This is a locational name which derives from a former "lost" medieval village called (probably) "hanscombe" translating as "The valley of Hana". In this case "Hana" way be a personal name, it was popular in The Old English period pre 7th Century, or it may mean "The valley of the wild birds" as "Hana" also translates as such. However although it is assumed that the place is of West Country origin, no definitive proof exists. Such village "clearance" is by no means uncommon, at least seven thousand such villages having disappeared as a result of plague, war or usually-farming. The fact that the original inhabitants of "Hanscombe" suffered such a fate is probably confirmed by the fact that the name today (1990) is most common in the London area, to which the villages would have gravitated. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Agnes Anscombe, which was dated February 19th 1622, married Guielmus Smith at St. Martin's in the Field, Westminster, during the reign of King James 1 of England V1 of Scotland 1603 - 1625. 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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