Hampshire Chronicle, Friday, February 8, 1991

CENTENARIAN WHO KNEW HARDY

Florence Sarah Hann was born in Dorset, at Proutbridge*, near Beaminster, on February; 13th 1886, into a family of five** - four girls and a boy. She died on January 25th, 1991 at the great age of 104.

Her life spanned six reigns, four wars and breathtaking changes in every aspect of daily life. In 1886, the motor car was in its infancy and town criers still proclaimed news in town and village centres.

Miss Hann first received dame school education. At 16, she was articled to a bookbinder in Dorchester for the sum of ĢI00.

Here she met Thomas Hardy, a regular customer and his second wife, Florence Dugdale. She was also a lifelong friend of Gertrude Adelia Bugler***, the girl who was Hardy's first choice to p!ay the part of Tess in the dramatised version of Tess of the D'Urbervilles

When family circumstances ended the apprenticeship prematurely, Miss Hann returned to Beaminster and eventually became a pupil teacher.

On becoming fully qualified, she was appointed teacher of History, Literature, Religious Knowledge and Art on the staff of Beaminster Grammar School, where she continued to teach until her retirement.

Over the years until her death, many of her pupils continued to correspond with her. The presence of two of them at her funeral provided livirig proof of the love and respect she commanded during her working life.

After World War II, Miss Hann retired to the village of Twyford, near Winchester, to be near members of her family living in Eastleigh. She helped care for two of her sisters, who both predeceased her by many years.

In Twyford, she found new fnends, took much pleasure in her garden and continued to enjoy reading, music and art.

With increasing age and frailty, she became a familiar figure in her wheelchair, greeting everyone she met on her short circular tours of the village.

A strong religious faith endured and enriched her long life. Miss Hann had the great gift of accepting day-to-day conditions, neither mourning the past nor bewailing the present.

Each evening, she would say thankfully "I've had a lovely day."

The lovely days are ended, but memories of Florence Sarah Hann will remain for those privileged to have known and loved her.

Contributed

* Prout Bridge is actually a street in Beaminster.
** Her family really comprised of six children. The contributor (and possibly Florence) not knowing of Emily Susan Hann (1882-1883) who died in infancy before Florence was born
*** Gertrude Adelia Bugler was born in Dorchester in 1897, the daughter of Arthur Henry (of Netherbury roots) and Augusta Lydia Florence (nee Way) and was not the Gertrude (F) Bugler born at the same time in Beaminster, who was distantly-related to Florence. Gertrude Adelia, however, married Beaminster-born Ernest F Bugler who was a butcher in Church Street, Beaminster (possibly at the shop previously run by Samuel Hann) and died in Beaminster in August 1992. Her funeral service was held in the parish church where in Hardy's novel Tess married Angel Clare