In February of 1778, General Washington ordered General "Mad" Anthony Wayne to forage for food, cattle and horses in South Jersey. A month later, General William Howe dispatched 1,500 British troops and Loyalists under General Charles Mahwood, with the same purpose. On March 20, 1778, a British and Loyalist detachment, foraging between Salem and Alloway's Creeks, was threatened by militia gathering at Hancock's Bridge. "at night the Queen's American Rangers under Lieutenant Colonel John Graves Simcoe made a difficult amphibious landing on the south side of the creek and surprised and bayoneted the garrison in the house. Among the 10 killed and five wounded was Judge William Hancock, who died five days later. The Hancock House has a distinctive, patterned brick west end wall, incorporating the initials of William and Sarah Hancock (HWS), parents of the judge, and the date they built the house (1734), atop a repeated zigzag pattern. Visitors today can tour the house and grounds, with spectacular views of the Alloway Creek. On display are historical documents indigenous to the area, plus a collection of South Jersey pottery and Ware chairs.



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