This most interesting surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is an English locational surname, from an unidentified place, perhaps "Ansford" in Somerset, which is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Almundsford", and is composed of the Olde English pre 7th Century personal name "Ealhmund", composed of the elements "ealh", temple, and "mund", protection, plus the second element "ford", a ford. In some cases, the name may derive from "Hanford", in Devonshire and Staffordshire; the former placename is composed of the Olde English elements "han", stone, rock, and "ford", while the latter derives from the personal name "Hana" or "hana", cock-bird, and "ford", a ford ("Handforth" in Cheshire has the same derivation). The surname first appears in records in Devonshire in the mid 16th Century (see below), while Charitie Hasford was christened at St. Botolph's, Bishopsgate, London, in 1586. One of the earliest settlers in the New World, Eglin Hanford, emigrated to Virginia, New England in 1635 with his two daughters, Margaret, aged 16 yrs., and Elizabeth, aged 14 yrs., on the ship "Planter". Elizabeth Hansford married Robert Terry at Temple Church, London, on July 9th 1677. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Elynore Hansford, which was dated June 16th 1560, christened at Little Hempton, in Devonshire, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, known as "Good Queen Bess", 1558 - 1603. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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