William Hannah was born in Charles County, MD in 1761 according to his application for a Revolutionary War pension.  When he was about 14 he was part of the drafted militia called to service in the American Revolution.  In 1842 he applied for a pension stating that he had served under Captain Henry Dent and later under Captain Lancaster and that he had been in a battle with the British at Cedar Point, Maryland. He says he served from 1777 to 1782'
His father, Alexander Hannah, had died in 1775 in Charles County, MD, when he was about 14.  William was the oldest child and his youngest brother, Townley, was just two when his father died. Their mother, Sarah, remarried to Thomas Rigg and the family moved to Henry County, VA. about 1782/3 when William was in his early 20's.  The tax records for 1784 in Henry County list Thomas Rigg and Wm Hannah.  In 1785 William Hannah and Robert Hannah are both listed in the household of Thomas Rigg, thus both over 18 and both probably still single. 
William "Hanner" married Lucy Penn on April 16, 1787 and in that tax year William is listed as head of household in Henry County VA.
Patrick County VA was formed from Henry County in 1791 and in the tax records for 1810 in Patrick County, VA William Hannah is again listed as head of household with two white males over 18.  Presumably one of those white males is himself.  His son Gabriel Hannah is listed in the household next door.  Thus we can assume that a male child over 18 is living in the household of William Hannah.  It is assumed this child is John Hannah, born about 1790. (Later photographs of grandsons of Robert Hannah, John Hannah and Alexander Hannah b. 1840, and the three triplets of John Hannah, born 1830,  show a remarkable family resemblance.  Alexander Hannah b. 1840 is also a great grandson of William Hannah, thus the triplets and Alexander Hannah are 2nd cousins and also 2nd cousins once removed. ) 
Gabriel Penn Hannah must have been the oldest son and John the second son of William Hannah.  We assume both sons were still single at this time since when they reached Greenup County two years later they both married.
William's brother Robert left Henry County sometime after 1785.  He had moved first to Stokes Co., NC and then to Greenup Co., KY by 1806 when he appears on the tax list for Greenup County.  However, William Hannah who had married Lucy Penn in 1787 in Henry County, VA remained there until 1811. He is recorded purchasing and selling land on Mill Creek and  land off the North Waters of the Mayo River close to the Anglin Land.   And William is found on the Grand Jury of Patrick County, VA in Oct 1798 serving with Adrian Anglin. William's daughter Mary, married John Anglin, son of Adrian, on January 21, 1811 in Patrick County, VA.  William Hannah served again on the Grand Jury of Patrick County in Feb 1803, March 1805 and Oct 1811. 
William joined his brother Robert in Greenup County, KY around 1812.  In the testimony for the Revolutionary War pension his friend and son Gabriel's father in law, John Young, stated he met William Hannah in 1812. However, William did not sell his 26 acres on the North Mayo River back in Patrick County, VA until September 1813.
So, the William Hannah family had moved to Greenup County, KY by 1812 living close to his brother, Robert.  William's two oldest sons married within a month of each other.   John Hannah and Susanna Barklow married there on March 5, 1812.  And William's son, Gabriel Hannah was married to Jane Young, daughter of John Young, in Greenup County, KY on April 11, 1812.
In 1820  William, Townley. Gabriel (son of Robert), Elizabeth (Hannah) Hampton (daughter of Robert) and Robert Hannah are all listed right next to each other on pg 176, yet John Hannah is listed several households away on pg 175. In 1830 in Greenup County, KY George Hannah, Townley Hannah, Alexander Hannah and William Hannah are all listed next to each other on pg 77.  John Hannahs is listed several pages away on pg 63.  Gabriel Hannahs and Mary Hannahs (widow of Robert) are on pg 81.  All of the other Hannah children are living near a relative except John Hannah.
John Hannah was a bricklayer and seems to have been closely connected to the Barklow family.   In the 1830 census John is living not far from his wife's brothers, Benjamin Barklow and Stout Barklow.  By 1830 he had eight children.  The triplets had just been born on May 20, 1830.  We don't know what happened to John or his oldest son, Ira Allen Hannah, but they both possibly died shortly after 1830.  From the obituary of John's son, James Hannahs, we learn that the family moved to Portsmouth, Ohio around 1830.  Susan's brother Benjamin Barklow, had moved to Portsmouth by 1834.
John's father, William, was still living in Greenup County.  He recognized several of his grandchildren by gifting Negros, but he never gifted anything to his son, John Hannah.  On October 21, 1821 William gave his granddaughter, Lucinda Anglin, a negro child named Rachel, about 8 months old.  He gave her another negro child named Mary, about 2 years old, a few years later in 1824.
William's wife, Lucy (Penn) died around 1825 and he remarried to Judith Hanner Woodcock on March 25, 1825.
William continued to give negro children to his other grandchildren.  On April 2, 1827 he gave Lucy Hannah his granddaughter a negro girl named Nita, about 2 years of age.  To his grandson William Norris, a negro boy named Perry, about 3 years old.  In the 1830 census William still owned seven slaves.  On September 3, 1831 John Young sold William 67 acres on Little Sandy near Oldtown.  On June 14, 1832, William gave to his son in law, John Anglin and his wife Mary. a negro woman named Thine and her child Alfred, about 2 years of age.  To his son Gabriel, a negro girl named Malinda and her boy child named Henry, estimated to be worth $400.00.  By 1840 William was down to two slaves and 1 free negro.
By 1842 William Hanna was 79 years old.  He applied for a pension for his service in the American Revolution, but there was not enough documentation.  The following year on July 1, 1843, William gave to his grandsons Abraham and Charles Norreris, the tract of land containing the 67 acres on Little Sandy including the plantation in which he and his wife lived in exchange for support for himself and his wife during their lives.  William Hannah died March 3, 1846 at the age of 85.

Sons of John Hannah

Grandsons of Robert Hannah