HANCOCK JOHN TAX FREE BOND FUND
NSAR-A, 1997-04-24
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<PAGE>      PAGE  1
000 A000000 02/28/97
000 C000000 0000857769
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0
000 J000000 U
001 A000000 JOHN HANCOCK TAX-FREE BOND TRUST
001 B000000 811-5968
001 C000000 6173751702
002 A000000 101 HUNTINGTON AVENUE
002 B000000 BOSTON
002 C000000 MA
002 D010000 02199
002 D020000 7603
003  000000 N
004  000000 N
005  000000 N
006  000000 N
007 A000000 Y
007 B000000  2
007 C010100  1
007 C020100 JOHN HANCOCK TAX-FREE BOND FUND
007 C030100 N
007 C010200  2
007 C020200 JOHN HANCOCK HIGH YIELD TAX-FREE FUND
007 C030200 N
007 C010300  3
007 C010400  4
007 C010500  5
007 C010600  6
007 C010700  7
007 C010800  8
007 C010900  9
007 C011000 10
008 A00AA01 JOHN HANCOCK ADVISERS, INC.
008 B00AA01 A
008 C00AA01 801-8124
008 D01AA01 BOSTON
008 D02AA01 MA
008 D03AA01 02199
008 D04AA01 7603
011 A00AA01 JOHN HANCOCK FUNDS, INC.
011 B00AA01 8-43582
011 C01AA01 BOSTON
011 C02AA01 MA
011 C03AA01 02199
011 C04AA01 7603
012 A00AA01 JOHN HANCOCK SIGNATURE SERVICES, INC.
<PAGE>      PAGE  2
012 B00AA01 84-18851
012 C01AA01 BOSTON
012 C02AA01 MA
012 C03AA01 02199
012 C04AA01 7603
013 A00AA01 ERNST & YOUNG LLP
013 B01AA01 BOSTON
013 B02AA01 MA
013 B03AA01 02116
014 A00AA01 JOHN HANCOCK DISTRIBUTORS, INC.
014 B00AA01 8-13995
014 A00AA02 JOHN HANCOCK FUNDS, INC.
014 B00AA02 8-43582
014 A00AA03 TUCKER ANTHONY, INC.
014 B00AA03 8-24297
014 A00AA04 SUTRO & CO., INC
014 B00AA04 8-7981
014 A00AA05 FREEDOM DISTRIBUTORS CORPORATION
014 B00AA05 8-37458
018  00AA00 Y
019 A00AA00 Y
019 B00AA00   59
019 C00AA00 JOHNHANCOC
020 A000001 BEAR STEARNS & CO
020 B000001 13-2975144
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022 A000003 MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH
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022 A000004 LEHMAN BROTHERS
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022 C000004     27658
<PAGE>      PAGE  3
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022 C000005     23620
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022 A000006 PAINE WEBBER
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022 C000006     12234
022 D000006      5851
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022 D000009      6215
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022 D000010      5014
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<PAGE>      PAGE  4
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054 D00AA00 N
054 E00AA00 N
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054 H00AA00 Y
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054 L00AA00 N
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<PAGE>      PAGE  5
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<PAGE>      PAGE  6
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<PAGE>      PAGE  7
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070 C020100 Y
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070 E020100 Y
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070 F020100 N
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070 G020100 Y
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070 H020100 N
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070 I020100 N
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070 J020100 Y
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070 K020100 N
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070 L020100 N
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<PAGE>      PAGE  8
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<PAGE>      PAGE  9
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015 A000201 INVESTORS BANK & TRUST COMPANY
015 B000201 C
015 C010201 BOSTON
015 C020201 MA
015 C030201 02110
015 E010201 X
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028 G010200     17419
028 G020200      1457
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029  000200 Y
030 A000200     97
<PAGE>      PAGE  10
030 B000200  4.50
030 C000200  0.00
031 A000200     13
031 B000200      0
032  000200     79
033  000200      5
034  000200 Y
035  000200    244
036 A000200 Y
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042 B000200   0
042 C000200 100
042 D000200   0
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043  000200    636
044  000200   6815
045  000200 Y
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048 A020200 0.625
048 B010200    75000
048 B020200 0.563
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048 K010200   150000
048 K020200 0.500
049  000200 N
050  000200 N
051  000200 N
052  000200 N
053 A000200 N
<PAGE>      PAGE  11
055 A000200 N
055 B000200 N
056  000200 Y
057  000200 N
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062 L000200   2.8
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062 N000200   0.0
062 O000200  97.2
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063 A000200   0
063 B000200 22.7
064 A000200 N
064 B000200 N
070 A010200 Y
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070 C010200 Y
070 C020200 Y
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070 D020200 N
070 E010200 Y
070 E020200 Y
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070 F020200 N
070 G010200 Y
070 G020200 Y
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070 H020200 N
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070 I020200 N
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070 K010200 Y
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070 L010200 N
070 L020200 N
070 M010200 N
<PAGE>      PAGE  12
070 M020200 N
070 N010200 N
070 N020200 N
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070 Q020200 N
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070 R020200 N
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SIGNATURE   SUSAN S. NEWTON                              
TITLE       VICE PRESIDENT      
 


<TABLE> <S> <C>

<ARTICLE> 6
<SERIES>
   <NUMBER> 011
   <NAME> JOHN HANCOCK TAX-FREE BOND FUND - CLASS A
       
<S>                             <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                          AUG-31-1997
<PERIOD-START>                             SEP-01-1996
<PERIOD-END>                               FEB-28-1997
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST>                      783,189,620
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE>                     838,537,181
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<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS>                                 0
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<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT>                              0
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<SENIOR-EQUITY>                                      0
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<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS>                   (17,200,113)
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<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC>                    55,348,439
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<DIVIDEND-INCOME>                                    0
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<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME>                     20,303,020
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT>                   (2,947,906)
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<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS>                       31,946,002
<EQUALIZATION>                                       0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME>                   16,723,593
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS>                             0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER>                                0
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<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR>                 (14,252,207)
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<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR>                           0
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<PER-SHARE-NAV-END>                              10.47
<EXPENSE-RATIO>                                   0.85
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING>                               0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE>                                 0
        


</TABLE>

<TABLE> <S> <C>

<ARTICLE> 6
<SERIES>
   <NUMBER> 012
   <NAME> JOHN HANCOCK TAX-FREE BOND FUND - CLASS B
       
<S>                             <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                          AUG-31-1997
<PERIOD-START>                             SEP-01-1996
<PERIOD-END>                               FEB-28-1997
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST>                      783,189,620
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE>                     838,537,181
<RECEIVABLES>                               20,003,057
<ASSETS-OTHER>                                  72,814
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS>                                 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                             858,613,052
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES>                    32,078,397
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT>                              0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES>                   10,629,763
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES>                         42,708,160
<SENIOR-EQUITY>                                      0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON>                   777,798,915
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK>                       21,007,442
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR>                        7,903,470
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<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS>                             0
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<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND>                            (0.26)
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<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL>                                 0
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<EXPENSE-RATIO>                                   1.60
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING>                               0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE>                                 0
        


</TABLE>

<TABLE> <S> <C>

<ARTICLE> 6
<SERIES>
   <NUMBER> 021
   <NAME> JOHN HANCOCK HIGH YIELD TAX-FREE FUND - CLASS A
       
<S>                             <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   5-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                          AUG-31-1997
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<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE>                     168,926,924
<RECEIVABLES>                                6,393,971
<ASSETS-OTHER>                                  28,159
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS>                                 0
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<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT>                              0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES>                      782,719
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<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR>                        2,624,070
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT>                       13,612
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII>                               0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS>                    (9,355,922)
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS>                             0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC>                     7,028,533
<NET-ASSETS>                               172,509,441
<DIVIDEND-INCOME>                                    0
<INTEREST-INCOME>                            5,237,845
<OTHER-INCOME>                                       0
<EXPENSES-NET>                               1,217,871
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME>                      4,019,974
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT>                   (1,713,512)
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT>                    2,732,599
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS>                        5,039,061
<EQUALIZATION>                                       0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME>                      684,364
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS>                             0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER>                                0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD>                        703,236
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED>                  (386,051)
<SHARES-REINVESTED>                             34,845
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS>                         489,008
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR>                             16
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR>                  (7,599,757)
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR>                              0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR>                           0
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<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                                   0
<GROSS-EXPENSE>                              1,217,871
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS>                        26,603,136
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN>                             9.20
<PER-SHARE-NII>                                   0.23
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC>                           0.07
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND>                            (0.24)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS>                            0
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL>                                 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END>                               9.26
<EXPENSE-RATIO>                                   1.06
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING>                               0
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</TABLE>

<TABLE> <S> <C>

<ARTICLE> 6
<SERIES>
   <NUMBER> 022
   <NAME> JOHN HANCOCK HIGH YIELD TAX-FREE FUND - CLASS B
       
<S>                             <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   5-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                          AUG-31-1997
<PERIOD-START>                             OCT-01-1996
<PERIOD-END>                               FEB-28-1997
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST>                      161,899,179
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE>                     168,926,924
<RECEIVABLES>                                6,393,971
<ASSETS-OTHER>                                  28,159
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS>                                 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                             175,349,054
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES>                     2,056,894
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT>                              0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES>                      782,719
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES>                          2,839,613
<SENIOR-EQUITY>                                      0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON>                   174,823,218
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK>                       15,557,202
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR>                       16,173,859
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT>                       13,612
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII>                               0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS>                    (9,355,922)
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<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT>                   (1,713,512)
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<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS>                        5,039,061
<EQUALIZATION>                                       0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME>                    3,335,604
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS>                             0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER>                                0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD>                      1,176,595
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED>                (2,265,081)
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<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                                   0
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<EXPENSE-RATIO>                                   1.81
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</TABLE>


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