Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Hannes, Edward
HANNES, Sir EDWARD, M.D. (d. 1710), physician, was the son of Edward Hannes of Devizes, Wiltshire. Peter Le Neve, who questioned Hannes's right to bear arms, states that his father 'kept an herb shop in bloomsbury mercate' (Pedigrees of Knights, Harl. Soc., p. 491). In 1678 he was admitted on the foundation at Westminster School, whence he was elected a student of Christ Church, Oxford, in 1682 (Welch, Alumni Westmon., 1852, pp. 183. 196). He graduated B. A. in 1686 and M. A. in 1689. He contributed to the collections of Oxford poems on the death of Charles II in 1685, and on William III's return from Ireland in 1690 (reprinted in 'Musarum Anglicanarum Analecta'). In 1688 he assisted William King (1663–1712) [q. v.] in writing (Reflections on Mr. Varillas his history of Heresy, Book 1, Tome 1, as far as relates to English Matters, more especially those of Wicliff,' printed probably at Amsterdam, 12mo, 1688 (Wood, Athenæ Oxon. ed. Bliss, iv. 667-8). Addison addressed a Latin poem to him.
Hannes succeeded Robert Plot as reader in chemistry at Oxford in 1690. At the entertainment given to Ashmole by the vice-chancellor and heads of houses in the Museum at Oxford on 17 July 1690, Hannes addressed Ashmole in an eloquent speech. He proceeded M.B. in 1691 and M.D. in 1695; attended William, duke of Gloucester, at his death on 30 July 1700 (Luttrell, Relation of State Affairs, 1857, iv. 672), and published an account of the dissection of the body. For this account he was ridiculed in a satirical poem entitled 'Doctor Hannes dissected in a familiar epistle by way of Nosce Teipsum,' fol., London, 1700. He became physician to Queen Anne in June 1702 (ib. v. 184), and was knighted at Windsor Castle on 29 July 1705 (Townsend, Cat. of Knights, 1660-1760, p. 33). He died on 22 July 1710, in the parish of St. Anne, Westminster (Luttrell, vi. 609; Probate Act Book, P. C. C., 1710, fol. 130), and was buried beside his wife at Shillingford, Berkshire, where there is a monument to his memory (Lysons, Mag. Brit. vol. i. pt. ii. Berkshire, p. 361). He married (articles dated 30 Sept. 1698) Anne, daughter of Temperance Packer, widow, of Donnington Castle, Berkshire, by whom he had an only child, Temperance. By will (P. C. C. 160, Smith) he gave 1,000l. towards finishing Peckwater quadrangle at Christ Church, and 1,000l. towards the erection of a new dormitory at Westminster School. He had previously presented to the school a handsome drinking goblet ('poculum') for the use of the queen's scholars there.
[Welch's Alumni Westmon. 1852, pp. 196-7, 277.]