The Hassalls of Hassall
The name Hassall appears to have originated in England. An analysis of surnames county by county shows the greatest concentration of people with this name in the county of Cheshire. There are also high concentrations in the immediately neighbouring counties and then extending in a band to the south-east, including Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Leicestershire.
There is only one location by the name of ‘Hassall’ today and it is a hamlet in the parish of Sandbach beside the M6 Motorway in Cheshire. From this evidence it would seem that the family originated in Cheshire and then descendants spread out in all directions, but in particular they drifted towards London which has been the predominant trend over the centuries. A separate family spelt ‘Hassell’ originated independently in Lancashire.
The Manor of Hassall, within which stands Hassall Hall, is surrounded by farms and is the dominating feature of its locale. It stands on a knoll overlooking the surrounding countryside, which undulates away below it. The closest village is at Hassall Green a mile away.
Hassall Green owes its existence to the Trent and Mersey Canal, which was constructed there during the Industrial Revolution, and the village shop supplies passing narrow boats on the canal as well as the local rural population.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, which was collated for William the Conqueror, the Manor is recorded as ‘Eteshale’ and it belonged to a powerful Norman baron, William Malbedeng, Baron of Nantwich.
The Manor of Eteshale (Hassall) remained in the possession of his family until the death of his grandson, William, when the estates were divided between his three daughters. One of these, Eleanor, inherited lands which included Eteshale. In 1214 she deeded these lands to Henry de Audley (Audley is over the county boundary in Staffordshire). He in turn granted the Manor to Henryde Betley (of Staffordshire) and it appears that Henry de Betley made Eteshale his principal residence.
By 1250 the Old Norman French had evolved into Middle English and Eteshale had changed to ‘Hatishale’ or ‘Hattesale’ and then into ‘Hassal’ when Henry identifies himself as being ‘Lord of Hatishale or Hassal’. His son was Randal de Hassale which evolved over the next 200 years into ‘Hassall’.
In 1447, Robert de Hassal and his wife Cecily acquired the lands of Hankelow, 10 miles to the south-west of Hassall. Hankelow Hall appears to have become the principal residence until 1585 in the time of Elizabeth when Ralph Hassall inherited Hassall Manor and William his step-brother was given Hankelow.
Ralph sold the Manor of Hassall in 1623-4 and Hassall Hall and its estates passed out of the Hassall family. Neither Ralph nor William had a surviving male heir, and the senior branch of the family was extinguished on their deaths.
As the family had prospered under the Tudors, it is likely that they had become Protestants under Henry VIII and therefore probably suffered in the Restoration which followed as Cheshire was a member of the Royalist (Catholic) Association of Counties. About this time our family appears to have settled in Leicestershire, which was a member of the Parliamentary (Protestant) Association of Counties (1638-51).
The Hassalls of Glenfield, Leicestershire
As the senior branch of the Hassall family in Cheshire died out in the 17th Century, we must be descended from one of the junior branches, but which one? It seems likely that the family were puritans and later Quakers and whether they moved because there was no ‘living’ in Cheshire as a junior member of the family or because of religious persecution is not recorded.
We know that one Hassall family settled in Glenfield, Leicestershire, near the county boundary with Warwickshire in the late 1500s or early 1600s as Rauff Hassall Junior (c. 1585-1654) baptised his children there. His designation as ‘Junior’ implies that a Rauff Hassall was also resident in the parish at that time and might have been Rauff Hassale who married Margery Steele in January, 1580 at Barthomley, Cheshire in the neighbouring parish to Sandbach and the Manor of Hassall, but there is no clear evidence. Certainly there is a long succession of Ralph Hassalls.
Rauff Hassall Junior had at least 6 children, one of whom, Raaf (3) born on 7th January, 1622 had a son Ralph (4) born c.1647. Ralph (4) is recorded as a Quaker and his back yard at Glenfield became a Quaker burial ground in the early 1700’s. Being dissenters, they shunned the established church in every way possible! Ralph (4) and two of his sons, James and Richard, were indited in 1708 for failure to pay tithes.
Because they shunned the established church, they declined to have their children baptised in the usual manner and hence they failed to leave many records with which to trace them. If children are recorded it is usually in the form of ‘Twins unnamed born to Richard Hassall’, which occurred about 1705. It is possible that one of these twins went to Coventry, but until we can find more records there is no way of knowing. As the parishes of Glenfield and Coventry are only about 25 km apart it is very likely that the families are related, but as yet it is unproven.
Descendants of Richard’s brother, John, emigrated to Sydney in 1861 and will be at the Hassall Bicentenary Reunion.
The Hassalls Of Coventry
Rowland Hassall was baptised on 15 April 1769 at St John’s Church, Coventry, Warwickshire, the youngest son of James Hassall and Elizabeth (nee Whitmore). The family lived at Bablake and St John’s was their parish church. One reference suggests that they lived in Spon Street, which still has a number of medieval houses, despite the severe bombing of Coventry in World War II. Spon Street was the centre of the ribbon weaving and dying industry with which the Hassall family was closely associated.
Rowland’s parents were married at St John’s, Bablake on 2 May 1757 and their eldest child, Ralph, was baptised there 14 months later. Naming conventions at that time dictated that the first born son should be named after his paternal grandfather, so James Hassall’s father may have been called Ralph. He was probably born between 1705 and 1715 but no likely match has been found to date.
To the best of our knowledge, James and Elizabeth Hassall had the following children:
- Ralph Hassall, who was baptised at St John’s, Coventry on 10 July 1758.
- James Hassall, baptised on 13 October 1760 and became a soldier. He married Sarah Claridge on 15 September 1787 at St John’s, Coventry and they had a large number of children:
- James baptised on 25 June 1789, Sarah, William, Thomas who died young, Joseph, Samuel baptised on 17 June 1799, a second Thomas who also died young, John and Ann baptised on 15 June 1806. It is clear that James Hassall was in financial difficulties in August 1804 when he wrote to Rowland Hassall in New South Wales. He had been at Colchester Barracks while his family had stayed in Coventry where his wife received “12 shilling per week from his army pay”. He became ill with asthma, which caused him to be discharged from the army. He then attempted to provide for his family at his weaving business, working up from 10 looms to 23 “Sattens and Layes” by 1804, although he was so often ill. His eldest son, James Hassall, worked with him in the “Shop at my own Bisness”. His daughter, Sarah Hassall, “nurses”, and his son, William Hassall, worked in St John’s Gift shop. Joseph Hassall became a watchman and in 1841 when the Census was taken he was 45 years of age, living in Much Park Street, Coventry, with his wife, Elizabeth Hassall, aged 43, a silk weaver, and their two daughters, Ann aged 12 and Elizabeth aged 8. Sarah Hassall (nee Claridge) died on 13 January 1819.
- Rowland Hassall, baptised on 21 February 1763 at St John’s and died young.
- John Hassall, who is thought to have died young.
- Ann Hassall, baptised on 7 September 1767 at St John’s and died c. 1820.
- Rowland Hassall, who was baptised in 1769, came to Australia and started the dynasty which is the subject of this book.
Puritanism and the quakers
Letters from James to his son Rowland in NSW suggest that he had a strong faith and there is the possibility that he or his parents were brought up as Quakers as Coventry had many ‘quiet people’ or Quakers, who called themselves the Society of Friends. In 1608 the Mayor established a lecture – alternative service – at St John’s, Bablake and this is probably why James and Elizabeth attended St John’s.
A group of Congregationalists is recorded as worshipping at St John’s in the early 17th Century and ‘The Friends’ were in Coventry by 1656. At the Restoration, many were imprisoned there, often for refusing to pay tithes. By the end of the 17th Century there were five dissenting communities in Coventry with The Friends and the Congregationalists meeting in Vicar Lane.
While we do not yet know when our Hassall family came to Coventry it is very likely that the presence of a large dissenting community influenced their decision and it is inconceivable that it did not have a major effect on their lives once they had settled there. The employment offered by the ribbon trade was obviously another strong drawcard.
As the Quakers were dissenters and did not willingly co-operate with the Church authorities, their records of baptisms, marriages and burials are often scant and usually not recorded with the traditional church records. Research into the Quaker records for Coventry are still going on in the hope of finding James Hassall’s parentage.
West Orchard Congregational Church
James and Elizabeth Hassall had 5 children who were baptised at St John’s, Bablake from 1758 to 1769 and then we know little of them until the late 1780’s when they began to get married.
Rowland was apprenticed to his father on 31 December, 1781 when he was 12 years old to learn the weaver’s trade. An apprenticeship was for 7years.
Rowland and Elizabeth were married at the Church of the Holy Trinity, Coventry in 1793. When Thomas, their first son was born on 29th May 1794, they took him to West Orchard, where they had become members of the Congregational Church under the Rev George Burder. It is interesting to note that Rowland’s elder brother, James, was married in 1787 at St John’s, Bablake and his children were baptised at West Orchard from 1789 so the family association with West Orchard began in the 1780’s.
Rowland founded a Sunday School and was one of the field preachers for whom Burder wrote his famous ‘Village Sermons’. It was probably on one of these trips to Wolston that he was reportedly stoned by the villagers. On 21 September 1795, Burder with two others formed the London Missionary Society at the Castle and Falcoln, Aldgate, London. Burder recommended the Hassalls to become missionaries on the first LMS voyage to the South Seas and the rest is history!
The Hancox of Brandon and Wolston
Rowland’s wife, Elizabeth nee Hancox, was thought to be the daughter of John and Ann (Horn) Hancox of Brandon, which is a village 5 miles to the east of Coventry. However, there were a number of Hancox families in the area and there is a question around which family she is from.
John Hancox was baptised on 7 October 1733 at Bretford, Warwickshire and was the son of John and Ann ‘Hancock’, neither of whom could sign their own names on the marriage certificate. He married Ann Horn on 31 December 1757 at the parish church which is in the neighbouring village of Wolston. John appears to have been a weaver and Ann was 20 years old, the daughter of William and Frances Horn. The family left Brandon in the early 1780’s and moved to Coventry. Ann died at Foleshill in 1797 after a lengthy illness.
Elizabeth was born at Wolston and baptised on 9 June, but the year is something of a mystery, being variously noted as 1765, 1766 and 1767. It appears that the family may have tried to minimise the difference in ages between Elizabeth and Rowland, who was born in 1768. The best guess we have is that Elizabeth was born on 19 July 1766, one of several surviving children by John and Ann Hancox. There is also some question about who were her brothers and sisters were, as there are several listed in the baptism records. However, from letters written between Elizabeth and her son Thomas when he was in England studying, we understand that her siblings were Thomas, Samuel, Abraham, Mary, Susannah and John.
There are some details in letters about some of her siblings:
Her brother Thomas Hancox – we understand that he married twice. First he married Catherine Wallington at Holy Trinity, Coventry on 21 February 1796. She died in 1801. Their children included Thomas, born in 1797 after a difficult birth. Catherine Hancox later had a miscarriage from which she took a long time to recover and her husband nursed her because he was out of work for nine weeks. While the family lived in Gosford Street, Coventry, they had a daughter, Elizabeth Hancox, in March 1799. Catherine Hancox died in 1801 giving birth to William, who also did not survive. On 24 November 1802, Thomas Hancox then married Elizabeth Underhill, a servant of a family friend before working with Rev George Burder. In 1841 Thomas and Elizabeth Hancox lived in Lockhurst Lane, Coventry. He was 70 years old and described in the Census as a weaver. She was aged 55 and they had a daughter, Caroline, aged 14, living with them.
Mary Hancox, baptised 7 August 1768, who married Mr Penny, a widower with a daughter. She had a daughter called Ann who was ill for several years from 1818 and Thomas Hassall commented to his father that she was one who he “longed to see once more before she leaves this vale of tears which humanly speaking would be a blessing to her”.
Samuel Hancox, baptised 6 January 1770 at Wolston, who had at least one daughter and a son in 1803. Samuel Hancox was the recipient of a gift of £5 from Rowland Hassall via his son Thomas in 1817 and Rowland Hassall wrote then: “If poor Samuel who was very ill when we heard last should be no more in this world, you can give the five pounds appointed for him to any of your Cousins”.
Susannah ( known as Anne and sometimes called Sucky or Sukie) Hancox, baptised 9 October 1778, who married William Ralphs, a shoemaker from Coventry who appears to have later enlisted in the army to fight in the Napoleonic Wars and was based at the Bixall Barracks.
Another member of the Hancox family was a Thomas Hancox, who lived in London with his wife. They were very helpful to Thomas Hassall when he was in England as a student. Later, this Thomas Hancox acted as agent for the Hassall family interests in England, particularly as financial agent in the sale of their wool. How he fits into the family is not yet clear.
