Harriet Brunette Skeggs - 'Hatties Map' - Somersham, Cambridgeshire - Citizen Memorials on Waymarking.com

"All about Hattie by Dianna Skeggs -

Hattie was born 21 August 1921 in the front bedroom at N° 3, Church Street.

N°1, Church Street was her father's butchers shop, Granddad lived there with the shop between and a barn to the back where they slaughtered cattle.

When her Father died from the effects of mustard gas from WWI, granddad also died and she with her brother and mother moved to the Hammer & Anvil pub at N° 111, High Street, where she lived until she died on the 27th July 2011, just short of her 90th Birthday.

In 1935 Hattie started work at Huckell's egg packing factory in Park Half Road. In 1939 Hattie went to the laundry in Hemingford Grey, she cycled there and back each day.

After WWII, Hattie delivered bread, first for Bonnett's and later for Saints. During this time she became something of a social worker, assisting the old and infirmed, delivering babies and discovered some who were deceased and helping the ill and injured.

Later, having studied, she began working for Cambridge City Housing, where she became Housing Officer before eventually retiring.

During her life she was a Parish Councillor, District Councillor and a Governor of Ramsey Grammar School.

Hattie became a great help to many in the village, taking people to hospital, and to other appointments, she became the local taxi for the ill, old and disabled; she continued this until she stopped driving at almost 82...

For some fifty years Hattie was involved with the church. She was a chorister, a bell ringer and climbed the church tower to put out the flag.

Hattie is remembered for being a very kind and caring person as well as for being extremely forthright and determined. Her wish was to help the people of Somersham.

Background to Hattie's Map by Somersham Parish Council
Harriet Skeggs (known as Hattie to many) was a well-known local figure whose affection and devotion for the good of Somersham was renowned. Hattie served on Somersham Parish Council from May 1964 until May 2003 and during that period she only missed 20 meetings.

However many of those missed meeting were because she was attending Huntingdonshire District Council as Hattie was a District Councillor between 1987 and 1995.

The idea of the map came about as a tribute to Miss Hattie Skeggs and her in-depth knowledge of Somersham and its historic names in case they should be lost forever. The map incorporates the village as it is today together with the old names and places plus photographs.

Hattie easily put names to faces in the old pictures shown on the map which brought it all to life.

Members of Somersham Parish Council David Bonnett, Steve Criswell and Penny Bryant (Parish Clerk) met with Hattie on a number of occasions to insert and confirm all the information on a draft map. This information was then translated further by Richard Elen onto a map of the parish as it is today.

Special thanks also go to the parish councillors on the volunteer working party David Cornwell, Andy Lee, Eric Parsons, Graham Siggs and Jennet Smith who reviewed the various draft maps during the lengthy process.

Following last minute hitches and intensive email conversations between Richard, Andy (for the historical detail) and Penny the final version of the map was presented to, and approved by Hattie early in 2011.

Finally thanks go to Michael Murray for the superb sign writing which completed the project as our tribute to a staunch Somersham champion.
On Saturday 6 August 2011 David Bonnett unveiled the long awaited historic map of Somersham branded affectionately by the working group as 'Hattie's map’. .
Ends."

SOURCE - plaque on map

Website with more information on either the memorial or the person(s) it is dedicated to: [Web Link] Location: Church Street, Somersham

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