Obituaries Australia

The death is announced of a pioneer colonist in the person of Mrs. Sophia Hancock, of Aubrey Hill, Beverley, who passed away on Wednesday, August 29, at the age of 83 years. The deceased lady was born in England, and arrived in Western Australia with her parents in the ship Warrior in 1880, being only seven years old. She passed the whole of her life in this State, and was the oldest resident of Beverley, having survived all those sturdy early pioneer settlers who first made their homes in this now flourishing district. Mrs. Hancock, with her husband and three young children, went to Beverley, then a wilderness, with a few scattered brother settlers, in the year 1848, and lived there ever since, nearly 59 years. Her family of four sons and six daughters mourn the loss of a beloved and honoured mother. She leaves fifty grand-children and sixty great grand-children. Her eldest son, the late John F. Hancock, of Ashburton Downs, in the North-West, pre-deceased her, having passed away just four years ago, and one daughter died in Roebourne about 34 years ago at the age of 21 years. The funeral took place at the Gilgering cemetery on Thursday afternoon, and was largely attended. The Rev. Canon Groser conducted the funeral service. A large number of beautiful wreaths were sent as tokens of affection by the friends of the deceased.