RALPH I’ANSON, eldest son of Christopher I’Anson of Hawkswell, succeeded to the land owned by his father in and around Hawxwell. The exact date of his birth is not known, and all we have as a guide to his age is the fact that his youngest brother, Lancelot, was admitted to Trinity College, cambridge, in the year 1570. Ralph was probably born about 1545. The record of his burial appears in the registers of Hawxwell on 19^th May, 1623, and his name appears on more than one accasion as Churchwarden.

His wife, Anne (surname unknown), was buried on 5^th September, 1613, at Hawxwell.

They had several children:-

WILLIAM I’ANSON, of Cundall farmhold and East Hawxwell. He died during the lifetime of his father, who witnessed his Will.

If the large pedigree is referred to it will be seen that only the children of William I’Anson actually mentioned in the Will (an abstract of which appears in a later chapter) are recorded. The Hawxwell register extracts, which are also printed in full later in this book, show that there were descendants not recorded on the pedigree, and if any still exist, these printed records should prove helpful to them in establishing their connection with the branch. William I’Anson must have had a short life. He provides in his Will against the contingency of re-marriage on the part of his wife Allison. She, however, did not remarry, and her burial is recorded in the Hawxwell registers has having taken place on the 1^st February, 1650, or about 45 years after her husband’s death.
JAMES I’ANSON, second son of Ralph, is of particular interest, as the forbear of most of the members of the I’Anson family living in the twentieth century.
He died early in the year 1625, leaving no Will, and an inventory of his effects (which were only small) was made by his son Leonard, who succeeded him. His wife, Edin (surname unknown), survived him, and was buried at Hawxwell on 2^nd December, 1657, or 37 years after her husband’s death. The history of the descendants of James I’Anson will form the subject of other chapters.

1. THOMAS I’ANSON, of Skeeby, in the parish of Easby, county York, died in the lifetime of his father. He was buried in Easby Churchyard. Extracts of his Will, and those of his son and grandson, appear in a later chapter.
2. EDWARD I’ANSON appears to have moved to Spennithorne, and, except that he is mentioned in his brother’s Will, nothing is on record, and the Spennithorne registers throw no light on his history.
3. NICHOLAS I’ANSON is mentioned in the Will of his brother Thomas, but of him nothing else is known.
4. MYLES I’ANSON, also mentioned in the Will of his brother Thomas. He is believed to be the ancestor of the Malton I’Ansons, and, perhaps, also of the Whitehaven family, but of him also, little is known. He appears to have gone to Spennithorne, and the Christian name "Miles" appears frequently amongst members of the family springing from that neighbourhood. In the year 1624 the Will of a Miles I’Anson, yeoman, of Dronfield, county Derby, was proved at Lichfield, and it may be that this is the same Miles, though nothing is mentioned in the Will to connect him in any way with the Hawxwell family. The abstract of the Will of Miles I’Anson, of Dronfield, is printed in a later chapter. He left a widow, Elizabeth (it will be noticed that Miles I’Anson, son of Ralph, buried his wife, Anne, at Hawxwell, 1^st February, 1610), a son George, daughters, Jane Hynd, Rosamund, and three others, who married Stephensons. Wills of the said widow, Elizabeth I’Anson, and of her daughter Rosamund, are preserved at Lichfield, and extracts of these appear in a later chapter.

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