William HANNAH

1792 - 1847  (55 years)

• Name	William HANNAH
  Birth	1792	Dalmellington, Ayrshire, SCT
  Gender	Male
  Story	William's story on Glasgow to Balmain
  Death	2 Jul 1847	Sandgate St, Ayr, Ayrshire SCT   [1]
  Person ID	I19	Hannah
  Links To	This person is also William HANNAH (I10) in the Dalmellington Connection tree on this site
  Last Modified	2 Mar 2026

  
  

  Family	Margaret LEES,   b. 1786, Unknown d. Unknown
  Marriage	26 Jun 1815	St Quivox and Newton,Ayrshire SCT   [2]
  Children	+ 1. Mary HANNAH,   b. 1816, Ayrshire, SCT d. 25 Nov 1855, Sandgate St, Ayr, Ayrshire SCT (Age 39 years)   2. Agnes HANNAH,   b. 1818, Ayr,Ayrshire SCT + 3. Margaret HANNAH,   b. 1820, Ayr,Ayrshire SCT   4. William HANNAH,   b. 26 Aug 1822, Ayr,Ayrshire SCT d. 9 Aug 1874, Glasgow,SCT (Age 51 years) + 5. John McKenzie HANNAH,   b. 1825, Ayr,Ayrshire SCT d. 8 Mar 1883, Hutchesontown,Glasgow (Age 58 years) + 6. Jane HANNAH,   b. 1827, Ayr,Ayrshire SCT d. 13 Nov 1852, Ayr, Ayrshire SCT (Age 25 years)
  Family ID	F6	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	25 Nov 2018

  
  

• Photos		Memorial Stone, Auld Kirk Churchyard, Ayr
  		Memorial Stone, Auld Kirk Churchyard, Ayr

  
  

  Documents » Slide Show		1847 Death William Hanah Ayr.jpg
  		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.
  		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.
  		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.

  
  

• Notes

  To date no indisputable birth information has been found for William Hannah, all we know is that he was apparently born in Dalmellington, Ayrshire. A definite date of birth, and his parents are unknown. However there is a fair probability he was born to William Hannah (tailor) and Mary McGill in December 1792. See the post “Dead End for William” to see a discussion to this end. He has left a reasonable footprint in the official records. He became a tailor in his early years, although it seems that for some reason he was employed in various other roles throughout his life. William married Margaret Lees, the daughter of Andrew Lees and Mary Eagelshom in Newton-on-Ayr, Ayrshire in May 1815, declaring himself to be from the parish of Dalmellington. “William Hannah in the parish of Dalmellington and Margaret Lees in this parish were three times proclaimed in order to Marriage on two Sabbaths and were married” (Old Parish Registers Marriages 612/2 10 379 Newton On Ayr) His prison records (below) also indicate a birth place of Dalmellington. Six children are known to have been born to William and Margaret; Mary (c. 1816), Agnes (1818), Margaret (1820), William (1822), John McKenzie (1825) and Jane (1827). The 1841 census (the only one William would participate in) lists the family living in Sandgate Street, Ayr, a tenement managed by the Kirk. However, some of the ages are wildly wrong, even allowing for the "rounding" and inaccuracies inherent in the 1841 census. William’s age is given as 40, and Margaret as 35. However we know Margaret was born in 1786, which would have made her 55 years of age. Son William is also missing, although at twenty years of age it would be not unreasonable for him to be living elsewhere. Six month old John Cooper as shown on the census was the son of daughter Agnes who married Joseph Cooper in 1841. John was born to the couple on 18th November of the previous year. The name of John Cooper Hannah re-emerges in subsequent generations. While William claimed the trade of tailor, it appears he only practised the trade in earlier years. From 1818 when daughter Agnes was born, through to John McKenzie’s birth in 1825 an occupation of “Town Officer” was recorded. The role is not well described in retrospect; however his duties may have ranged from caring for borough assets such as buildings, through to keeping streets clean. The following extract from the Ayr Kirk session minutes  is interesting. "There was a petition given in by the Town Officers craving that the weekly allowance of four pence made them for walking the streets and driving away noisy children and disorderly persons during Divine Service should be augmented . The Kirk Session agrees to double their allowance making it eight pence per week, at the same time they wish it to be intimated to the Town Officers by their Clerk that it is expected they will be very attentive in discharging this part of their duty. Session closed with prayer." (Ayr kirk session, Minutes (1801-1813), CH2/751/16 Image 315) In 1827 when daughter Jane was born he was described as “Bellman”. This could either be the town crier, or the person responsible for ringing the church bell at times during the day. The 1841 Census gave his occupation as "labourer". William was committed to two short terms in Ayr prison (more on that below). On both occasions he claimed the trade of ”tailor”. The death registration of their son William in 1874 has William senior with an occupation of “fisherman”, which goes some way to explaining how he managed to fall foul of the law. On the 29th December 1840, William was convicted by the Justice of the Peace in Ayr of salmon poaching. He was sentenced to prison for two months, and fined £1/15 expenses. He was admitted to Ayr prison on 6th January 1841. His admission record reports that William was “drunk” and “dirty” on admission, and that he could read. Three years later he was again convicted by the Ayr Magistrate of stealing some fishing rope. This was reported in the Ayr Advertiser on the 18th April 1844. He was sentenced to forty days imprisonment. William was again admitted to Ayr prison on 16th April. This time he was described as being clean and tidy, that he had a trade of tailor, and could read and write well. So what drove William to his misdemeanors? The 1841 census shows that his household consisted of himself and Margaret, daughters Mary, Agnes, Jane and her six month old son John Cooper, and son John who was a shoemakers apprentice. He presumably didn't earn much as a labourer, so the household could have been a bit desperate. His declining employment over the years suggests he also apparently had an increasing problem with the drink. Maybe he was employed as a fisherman, and the temptation to help himself to some of his employers property in the chance of making a quick sale proved too strong. All this is speculation, surely. William died on 2nd July 1847 at 19 Sandgate Street, Ayr, and was interred at the Auld Kirk Cemetery two days later. The cause of death is unrecorded. He shares a headstone with his parents-in-law Andrew Lees and Mary Eagelshom, his wife Margaret and daughters Agnes, Jane and Mary.

  
  

• Sources

  [S213] OPR Deaths - NRS, 1847 Ayr, Ayrshire 578/ 130 131 (Reliability: 3). [S212] OPR Marriages - NRS, 27 Jun 1815, 1815 Newton on Ayr (Ayrshire) 612/2 10 379 (Reliability: 3).