Margaret Mary Hancock, always known as “Peggy”, who died earlier this year, was a keen local and family historian with a particular love of Wickhamford.
Peggy was born on 23rd October 1927, at 10 Mill Lane Avenue, Broadway. She was the eldest daughter of Mr and Mrs Jack Ingles and had a younger sister, Brenda. Peggy attended Broadway Primary School and Prince Henry’s Grammar School. On leaving school, she worked for Evesham Council at their offices in Port Street, where she met her future husband. She then worked for the Ministry of Agriculture in Henry Street and later at Lloyds Bank.
On 6th October 1951, she married Geoffrey Hancock of Wickhamford in St Michaels and All Angels Church, Broadway. Their home was in Badsey Lane, Evesham, and this is where Geoff and Peggy raised their five sons, Brian, Peter, Gary, Roy and John. On the passing of Geoff, she moved to a bungalow in Lindsay Avenue, Evesham.
Peggy was keen on family history and researched many branches of both her own and Geoff’s family. She was a founder member of Wickhamford Women’s Institute, and attended the meetings with her future mother-in-law, Gwen Hancock. She was a member of Evesham Floral Society, The Stamp Club and The Badsey Society.
Another of Peggy’s passions was collecting items of local interest. She was an avid collector of postcards and newspaper articles relating to Broadway and other villages, including Badsey and Wickhamford. These items were carefully stored in scrap books and Peggy was always happy to allow others to view her collections. She was also a very competent artist and some of her drawings of houses in Manor Road and the Church in Wickhamford are shown below.
Peggy Hancock was unable to stay at Lindsey Avenue and she moved to Perry Manor Care Home, Worcester, where her granddaughter worked, and where she passed away on 26th August 2024.
Val Harman & Tom Locke, December 2024
