(With apologies to the former bus company that, during most of the 20^th century, served parts of the Hampshire and Dorset area of Wessex most occupied by Dorset Hanns)

Within the boundaries of 17th century Dorset there were a number of branches of the Hann/Hand family. They were probably related, but left their ‘base’ before the commencement of Parish Registers, so this has so far been impossible to confirm. Moving from the west to the east, they were present in the Dalwood/Stockland area (now in east Devon), the Nether Compton/Over Compton, Trent and Castleton area near Sherborne, the Stourton Caundle and Marnhull areas of the Blackmoor Vale and in Gillingham and Shaftesbury (also known as Shaston) . Later families, so far unlinked, appeared in Wootton Fitzpaine, Thorncombe, Melbury Osmond (Thomas Hardy’s ancestors, possibly Marnhull Hanns) and Tarrant Hinton.

Taking each of these groups as a separate entity, I shall try and chart the progress and dispersal of the Hanns from the Dorset/Somerset borderlands throughout the English-speaking world. The Hanns of the neighbouring county of Somerset are will be treated similarly (Hanns of Somerset)

For details of the migrations of Dorset Hann families click number of relevant branch below: (Formulating this information will be a lengthy process, so it may be some time before all options are underlined and therefore available)

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Castleton

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Nether Compton

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Dalwood

’

Shaftesbury

Ž

Gillingham

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Tarrant Hinton

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Marnhull

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Thorncombe

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Melbury Osmond

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Wootton Fitzpaine

Though, as I said, I am still not certain of the origins of the Hanns, a number of tenuous links lead me to the pre-parish register Blackmoor Vale possibly around the Melburies/Evershot to Stourton Caundle area.

1. The Warres of Hestercombe who were Lords of the Manor of Dalwood are believed to have originated at Melbury Bubb, their predecessors, the Chantemarles having been based at Frome St Quentin.

2. The Hanns of Castleton had links with Bishop Caundle, Longburton and Buckland Newton and married into the Simmonds family - as did Thomas Hardy’s Hann/Hand ancestors, who his daughter said came from the Blackmoor Vale. The Hardy Hanns moving from Affpuddle back to the Blackmoor Vale at Melbury Osmond before returning to the Piddle Valley at Puddletown.

3. Those of Trent (adjoining Nether Compton and Over Compton) had links with Bridgwater, Somerset (near Hestercombe). They also had links with Combe St Nicholas in Somerset, where one of the Dalwood Hanns married, and married into the influencial Somersetshire Chute family, part of which moved to Sherborne St John, Hants and held a baronetcy.

4. In 1614 Richard Warre of Hestercombe and Thomas Warre of Taunton were procuring Parliamentary votes for Sir Robert Phelips of Montacute - home of the largest contingent of Somersets Hanns - who also owned lands in Frome St Quentin.

5. Wootton Fitzpaine at one time was held by the Earls of Ilchester - the Fox-Strangeways of Melbury House, Evershot.

6. Benjamin Hann of Castleton was buying land from Thomas Billet of Warmwell shortly after Sarah Hann/Hand of the Hardy Hanns had married a William Billet in nearby Puddletown

7. At one time the manor of Boskennen in the parish of Sancreed, Cornwall, where other Hanns lived, was in Phelips’ lordship

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