulder and thigh, but was pulled through the hole, still retaining hold of his rifle. Fire-arms had been served out to the volunteers, but there were more of the latter than of the former, so the loss of a rifle was a serious matter. Mr. Bristow in his dash across the lane with great coolness stopped and picked up the rifle of one of the killed and brought it in. I venture to think that, but for the presence of mind displayed by Mr. Russell, very few of the students would have escaped being killed or wounded. The above is only a specimen of the spirit which actuated my entire staff throughout the siege.’

John George Hancock, aged 24, is commemorated by name on the memorial plaque to those ‘Who Gave Their Lives in Defence of this Legation, June 20-August 14 1900,’ erected in the corner of the garden of the British Ambassador’s Residence in Peking. He is also listed as ‘Killed’ during the siege by Henry Keown-Boyd in his book, The Fists of Righteous Harmony. However, in his Diary of the Siege, published in 1901, the Rev Roland Allen states, ‘Hancock went through the siege unscathed, but fell a victim to disease later in the year.’