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Hannay History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Hannay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

Early Origins of the Hannay family

The surname Hannay was first found in Yorkshire where "the pedigree begins with Sir William de Anne, Constable of the Castle of Tickhill in the time of Edward II." 1 Hunter states about this family: "it is a single instance of the male line being maintained in its ancient port and rank out of all gentry of the Deanery of Doncaster, summoned to appear before the Heralds in 1584."

The Hanney (Hanny) variant likely arose from East or West Hanney, the latter a parish in the union of Wantage, partly in the hundred of Ock, but chiefly in that of Wantage, Berkshire. Both are ancient Saxon villages dating back to 956 when they were collectively known as Hannige. By the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, they were known as Hannei, meaning "island, or land between streams, frequented by cocks (of wild birds)" from the Old English word "hana" + "eg." 2

"The church [of West Hanney] is principally of Norman architecture, and contains a monument to Mrs. Elizabeth Bowles, who died at the advanced age of 124 years; likewise several memorials of Knights Templars." 3

Thomas Hanney or De Hanneye (fl. 1313), is the author of a treatise, 'De quatuor partibus Grammaticæ,' known as the 'Memoriale Iuniorum,' which is extant in two manuscripts in the Bodleian Library. "There appears to be no evidence that the writer was an Englishman, but if he was he may be assumed to have taken his name from Hanney in Berkshire, not far from Wantage, which place is spelled Hanneye in a roll of 8 Edward II." 4

Early History of the Hannay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hannay research. Another 152 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1307, 1394, 1415, 1420, 1455, 1487, 1490, 1510 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Hannay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hannay Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Hannay include Anne, Any, Ann, Anny, Annie, Hanne, Hanny, Hanney and others.

Early Notables of the Hannay family

More information is included under the topic Early Hannay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hannay migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Hannay were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Hannay Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John and Elizabeth Hannay, who arrived in New York in 1774
Elizabeth Hannay, aged 7, who arrived in New York in 1774 5
John Hannay, aged 7, who landed in New York in 1774 5

Hannay Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Alexander Hannay, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1833 5
Andrew Hannay, who landed in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1834 5
Annie M. Hannay, aged 21, who settled in America, in 1893
Thomas S. Hannay, aged 48, who landed in America, in 1895

Hannay Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Thomas Hannay, aged 30, who immigrated to the United States from Bridge of Allan, in 1903
Guy Hannay, aged 17, who landed in America from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1904
Jane Hannay, aged 67, who immigrated to America from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1904
Blanche Hannay, aged 24, who immigrated to the United States from Chelmsfort, England, in 1904
Margaret Hannay, aged 49, who landed in America from Broon, Scotland, in 1906
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hannay migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Hannay Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Hannay, (b. 1840), aged 20, British farm labourer travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd December 1860 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Hannay (post 1700) +

Allen Burroughs Hannay (1892-1983), United States federal judge
Sir Samuel Hannay (b. 1790), 3rd Baronet, English MP for Camelford
Alastair Hannay (b. 1932), English Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Oslo
James Hannay (1827-1873), Scottish novelist, journalist and diplomat born at Dumfries on 17 Feb. 1827 where his father, David Hannay (1794-1864), was a member of the Speculative Society at Edinburgh University, 1813-14, and author of 'Ned Allen, or the Past Age,' 1849 7
James Ballantyne Hannay (1855-1931), Scottish chemist
The Rt Rev Thomas Hannay DD, MA, BA (1887-1970), Anglican priest, Bishop of Argyll and The Isles (1942), Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church
Barbara Hannay, Australian author of romance novels
Sir Samuel Hannay (1772-1842), 4th Baronet
Robert Kerr Hannay FRSE (1867-1940), Scottish historian, Historiographer Royal of Scotland
David Hugh Alexander Hannay GCMG, CH (b. 1935), Baron Hannay of Chiswick, British diplomat
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Hannay family +

HMS Hood

Mr. James D Hannay (b. 1916), Scottish Stoker 2nd Class serving for the Royal Navy from Dundee, Angus, Scotland, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 8

HMS Repulse

Mr. Alfred Hannay (b. 1918), English Ordinary Seaman from Five Lane Ends, Bradford, England, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 9

Citations +

Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html