Series 17: 'The Hassall Family: Descendants of Rowland and Elizabeth Hassall', unpublished manuscript by Jean Stewart (1999); and 'James Samuel Hassall (1823-1904)', paper by Jean Stewart (1998), 1998-1999

Addition to p.6

Letters from Sarah Penny to her nephew Thomas Hassall, indicate that there is confusion over the name of Elizabeth Hancox's sister. In some places it seems that her name was Mary who married John Penny, but the signature on some of the letters is clearly "Sarah" or "S" Penny. On 1 March 1821 from Coventry she wrote to her nephew on hearing of the death of his father, Rowland Hassall. She asked him to visit her before he left England as it would be the "last time to see one of my sister's children". Later, on 19 August 1821 she wrote to farewell him as he was about to leave England. In her letter she commented that she had an "illness which was occasioned by drinking cold water when I was hot and brought on a complaint which I have been subject to at my stomach which I hope it will soon be removed if the Lord will". *

*Hassall Correspondence, A1677-3, pp.847-9 and 1045-6.

his family well. 2. William Hancox, baptised 2 November 1760 and died aged six and was buried at Wolston on 1 April 1767. 3. Abraham Hancox I, baptised 1762, died as an infant, buried 11 April 1764 at Brandon. 4. Jonathan Hancox who married Hannah and had at least three children - John Hancox baptised on 18 April 1817, Hannah Hancox baptised on 25 June 1823 and Henry Hancox baptised on 5 March 1826. He apparently considered going to Australia but his niece, Elizabeth Hancox, wrote to Thomas Hassall (later Reverend) in 1821 saying that it would be unwise for him to do so. He seemed to have many troubles and complained that he was being slighted by his friends and hoped to rise above his difficulties. He and his wife Hannah, set up a greengrocer shop in Orange Street, Leicester Square in London, but he was robbed in March 1819 and wrote to Thomas Hassall asking him for alona. Two years later he was out of work, his wife had left him and he wrote saying that he would like to go to New South Wales. 5. Elizabeth Hancox who married Rowland Hassall (see below). 6. Mary Hancox who lived in London in 1900, married on 20 September 1802 in Holy Trinity, Coventry, John Penny, a widower with a daughter. His first wife was Ann Coates whom he had married on 18 Januaru 1798 in Holy Trinity, Coventry. Mary and John Penney were very welcoming to Thomas Hassall when he arrived in England and told him the extent of their religious convictions. They had a daugther called Ann who was ill for several years from 1818 and they wrote to Thomas Hassall in Wales to tell him of her declining health in August 1818. Thomas Hassall commented to his father that she was one whom he "longed to see once more before she leaves this vale of tears which humanly speaking would be a blessing to her." She died in May 1919. John and Mary Penney had six children all baptised in West Orchard, Coventry: Thomas Penney on 19 June 1803; Susanna Penney on 26 November 1805; John Penney on 8 May 1806; Martha Penney on 26 March 1809; Thomas Penney on 30 December 1811; and Thomas Penney on 14 Augu 1813. Mary Penney gave birth to a son in October 1819 but she was in bad health, her lung was affected and she asked her sister, Susannah, to contact Thomas Hassall who was in England, to ask him to come see her. It seems that she died not long after because Susannah Hancox came to live with her brother-in-law and complained that the children were unruly and that her lot was an unpleasant one. 7. Samuel Hancox, baptised 6 January 1770 at Wolston, had at least one daughter and a son in 1803. Samuel Hancox was the recipient of a gift of £5 from Rowland Hassell via his

son, Thomas Hassall 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." He clearly recovered enough to write to Thomas Hassall in 1821 with news of his sister, Ann Penney. 8. Abraham Hancox II, baptised 28 May 1772, lived only a few months, buried 6 September 1772 at Brandon. 9. Abraham Hancox III, baptised 22 August 1773, died of smallpox at seven months, buried at Brandon on 28 March 1774. 10. Simeon Hancox, baptised 21 May 1775, presumed to have died young. 11. Susannah (sometimes called Anne, Sucky or Sukie) Hancox, baptised 9 October 1778. In 1803 according to a letter written by her brother, Thomas Hancox, she was living in London. In 1809 Samuel Marsden wrote to the Hassalls from England saying that he had offered to bring her out to New South Wales with him and that Mrs Marsden had written to her too but they had not had a reply. The pressure remained because later Susannah's sister, Elizabeth Hassall, wrote to her son, Thomas Hassall, when he was in England to ask him to persuade Susannah to come with him to Australia when he returned. She declined because she felt it would be too much for her father to part with her. She was, however, in close contact with Thomas Hassall when he was in England, and wrote him often to give news of her family and in particular her sister, Mary Penney, who had a son in 1819 and was in poor health. Susannah had gone to live with her brother-in-law after the death of his wife but she complained that the children were unruly and she found her lot very unpleasant. She 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 Bixall Barracks. 12. Abraham Hancox IV, baptised 23 January 1780, who married Ann Smith on 4 Feb 1802 and had a baby c. 1803. Another member of the Hancox family was a Thomas Hancox who lived with his wife in 411 Oxford Street, London. At first when Thomas Hassall arrived he wrote to his parents to say that "Mr and Mrs Hancox would have written but the short time for so doing, little to say and

1/9 each letter has been a weighty motive for them to withhold at this time. They are well and send their best respects and love to you."

They were very helpful to Thomas Hassall, when he was in England, acting as a financial go-between between him and his father who relayed money to Thomas Hassall through Thomas Hancox. In 1919 Thomas Hassall wrote to his parents saying "I cannot express the kindness of Mr and Mrs Hancox since my arrival every month has brought round fresh instances of their love. I am sure my dear Mother will be rejoiced to hear that her son finds a second tender and affectionate parent in Mrs Hancox."

From at least 1817 when wool was sent by the Hassalls to England on the Lord Melville, Thomas Hancox acted as agent for the Hassall family interests in England particularly for the sale of their wool which was consigned generally to woolbrokers Messr's Thompson of Rawdon, Leeds although in 1820 some dissatisfaction was expressed by Thomas Hancox that Thompson and Co. took delays in drawing their bills. In 1819 Thomas Hancox wrote that he was disappointed with the price they had been able to get for the wool.

In 1822 a considerable amount of wool was sent by members of the family on the Royal George to Thompson & Co and Thomas Hassall asked for payment to be made in money and merchandise which they would want shipped to them. Another 11 bales of wool were sent to Messrs Thompson on the Shipley. Early in 1822 Thomas Hassall sent money to a Mr Stokes in London for payment to Thompson & Co and also to pay Thomas Hancox for the purchas for him of "a Suit of Black say a Coat Waistcoat and trousers and if any balance remains over and above lay it out in good and useful books..." Clearly Thomas Hassall was equipping himself for his role as parson. In June 1824 Thomas Hassall wrote to Thompson & Co. to introduce his brother-in-law, Reverend Walter Lawry, and to ask them to advance Lawry £50 from his mother's account and £50 on his own account so that Lawry could buy some pure merino sheep for the Hassall farms.

A point of contention between Thomas Hassall and Thomas Hancox arose when the latter complained about a John Smith who had ordered from his a number of goods which had been sent out and for which he had not receives the payment altough Smith had told him it had been sent. This matter remained a point of contention for years as Hancox demanded that Thomas Hassall should institute proceedings against Smith which Hassall declined to out of respect for Mrs Smith who with her children would be left destitute because all they owned was a little furniture and 500 acres which would not be worth as much as Hancox seemed to imagine. Things were settled finally in 1828 when John Smith began to pay his debt.

At the end of 1822 there was some correspondence between Thomas Hancox and Thomas Hassall about the role played by Edward Eager who was one of the execturos of Rowland Hassall's will. Eager, an emancipated convict, returned to England leaving his wife and children destitute in the colony. He took with him instructions from the Hassall family to sell wool sent to England on theSurrey on their behalf. From the proceeds of the sale he was supposed to have paid Thomas Hancox at least £150 and another amount of £744 but this was never done. He also reported untrue stories about one of the Hassall daughters and a relationship with a Mr Cobb. The Hassalls considered taking action against him but on legal advice that it would be difficult to prosecute someone so far away they abandoned the idea. This action was not supported by Thomas Hancox to whom to Hassalls owed money at this stage. Thomas Hassall agreed to send money to Thomas Hancox in three or four weeks. Hancox continued to write to Thomas Hassall about amounts owing to him and Thomas Hassall wrote to him "...Notwithstanding your warmth and ill temper I will give every information and assistance in my power- though you could not expect me to rob myself and family of an amount which has actually been paid on your account. How true it is. They that wish be rich fall into temptation and a snare. 1Tim.6."

Finally Thomas Hassall wrote in January 1826 to Thomas Hancox offering to pay off the money, half in 1826 and half from 1827's wool if not before. "I find that unless we can cease writing we shall not cease wrangling".

Whether this claim was ever settles or whether another arose is not clear but in November 1828 communication between Thomas Hassall and Thomas Hancox obviously remained strained because a letter was sent to Thomas Hassall from one J. Hosking in Sydney who had been given power of attorney from Thomas Hancox asking for an account of Hassall's receipts and disbursements on Hancox's account and requesting an early settlement of Hancox's claims on the Hassall family. Thomas Hassall replied that he would hand over the papers when next he came to Sydney and payment was finally sorted out in August 1828. Thomas Hancox apologised for having appointed Hosking as his agent because he had not realised that there was ill will between Hosking and one of the Hassall brothers. In fact in August 1828 much good will between the Hassalls and Hancoxes was restored and warm letters were sent from Thomas Hancos and his wife to Thomas Hassall giving family news and news of Reverend Burder as well as sending greetings to the Hassall family and reminiscing about old times and regretting that they would never see one another again although they both would always welcome Thomas Hassall to their home in Oxford Street.

How Thomas Hancox fits into the family pattern is not yet clear. He seemed to have been better educated than the Coventry Hassalls and maintained a business in London and manages