William Kercher Hatch (1883 - 1925)

Born 30 Oct 1883 in Anne Arundel, Maryland, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Annie V. (Harrison) Hatch — married 12 May 1915 in Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Descendants

Died 1 Mar 1925 at age 41 in Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Karen Ferrero [send private message]

Biography

William Hatch 1883-1925 Annie Harrison 1885-1915

William Kerchner Hatch was born at the family home in Crownsville, MD. From about the time he was a young adult, he called Baltimore home, as he moved there with his parents around age twenty. He is listed for most of those years in the city directory as a ‘laborer’ but for a couple of years, he had a job as a streetcar motorman.

William married our Annie V. Harrison (he 31, she 29) just prior to her death in 1915. Annie was the last child of Champion and Anne Stier Harrison. Her father died when she was five and from that point until her appearance in the 1910 census, we lose track of her.

By the 1910 census she has had three children by unknown Haller, the first child being born when Annie was 17. They were: Grace 1902, William 1905 [died young] and Edith 1907. No marriage records have been found for a Haller marriage, and no death notice for unknown Haller.

Sometime before 1912 Annie met William and they began co-habituating. On their eventual marriage license application, it states that William is divorced, and perhaps a delay in the divorce caused them to not marry at that time. In any event, in 1912 Gilbert Hatch is born, and on 15 February 1915, Carroll Hatch is born. Just three months later [11 May 1915] William’s father, Samuel Hatch makes an application for a marriage license for his son William, and Annie. On the application he states that William is divorced, and Annie is a widow.

Baltimore Sun 11 May 1915 HATCH-HALLER-William K. Hatch, 31 (divorced); Annie V. Haller, 30 (widow). Applicant, Samuel S. Hatch, 304 South Paca street.

Perhaps William’s father, Samuel, had been able to perform the ceremony, as he had been a Justice of the Peace, or perhaps he had connections, for the marriage was swift. Annie died two days after the marriage. Her death certificate states that she was 29, died of tuberculosis of a four-year duration, and that she was to be buried in Western Cemetery.

William Hatch is left with two sons, one three and one three months old. Annie’s parents are both deceased, William’s parents, Samuel and Elizabeth are living in Baltimore, but are 67 and 65 at the time. For whatever reason, they do not intervene. William Hatch decided to keep the three-year-old Gilbert, but he gave up the infant Carroll to Annie’s aunt and uncle, William Champion and Nellie Hellen Harrison for adoption. They named him Carroll Elwood Harrison. Carroll did marry and have one child, but he has no living descendants. Gilbert and Carroll never lived together as siblings.

William Hatch was given to women and alcohol; and we hear he spent much time on these endeavors. On the first of March 1925, he went missing. On the first of April 1925 he is found drowned in Baltimore Harbor. The family was left to speculate as to whether he was drunk and fell in, or if he had been attacked. William was buried in the family plot in the Baldwin Cemetery, Millersville, MD

Baltimore Sun 1 April 1925 HARBOR VICTIM IDENTIFIED: Body is that of William Hatch. The body of a man found in the harbor yesterday at Lancaster street and East Falls avenue was identified today as that of William Hatch, 42 years old, 1048 West Fayette street, by his sister Mrs. Grace Winkler 1121 Washington Boulevard. [this is incorrect, Grace was his stepdaughter] Hatch, according to his sister, has been missing since March 1. Coroner James Fenton, of the Eastern District, is investigating the death.

Baltimore Sun 2 April 1925 Body Found in Harbor Identified. The body found floating in the harbor Tuesday by the crew of the police boat ‘Lannan’ was identified yesterday as that of William Hatch, of the 1000 block of West Fayette street. His stepdaughter, Mrs. Grace Winkle, 1100 block Washington Boulevard, identified the body.

Baltimore Sun 2 April 1925 HATCH, Suddenly, William K., beloved husband of the late Anna V. Hatch (nee Harrison). Due notice of funeral.

It must be noted that with the union of this couple, the North truly meets the South in this family tree. William brought to the marriage a very long line of upstanding New England puritans and Annie was descended from an illustrious line of colonial Marylanders.

William and Annie Harrison Hatch had two children, the first being Gilbert William Hatch, of whom further.

William was born in 1883. He was the son of Samuel Hatch and Elizabeth Whittington. He passed away in 1925.

Sources

• Family Bible Records

Obituary--Drowned in Baltimore Harbor Personal research by Karen Ferrero