Dennis Done

Dennis Done was born in Hatton on 27th May 1884 and baptised at Daresbury on 20th July that year. He was the son of John Henry Done (born Stretton) and his wife Martha (nee Povey), who had been born in Hatton.

In 1891, he was lodging with his parents in Stretton Road, Hatton at the house of George Percival, who was a veterinary surgeon. Dennis’ father was a brick maker.

Ten years later he was living at Hatton Common with his parents and his siblings Elizabeth (14) and Stanley W. (4). Stanley would also serve in the Great War. Dennis was now employed as a joiner.

On 15th August 1908 he married Charlotte Williams who was from Wrexham.

By 1911 they were living at Dorothy Cottages in Stretton, which had been built in 1884 by Thomas Henry Lyon. They had John Allen (2) and Dorothy (1). Dennis was working at the brick and pipe works.

Dennis enlisted in 1916 at the age of 31 years and 9 months and described himself as a horseman/ ploughman, whose father lived at South View in Hatton. He was assigned to the Northern Divisional Signal Company, Royal Engineers and served in Germany. His rank was Driver with the service number of 219281. He was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal for his service in the Great War.

By the time that he was demobilised in October 1919, he had already stayed on in Germany for a year after the war ended and had become a Signaller. He was examined at Cologne in that month and was found to have no disability as a result of war service. He was demobilised at Prees Heath and returned to Stretton where he had been an absent voter in 1918 and 1919.

By 1921 the family had moved to Appleton Cross, Appleton-with-Hull. In 1926 they had another daughter, Eva M. Ten years later they had moved to Walnut Tree Farm in Appleton Cross and were recorded there in the 1939 Register. Dennis was now a dairy and arable farmer and also a special constable. His mother had died in 1931, but his widowed father and his two daughters were living at home with himself and Charlotte.

Dennis Done died in April/June 1972, nine years after his wife. He was 88 years of age.