Thomas Rutter was born in Hatton on 16th July 1893. He was the son of John Thomas Rutter (born Hatton) and his wife Mary (nee Thompson) who was born in Wilderspool, Warrington.
In 1901 Thomas was living in Greenside Lane, Hatton with his parents and his two younger siblings, Sarah E. (4) and George (1). His father was a bricklayer’s labourer.
Ten years later he was living on the same lane with his parents and his three younger siblings, George Alfred (8), Mary Alice (6) and John William (5). Thomas was now working as a stable boy on a farm and his father was a farm labourer.
His obituary in the Warrington Guardian in 1961 told that he attended the village school in Daresbury and later was employed at the brewery in Wilderspool. He was one of the first to volunteer when war broke out and he served in France from December 1914. His name appeared on the Roll of Honour for Daresbury. He had the rank of private in the Royal Army Service Corps and the service number M2/021601. Throughout the war he served in the mechanical section of the RASC. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
He returned to Hatton, having been an absent voter in 1918 and 1919. He had married Flora Arnold (born Warrington) on 26th February 1916 and they had two sons, Thomas W. and Douglas A. and by the 1920s were living in School Lane in Hatton.
Sadly, Flora died in June 1935 aged 42 years.
According to the 1939 register, Thomas lived at this time in Latchford, Warrington, with his son Douglas and his married brother John and John’s wife Doris. Thomas was employed as a telecommunications installer for Post Office Telephones. He served for 39 years in this employment and retired in July 1958 as a telecommunications inspector. He was involved in Warrington and District Billiards League and followed Warrington Rugby League Football Club.
After World War Two he became a Labour councillor for the Westy ward of Warrington and eventually served as Mayor of Warrington in 1958-1959. He was awarded the Imperial Service Medal.
Thomas died on 23rd June 1961 in Latchford and after a ceremony at Christ Church, Latchford, was buried at Warrington cemetery. He left a widow, Elsie and three sons.