Did you know that one of the survivors of The Battle of Rorke’s Drift, a British victory in the Anglo- Zulu War of 1879, was born in Hatton?
You may have seen the 1964 film “Zulu”, which is the story of the 155 soldiers who successfully defended the garrison on 22nd/23rd January 1879 against 4000 Zulu warriors.
Private Thomas Edward Taylor was born in Hatton in 1856. When he left school he worked as an agricultural labourer and eventually joined the army, enlisting in B Company, 2/24th Battalion (The 2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot. This was by far the largest Company at Rorke’s Drift.
When he left the army, he moved to Weston village near Runcorn and worked as a stone quarry labourer at Weston Quarry. He married Lucy Maddock, who was also from Hatton and they had seven children.
In 1925, he and fellow survivor Thomas Moffatt (of Runcorn) were presented to George V when the King visited Runcorn and Widnes.
Thomas Taylor died the next year and was buried at Runcorn Cemetery.
