Lincoln's Mother

[samgrant]

Nancy Hanks Lincoln

Pretty hot for that era, how did she give birth to such an ugly cuss?

Poet Rosemary Benet wrote the following poem entitled "Nancy Hanks"

If Nancy Hanks
Came back as a ghost,
Seeking news
Of what she loved most,
She'd ask first
"Where's my son?
What's happened to Abe?
What's he done?"


"Poor little Abe,
Left all alone
Except for Tom,
Who's a rolling stone;
He was only nine
The year I died.
I remember still
How hard he cried."


"Scraping along
In a little shack,
With hardly a shirt
To cover his back,
And a prairie wind
To blow him down,
Or pinching times
If he went to town."


"You wouldn't know
About my son?
Did he grow tall?
Did he have fun?
Did he learn to read?
Did he get to town?
Do you know his name?
Did he get on?"



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[tarheel]

He definately resembles her in the face.

Maybe it's a distortion in the photo, but she sure does have long fingers.

[ole]

Many thanks for finding and posting that Sam. It is the first time I've ever seen a (maybe) picture of Abe's mom. Actually, I can't figure that it is a real picture of herself. There is a ton of skepticism sitting over here.

But I do appreciate your finding this bit and posting it.

ole

[matthew mckeon]

This might be an artist's concept of what Nancy Hanks would have looked like. But I seriously doubt it was a likeness done during her lifetime.

[samgrant]

Originally Posted by ole

Many thanks for finding and posting that Sam. It is the first time I've ever seen a (maybe) picture of Abe's mom. Actually, I can't figure that it is a real picture of herself. There is a ton of skepticism sitting over here.

ole

I stumbled on to it here:

http://home.att.net/~rjnorton/Lincoln81.html

and here is a color version and explanation:

http://www.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/le...126visual5.htm

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[ole]

Good links, Sam. Thanks. Interesting reading as well.

ole

[OpnDownfall]

If the recorded descriptions are correct, Nancy would seem to have been quite tall for a woman of that time. At 5' 7" and approx. 120 lbs, Nancy would have been as tall as many of the men at the time. I read somewhere the 'avg.' ht of men at the time was around 5'8"

[ole]

At 5' 7" she wasn't diminutive. But I can't quite see her as above average. Kinda tall and scrawny, wouldn't you say? In a day when they guys liked a bit of cushion on their sweetie ........ nevermind. I'm rambling again.

ole

[larry_cockerham]

Here's a little family history on my link to Nancy Hanks Lincoln:

7. James Cockerham and Rhoda McCann, parents of:

4. William Frank Cockerham b. 23 Dec 1848 d. 20 Dec 1924 (24 Dec 1920?)
William served in the 52th North Carolina Regiment, Company F. He was wounded at Globe Tavern, Virginia 21 Aug 1864, then captured and released at Point Lookout, Maryland 24 Jun 1865.
m. (1) Celia Jane Hanks 14 Dec 1867 in Wilkes County, N.C. (b. 1848 near Stone Mountain in Wilkes Co. d. 9 Oct 1924) She is buried in Charity Methodist Church cemetery in Benham, Wilkes Co. NC. Jane was daughter of William Hanks b. 3 Aug 1820 d. 14 Feb 1864 and Nancy Caroline McCann b. 1 Sep 1825 d. 17 Dec 1910. Marriage performed by John Hughes, Baptist min. Jane Hanks
Cockerham was granddaughter of William Hanks and Sarah Celia Lyons. William Hanks was the son of James Hanks and Mary Starrett Hanks. This James was the brother of Abraham Hanks Sr. who married Sarah Harper. Abraham Sr. was the father of Nancy Hanks who married Thomas Lincoln and became the mother of Abraham Lincoln, 16th president of the United States. This means that 'our' Jane was the third cousin of Honest Abe.

[samgrant]

Originally Posted by larry_cockerham

Here's a little family history on my link to Nancy Hanks Lincoln:

7. James Cockerham and Rhoda McCann, parents of:

4. William Frank Cockerham b. 23 Dec 1848 d. 20 Dec 1924 (24 Dec 1920?)
William served in the 52th North Carolina Regiment, Company F. He was wounded at Globe Tavern, Virginia 21 Aug 1864, then captured and released at Point Lookout, Maryland 24 Jun 1865.
m. (1) Celia Jane Hanks 14 Dec 1867 in Wilkes County, N.C. (b. 1848 near Stone Mountain in Wilkes Co. d. 9 Oct 1924) She is buried in Charity Methodist Church cemetery in Benham, Wilkes Co. NC. Jane was daughter of William Hanks b. 3 Aug 1820 d. 14 Feb 1864 and Nancy Caroline McCann b. 1 Sep 1825 d. 17 Dec 1910. Marriage performed by John Hughes, Baptist min. Jane Hanks
Cockerham was granddaughter of William Hanks and Sarah Celia Lyons. William Hanks was the son of James Hanks and Mary Starrett Hanks. This James was the brother of Abraham Hanks Sr. who married Sarah Harper. Abraham Sr. was the father of Nancy Hanks who married Thomas Lincoln and became the mother of Abraham Lincoln, 16th president of the United States. This means that 'our' Jane was the third cousin of Honest Abe.

And that makes 'our' Larry the ???

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