{{Short description|British diplomat}} {{Use British English|date=November 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}} '''Sir Patrick Francis Hancock''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|GCMG}} (25 June 1914 – 1 February 1980) was a British diplomat who was ambassador to Israel, Norway and Italy.
==Career== Patrick Francis Hancock was educated at Winchester College and Trinity College, Cambridge. He joined the Diplomatic Service in 1937 and was appointed Third Secretary in the Foreign Office. On 10 January 1940, he was transferred to the British embassy in The Hague, but was recalled on 14 May following the German invasion of the Netherlands.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title = Foreign Office Personnel List|year = 1957|location = The National Archives, London}}</ref> Upon Hancock's return to London, he was seconded to the Ministry of Economic Warfare as Private Secretary to the Minister, Hugh Dalton.<ref name=":0" /> According to John Colville's diaries, Hancock found Dalton 'brilliant but unlovable'.<ref>{{Cite book|title = The Fringes of Power: Downing Street Diaries 1939-1955|last = Colville|first = John|publisher = Hodder and Stoughton|year = 1985|isbn = 0393022234|location = London|pages = [https://archive.org/details/fringesofpower1000colv/page/255 255]|url-access = registration|url = https://archive.org/details/fringesofpower1000colv/page/255}}</ref> He returned to the Foreign Office on 12 January 1942 and was promoted to Second Secretary in October of the same year.<ref name=":0" /> On 28 May 1943 Hancock was transferred to the Baghdad embassy and remained there until 16 July 1945, when he was recalled to London.<ref name=":0" />
In November 1948 Hancock was sent to the Brussels embassy and became ''chargé d'affaires'' there in 1949.<ref name=":0" /> He was recalled to the Foreign Office on 9 July 1951, and on 16 May 1953 was made Head of the Central Department.<ref name=":0" /> He was appointed private secretary to the Foreign Secretary on 1 September 1955, and remained in this post until 15 October 1956, when he was appointed Head of the Western Department.<ref name=":0" />
Hancock was ambassador to Israel 1959–62,<ref>[http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/41878/supplements/7458 The London Gazette, 24 November 1959]</ref> and then to Norway 1963–65.<ref>[http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/42950/pages/2609 The London Gazette, 22 March 1963]</ref> In 1965 he was transferred back to London and promoted to Assistant Under-Secretary of the Foreign Office, and then promoted again in 1968 to Deputy Under-Secretary.<ref name=":1" /> Following this, Hancock was sent to Rome and served as ambassador to Italy 1969–74.<ref>[http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/44957/pages/10482 The London Gazette, 14 October 1969]</ref>
==Later and private life== Hancock retired from the Diplomatic Service in 1974 and was secretary of the Pilgrim Trust from 1975 until his death.<ref name=":1">Sir Henry Fisher, [http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=BasicSearchForm&docId=CS288196180&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0 Sir Patrick Hancock], ''The Times'', London, 20 February 1980, page 17</ref>
Hancock married Beatrice Mangeot (née Huckell) in 1947. They had one son and one daughter.<ref name=":0" />
==Honours== Hancock was appointed CMG in 1956,<ref>[http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/40669/supplements/5 Supplement to the London Gazette, 2 January 1956]</ref> knighted KCMG in 1969<ref>[http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/44863/supplements/5964 Supplement to the London Gazette, 14 June 1969]</ref> and raised to GCMG in 1974 on his retirement.<ref>[http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/46310/supplements/6795 Supplement to the London Gazette, 15 June 1974]</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==Notes== {{Refbegin}} *[http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U155269 HANCOCK, Sir Patrick], ''Who Was Who'', A & C Black, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012 *[http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=BasicSearchForm&docId=CS238257730&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0 Sir Patrick Hancock] (obituary), ''The Times'', London, 2 February 1980, page 14 {{refend}}
{{S-start}} {{S-dip}} {{S-bef |before=Sir Anthony Rumbold}} {{S-ttl |title=Principal Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary |years=1955–1956}} {{S-aft |after=Sir Denis Laskey}} {{S-bef |before=Sir Francis Rundall}} {{S-ttl |title=Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary at Tel Aviv |years=1959–1962}} {{S-aft |after=John Beith}} {{S-bef |before=Sir John Walker}} {{S-ttl |title=Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary at Oslo |years=1963–1965}} {{S-aft |after=Sir Ian Scott}} {{S-bef |before=Sir Evelyn Shuckburgh}} {{S-ttl |title=Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary at Rome |years=1969–1974}} {{S-aft |after=Sir Guy Millard}} {{S-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hancock, Patrick Francis}} Category:1914 births Category:1980 deaths Category:People educated at Winchester College Category:Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Category:Principal private secretaries to the secretary of state for foreign and Commonwealth affairs Category:Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Israel Category:Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Norway Category:Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Italy Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George