Photograph of Beatrice Mary Hatter and her grandmother

Beatrice Mary Hunt (1904-1983), known as Beatie and her grandmother Mrs Hunt at Hook, Lydiard Tregoze.

Beatie's grandmother is remembered locally as having had around ten children. The girls went into service in London which was quite usual at the time. Unfortunately and also not uncommon, her eldest daughter became pregnant, returning home to have her baby, Beatie, in Purton Workhouse in 1904. The stigma of Beatie's illegitimacy was something she had to live with all her life, such were the attitudes of the time. The fact that her grandfather was a Church Warden at Lydiard Tregoze made made matters worse. Beatie's mother returned to London and Beatie was brought up by her grandmother. Her father, who emigrated to Canada, did keep in touch and even sent food parcels during the war. Both her parents went on to have families of their own but Beatie was forbidden from revealing her relationship to them throughout her life.

As a teenager, Beatie followed her mother and aunts into service, but close to home, becoming a a maid for the White family at nearby Midgehall. In the 1920s she married Ernest Hatter of Hook and the couple lived in the Council Houses (Bolingbroke Close) before purchasing cottages at The Piece (including the former Old Clarendon Arms) from the White family. Here Beatie secured a grant to improve the building. During World War Two the couple took in several evacuees.

Ernest died aged just 47 years in 1946 as a result of gas poisoning in World War One after which Beatie brought her elderly grandmother to live with her at The Piece. In 1953 she decided it was time to move into a smaller property. She came to an arrangement with John and Ruby Drury in which the Drury's bought her home in exchange for having a bungalow built for her at a similar cost. Typically Ruby insisted that she pay the Drury's the £50 surplus on the exchange.

Beatie is remembered fondly by John's widow Ruby Drury who recalls her kindness and generosity which she showed to anyone in need, sharing whatever she had with others despite the cold shoulder she often met with but about which she never complained. Others remember her being very much involved with St. Mary's Church and having a great sense of humour.

Beatie and Ernest are buried together in Hook Cemetery.