Hello Colin, As far as I can see Lancashire is a bit too far north for our HANDS family. The 1841 Census has them living in Lambeth and there is a good paper trail from then on. William HANDS was a convict transported to Van Diemen's Land in 1852 and his convict record states that he was a native of Lymington. There was another William HANDS, born c1816, who was transported to VDL in 1843 and he was a native of Birmingham. Any connections? Margery (NSW Australia)