Friday Finds: Judge William Adam Hocker Portrait

It’s always great to find an photo or image of an ancestor or relative. This one was an unexpected find… and delight!

William Adam Hocker, son of William and Susannah Mildred (Lewis) Hocker, was born 5 Dec 1844 in Buckingham County, Virginia.  He married Gertrude Alice Venable, daughter of Thomas Frederick and Mary Priscilla (Venable) Venable, on 11 Nov 1868 in Farmville, Prince Edward County, Virginia and then Mattie Norvell Glover on 1 Dec 1909 in Roanoke, Virginia. He died in Jacksonville, Ocala County, Florida on 16 Jul 1918. Justice Hocker had five children with his first wife: Mary Venable (Hocker) Lovell, William Hocker, Lucy Lewis Hocker, Alice Walton (Hocker) Drake, and Frederick Roche Hocker.

He was educated at Hampden-Sidney College and the University of Virginia and admitted to the bar in Virginia in 1868. He moved to Florida in 1874 where he served as States Attorney from 1877 to his resignation in 1886. He was a judge in the 5th Judicial Circuit between 1893 and 1901, served on the Supreme Court Commission in 1901-1903 and was a Justice of the Supreme Court of Florida from 1903 to 1915.

Justice Hocker was my 3rd cousin 5 times removed. His great grandfather, Johan Georg Hacker, was the brother of my 6 times great grandfather, Johan “Hans” Adam Hacker.

Image Credit: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/34483

• Category: Photos, Research
• Tag: Friday Finds, Portrait