Page in progress. This is just the skeleton. Muscle, flab and skin will be added sequentially.
This page will deal with the three children of Reginald Thomas Hatton (xx.xx.1867 – xx.xx.1933) and Grace Shaw (xx.xx.18xx – xx.10.1896) who were married at Whitchurch Herefordshire 03.03.1892.
A note to clarify:- Reginald Thomas used Thomas as his common name; in order to avoid mixing up the two Toms, I will refer to the father as RTH and to the son as Tom.
How couples meet is usually an interesting story. In this case the only clue so far comes from the 1891 Census (courtesy Lynn Brown). RTH, 24, is listed as residing in a Boarding House at 79 Hagley Road Edgbaston (another inner western suburb of Birmingham) run by a Mrs Annie Collins, a native of Kington. His occupation is given as Mechanical Engineer. Birmingham was booming in the 1890s – as an illustration, an electricity supply had been started in 1886, and in 1890 the first Electric Trams began servicing the growing city.
On the very next Census Line, same address, also listed as a Mechanical Engineer is Victor Alfred Shaw, 21, Grace’s younger brother. It is reasonable to think that RTH and Victor were working together, sharing digs and more than likely friends.
The three children born to RTH and Grace were:
Violet Grace Margaret Hatton (b. xx.xx.1893) (Vi)
Amy May Hatton (b. xx.xx.18xx) (May)
Thomas Reginald Hatton (28.12.1895 – 26.02.59) (Tom)
The first event we know of is the tragic early death of their mother Grace. In October 1896, back at Kington, she is reported to have drunk water from a polluted stream during a hunting party. As a result of this, she contracted cholera or typhus and died soon after. She was buried at Kington Cemetery on 31.10.1896. (Story to be confirmed/elaborated).
Some time after that, her widower husband RTH leaves his young family with his brothers and sister in Kington and leaves for Manchester, presumably for work. There he meets and forms a relationship with Beatrice Nield. He went on to marry Beatrice (q1 1905) and have three sons with her, but it seems that all connection with his previous three children was broken. It is my understanding that RTH took his own life by gas suffocation in 1933. (Story to be confirmed/elaborated).
The three children were ‘taken on’ by and grew up in the care of their aunt Ada and Uncles Harry and George, all unmarried, in the family home ‘Terrace House’ at 8, The Terrace, Kington.
Violet
marries Frederick L Evans at Kington, q1 1914
emigrates to Australia
May, Tom, Aunt Ada and Vi
3 children, Tom, Keith and June
May
marries Ernest Edward Berry at Kington q2 1916. They have 3 children, Ernest Reginald (q2 1917), Peter E (q2 1920) and Stella H (q2 1922). Ernest dies q4 1939. Peter dies, RAF, 1946.
marries Frederick H Toller at Barnstaple q2 1945. No children. Fred dies q1 1947.
marries Thomas Harold Windeyer at Manly NSW 1950. No children.Thomas dies 6.12.1959.
Tom
was born 28.12.1895 at 66 Crockett’s Road Handsworth, a western suburb of Birmingham, close to West Bromwich.
Young Tom at beach c.1905 with Harry, Ada, and George plus 3 other ladies.
moves to Kington in the care of his aunt and uncles
educated at Lady Hawkins Grammar School and the Broomy Hill Academy in Hereford
enlists Kings Shropshire Light Infantry, achieves rank 2nd lieut.
transfers to Royal Flying Corps 19.08.1914 achieves rank Flying Officer
works in Hatton Sawmills, Kington
marries Ann Katherine Jones at Kington q4 1925
emigrates to Australia aboard the RMS Osterley, departing London 23 Jan 1926 and arriving Sydney NSW 5 March.
works at Wallis Bros timber mill, Blackwattle Bay.
daughter Margaret Diana Grace born at Manly 10th April 1926
daughter Elizabeth Marion born 04.07.1930
Elizabeth dies of meningitis xx.08.1931
Vaughan's vehicle 
Hello, my name is Gaynor Hatton descendant of John Hatton of Kington (brother of Harry, Ada and George). I was very interested in the photos you have on your page as I’ve never seen any photos of my ancestors this far back. I believe Tom was the first person in Kington to own a car!