Editor and Publisher - Len Knott.
I have found details for William Robert HANNAY.
He was the second son of Sir Samuel HANNAY Bt. M.P. of Kirkdale, Kirkudbrightshire
William Robert was born in 1784 and christened at St Giles in the Fields, London.
He is mentioned in family deeds but not acknowledged in Burkes Landed Gentry or other reference works.
His sisters; Elizabeth, Margarett, Mary Ann, Jane, and brother Samuel were christened at St. Katherine Coleman, and St Dionis Backchurch, London. His sister Mary Hastings and (William) Robert do not appear in the same IGI index?? Nor does another brother John christened at Walthamstow in 1780. There is a further brother rumoured but not so far confirmed.
He is reputed to have been married to one Agnes McKean but no trace of this marriage has yet been found, He was sent to India in 1800 in the service of the East India Company and died at Calcutta in 1818
It is said that he had a son James and one daughter Janet (and possibly another Ann). The big problem is, that in order to achieve this he must have fathered these children before leaving for India by which time he was still only 16 years of age. Their surname became HANNAH which was by no means unusual. They are later found in Ayrshire. There is no mention of a wife or children in his will.
Much later, a descendant, another James HANNAH emigrated to Australia somewhere about 1900, one of his daughters, Annie, was married to William LANDSBOROUGH in 1918 at Mosman, Sydney, NSW. Annie and Billie returned to live in England. I would like to hear from anyone in Australia who recognises this story.
Whilst on the subject of Australia, I would be interested to hear from the descendants of Jane Hannay married 1794 Lt.Col.Alexander Gordon, (son of Patrick Grant of Redcastle, Inverness) and later NSW.
NEWSFLASH
After much eyeballing of Scottish Origins, I have come up with a Robert HANNAY at Kirkinner, Wig, with Agnes McLEAN as spouse, a daughter Janet christened 19th December 1794, and a son James HANNAY christened 19th August 1800. They fit the time frame too, but I now need some corroborating evidence to connect this family to William Robert HANNAY of Kirkdale. I have a strong suspicion that there will be no official marriage. Family tradition says there were strong-arm tactics taken to destroy evidence.
I now know that William Robert HANNAY died in Calcutta in 1818 serving with the 17th Bengal NI of the East India Company. He had an older brother John serving with the 18th Bengal LI who also died in India at Gwalior in 1805. Their uncle Alexander was also with the East India Company and had died in India in 1782. William Robert and his uncle Alexander are interred in South Park Street Cemetery in Calcutta
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Most recent revision 1st May 1999