She was born as Lottie Helen Aiton on 26 June 1886 the youngest of the six children of William George Aiton (1853-1900) and Mary Jane Aiton née Banister (1854-1935). Her birth was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1886 in the Strand registration district.
In the 1891 census she is shown as living at 9 Denzell Street, St Clement Dane's, London (the street was demolished in the 1900's during the Kingsway area redevelopment), with her parents and five siblings: Elizabeth Mary Aiton (b.1877), David John Aiton (1878-1946), Phoebe Sarah Aiton (1881-1954), William Robert Aiton (1882-1941) and Arthur Aiton (1884-1956). Her father's occupation was described as a carpenter.
The 1901 census shows her as a book-folder living at 11 Little Wild Street, Holborn,(now renamed as Keeley Street), with her widowed mother and three siblings: Phoebe who was a carpet sewer, William a carrier carman and Arthur a iron-founders shop labourer. Her mother was an office cleaner.
In the 1911 census she was listed as a packer at a chemical manufacturer, boarding with her mother at the home of her sister Phoebe who was now married to a Sidney James Bennett, together with their two children at 90 Cavendish Buildings, Clerkenwell Road, Camden.
On 4 June 1911 she married Charles George Hackett (1886-1921) at Holy Trinity Church, Grays Inn Road, Camden, (now the site of Trinity Court), where the marriage register describes her husband as a scale maker of 8 Anne Street, Waterloo Road, Lambeth, (later renamed to Boyce Street), whilst her address was confirmed as 90 Cavendish Buildings.
They had three children: Rose Ivy Hackett (1913-1940), Bessie Hackett (1916-2001) and Joyce Grace Hackett (1918-1940). When their daughter Bessie Hackett was baptised on 16 May 1916 at Holy Trinity Church, the baptismal register gives the family address as 9 Yardley Street, Clerkenwell.
Electoral registers from 1918 to 1920 show her and husband listed at 140A Union Street, Borough High Street, Southwark, but in 1921 they were shown at 140 Union Street, Borough High Street. Her husband's death was registered in the 4th quarter of 1921 in the Southwark registration district.
Electoral registers in 1922 continue to list her at 140 Union Street, but from 1923 to 1933 she is listed there with her mother. The 1934 and 1935 show them still there but as her daughter, Rose Ivy Hackett had turned 21 years-of age, and she too was also listed. Registers from 1937 show her and daughters, Bessie and Ivy, still at this address.
Her daughter, Rose, married a Reginald W. O'Connor (1911-1967) in 1939 and the 1939 England and Wales Register show her daughter, Rose, and husband living at 142B Union Street, whilst she and her daughter, Joyce, were still at 140 Union Street. Her occupation was given as a charwoman.
She was injured on 10 September 1940 as a result of enemy action when a German bomb fell on the Ewer Street air raid shelter and was taken to Guy's Hospital, St Thomas Street, London, SE1, where she died, aged 53 years, on 11 September 1940. Amongst the others killed at the air raid shelter was her daughter, Joyce Grace Hackett. Also killed on the night of the air raid was her daughter Rose Ivy O'Connor née Hackett at 143B Union Street.
Her name can be found on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website and it is also recorded in The Civilian War Dead Roll of Honour 1939-1945 that is kept just outside the entrance to St George's Chapel at the west end of Westminster Abbey. These confirm that she was still living at 140 Union Street.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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