HANNABUSS origins?

[retrospectory]

I've recently discovered the name Hannabus(s) within my family tree, with ancestors harking from the village of Butterleigh, near Cullompton in Devon, and I'm intrigued by such an unusual name.  Does anyone know where this originates from?

[Fred Shroll]

I've recently discovered the name Hannabus(s) within my family tree, with ancestors harking from the village of Butterleigh, near Cullompton in Devon, and I'm intrigued by such an unusual name.  Does anyone know where this originates from?

The Tiverton/Halberton/Butterleigh area of Devon! The earliest form seems to be Hanibus.

Essentially they are a single family, although many of that name in Australia and South Africa descend from a stepson who changed his surname from Quant to that of his stepfather before getting himself transported to Australia.

Be prepared for innumerable spelling variations Hanabus/Hannabus/Hannabuss/Hannabus/Hanibus etc., as well as wrong trascriptions such as Vannabuss.

Most of the main line family is well researched and if you post details of your connection there is a good (maybe 40%) chance of plugging straight into what is already known. (Although I can't actually connect my own Hannabuss ancestors in Halberton to the main line!)

.

[retrospectory]

The furthest I've gone back so far is Thomas Hannabuss, born around 1817 in Butterleigh.  He went on to marry Jane Baker, born around 1818 in Cullompton, in the summer of 1843 in Tiverton, before moving to London where my great-great grandfather, Tom, was born in 1867.

Although, as ever, the 1841 census is a little hazy there is a Philip Hannabuss listed in Butterleigh with two children, Henry born in 1816 and Mary born in 1821.  Thomas isn't listed but I suspect this may be his father and siblings.  If correct, his mother's name is Mary Baker - she and Philip married on 19th March 1808 in Cadbury.

Philip is listed in 1841 as being born circa 1781, but I can't find definitive records to confirm this and/or who his parents are.  If anyone has any further links, I'd be extremely grateful.

Regards...Helen

[Fred Shroll]

Hi Helen,

Most of my notes on the Hannabus family unconnected as yet to my family are on paper and thoughtlessly I barricaded them behind stored furniture a couple of weeks ago. What a fool I am!

This is stuff I have hardly looked at for nine years apparently! I have not added all the details now easily extracted form FreeBMD and the censuses. However, from my computer notes it looks as if Thomas was the son on Philip H (1781-1843) and Mary Baker (along with Sarah; Ann; John; Henry; James; another Sarah and Mary). Going back in time the preceding generations are:


John H (1741- ?) & Mary Quant (1748-1814)
Philip H (1707-1757) & Ann Drew ( ? -1766)
Philip H (1678-1754) & Emblin Warren
John H (1637- ?) & Johan Punter
John H (1603- ?) & Johan Lympe (1607- ?)
Phillippe Hanibus (a pikeman in the reign of Q. Eliz I) & ? Drew

This is all a bit sloppy and without references so I'll try to pull some more details together over the next few days. Don't worry, there are plenty of good researchers working on this Hannabuss line who will pick up any errors of mine (Ivy Trott, Bob Lush, Ken Hannabus, Lilian Austin etc; I must get back in touch with them).

[AndySandersuk]

Hi Helen

I have a Hannibus in my family, Henry Hannibus married Mary Sanders 15 July 1813, Feniton Devon. I am afraid one of the Hannibus males ended up in jail.

Andy

[AuntNeena]

Hi all, I realize this is a very old post, but I have just started my search for Hannabuss relatives in the Devon area, and I am hoping one of you can help me. I live in Portland, Oregon, U.S.A., and my grandmother was Ida Elizabeth Hannabuss born in 1891 in Tiverton to Frank and Annie Hannabuss. Ida married my grandfather Carl Petersen, also of Tiverton. Carl and family emigrated to Canada and later to the U.S. in the 1920s.
Fred Shroll, you mentioned Bob Lush in one of your replies, and his name is familiar to me. Eileen Petersen was my aunt, and she told me that he is one of my family's last relatives in England, and I wasn't sure how to find him. I'm wondering if he is still around, and if he might care to correspond at all with me. Any help is appreciated!

[Fred Shroll]

Hi Aunt Neena.
I confidently predict you will find it easier than me to trace your Hannabus ancestry! I expect one of your fairly near relatives will turn up on here to help you. You will no doubt find your ancestors came from Halberton in Devon.

Essentially there is only one Hannabus family in the World, although one young man who adopted his stepfather's Hannabus surname then got himself transported to Australia has spread the Hannabus name in Australia and South Africa even though the bearers do not have a drop of Hannabus blood. There used to be a small but good group of Hannabus researchers who all knew how they were related to each other; I have not really had any contact with them this century as my 2 x g grandmother Mary Hannabus remains an unattached outlier.  I had not tried to pursue this long standing problem until just a couple of months ago when I made a determined effort to squeeze something out of DNA testing - finding nothing except a possible hint of a Quant connection (two Quant sisters married into the Hannabus family).

As I am in Coronavirus related social isolation I have a bit of time to myself for a change so I'll do a bit of poking around and get back to you within a couple of hours.

.

[Fred Shroll]

Hi Aunt Neena,

It does not look like you will have much of a problem. I found Ida living with her parents Frank and Annie at 10 West Exe North in Tiverton on the 1911 census. Frank was a self employed boot maker working at home, born in Cadeleigh, Devon (about four miles south west of Tiverton). Annie's full name looks to have been Sarah Ann Tucker, she married Frank in the first quarter of 1884. The family were at the same address in 1901 but were at Leat Street, Tiverton in 1891.

In 1881 unmarried Frank was at Little Silver (an address I recognise from Hannabus research last century) with his sister Phoebe aged 22 and his widowed father Henry aged 66, a cordwainer (shoe leather worker) born in Butterleigh. The family were at the same address in 1861 with Franks mother also, Mary Ann (Cosway) who married Frank in 1846. The family were at the same address in 1851 with one month old baby Frank.

On the 1841 census Henry was a 25 year old shoemaker living at Butterleigh with his father Philip a carpenter. Henry was baptised at Butterleigh on the 5th of March 1815, his parents were Philip Hannabus and Mary. Philip Hanabus and Mary Baker married at Cadbury, Devon on the 13th March 1808 after banns. I think this Philip is the one born 5 Jul 1781, baptised 23rd January 1788 at St Peter, Tiverton to John Hannabus and Jane (Quant).

I told you it would be easy! Along the way I have found a number of other persons interested in Ida as well as a photo of her.

.

[AuntNeena]

Thank you so much, Frank! I'm amazed at what you have been able to find out about the Hannabuss line. I would love to hear more from members of the Hannabuss or Petersen lines, too.
I guess the one good thing about the Coronavirus lockdown is the time we have to do research!
Thanks again, and stay well!