Biography

Family background

Rosemary Helena Hancock's name appears on the 1945 Service Register of the Collingham electoral roll for that year, confirming that she served in the Second World War.

Rosemary was born on the 6th July 1922, the eldest child of Henry Hancock, and his wife, Margaret Gwendoline (nee Todd). A year earlier, on the 19th March 1921, Henry, a 24 year old Engineer from Trefriw in North Wales, had married Margaret Gwendoline Todd, a 23 year old typist from 151 Astonville Street in London, at St. Paul's Church in Wimbledon park, but a few weeks later on census day 1921, Henry and Margaret are living at Garmon View, Trefriw. Henry was an electrical engineer working for the Aluminium Corp. Ltd in Dolgarrog. On census night the family group was completed by two visitors - the 58 year old Mary M Todd, and the 8 year old Eric F Morisson.

After Rosemary's birth, Henry and Margaret had a further two children, Rosemary's siblings, Duncan John Hancock (b. 21/11/1925), and Josephine M. Hancock (b. 7/5/1928).

Sometime between 1928 and 1939, Henry and his family moved to Collingham. On the 29th September 1939, The 1939 Register was taken. The information was used to produce identity cards and, once rationing was introduced in January 1940, to issue ration books. Information in the Register was also used to administer conscription and the direction of labour, and to monitor and control the movement of the population caused by military mobilisation and mass evacuation. On that day, Henry and his family were living at Rosedene, The Avenue, Collingham. There were eight people in residence - Henry and Margaret Hancock, their children, Rosemary, Duncan and Josephine, and a Laing family, John M. Laing, Lillian A.H. Laing and another member (record currently redacted [Nov 2023]. Henry Hancock was listed as an electrician and sound engineer, and he was also a member of the Observer Corps in Beeston. Margaret was a housewife, Rosemary was listed as a student and Duncan and Josephine were at school. John Laing was a chartered mechanical engineer.

Conscription for single women came into effect in December 1941 for all single women between the ages of 20 and 30 and Rosemary would have passed 20 just about 6 months into 1942.

Service record

We have not yet identified Rosemary's war service. There is some indication from later records (see below), that she worked as a nurse, and some that she worked as a secretary for the Army. Perhaps she did both. Hopefully as more records become available we will be able to track her military service.

After the war

The Hancock family remains closely associated with Collingham and living at Rosedene, The Avenue continuing from the mid-1940's through to at least 1961 from the electoral roll records. Henry and Margaret Gwendoline appear on every roll between those dates while others come and go, with Duncan, Rosemary and Josephine all appearing on many rolls.

However, for Rosemary, the post-war years saw an exciting, globe-trotting set of experiences. The first indication of this is on the 2nd July 1948 when Rosemary Hancock sets sail from Southampton on the Queen Mary bound for New York. She was described on the passenger list as being aged 25, from Rosedene, Collingham, and her occupation is given as being a nurse. Interestingly on the American Immigration Declaration, Rosemary appears on the Army & Diplomatic List, and she gives her future address as 908 N Lebanon, Old Dominion Hills, Arlington, Virginia. This trip marks the start of a set of fairly regular trans-atlantic crossings. We find Rosemary returning to the UK from the 12th to the 17th January 1950 from New York to Southampton on the Queen Mary. She was 28 and again is described as a nurse. She gave her address in the UK as Rosedene, Collingham. This may have been the end of some military or nursing roll for Rosemary, and the next time we find her crossing the Atlantic she is described with a different job.

On the 30th August 1951, Rosemary Hancock again leaves the UK. This time on the Ascania, leaving Liverpool and travelling to Montreal. She gave her UK address again as Rosedene, Collingham and her occupation as a secretary. We do not know if Rosemary planned to emmigrate or whether that was to Canada or to the USA, and we do not find any further records of Rosemary Hancock entering or leaving the UK. However, the Streator, Illinois, Daily Times-Press reported on June 29th 1953, on Rosemary's marriage:

From 1953 we can trace Rosemary under this new surname.

On the 7th May 1956, Rosemary Christensen, listed as a housewife, travelled from New York to Southampton on the Queen Elizabeth, giving her UK address as Rosedene, Collingham. She seems to have stayed in the UK for about 18 months before she boarded the Britannic in Liverpool on the 15th November 1957 to travel to New York. In 1959, on the 12th October, Rosemary again travelled back to the UK, on board the Queen Elizabeth from New York to Southampton.

Another travel record, for the 1st August 1969 shows Rosemary travelling from Southampton, via Cherbourg, to New York on the Queen Mary.

After this date, passenger ship travel was overtaken by the ease and speed of air travel, and fewer records of immigration and emigration were kept. We therefore lose track of Rosemary Helena Hancock (Christensen). At some time, Victor and Rosemary returned to the UK and Yorkshire, and we have found a burial record in Boston Spa which we think must be that of Victor - Burials in the parish of St. Mary the Virgin, Boston Spa, Carl Victor Arnold Christensen of 38, Church Street, Boston Spa, aged 80, buried 2nd December 1988. Finally, there is a record of Rosemary's death on the 31st January 1995 at 38 Church Street, Boston Spa. [Although some records give her date of death as 15th January 1995].

Biography last updated 21 November 2023 23:51:52.