CHRISTMAS came early for Catherine Willson as wraps were removed from a special delivery to reveal what she never thought she would see.

There, unveiled at Hereford’s Friar Street museum resource and learning centre, were works by renowned Hereford artist Brian Hatton long thought lost into the distance.

The selection of sketches, watercolours, landscapes, and portraits had been sent over from the USA – specifically Cocoa Beach, Florida – having circulated around the Shaler family that Brian’s daughter Mary married into.

Catherine, collections officer at the centre, admits to having been teased by the works ever since she was first told of their existence a few years ago.

“I knew they were out there, but never really believed they would come back,” she said.

The new additions are being prepared for placement in the centre’s Hatton Collection of 1,000 paintings, drawings, prints and other items.

The Hereford Times has had frequent occasion to recount the story of Brian Hatton, the boy from Broomy Hill who grew into an artistic talent ranked among Britain’s best before he was taken by the First World War.

His loss was significant to the British art scene shaking off the last remnants of mid-Victorian complacency. Sargent, Brangwyn, Orpen, Augustus John were all contemporaries to whom he was compared.

Much of Brian Hatton’s prolific output was inspired by life out of another era as lived around the Herefordshire he grew up in.

He died far from his muse on Easter Sunday 1916 as Second Lieutenant Brian Hatton, 1st Worcestershire Yeomanry, last seen alive on the sand hills of Oghratina, Egypt, riding to fetch reinforcement for comrades overwhelmed by attacking Turkish troops.

First posted as missing, confirmation of the 28-year-old’s death came a few months later.

The body of an 'English Yeomanry man' discovered in the desert was identified as Brian Hatton by a tiny photograph of wife May found in his wallet.

Married for just two years, the couple had an infant daughter Mary – destined to flourish for herself as a prima ballerina the toast of capitals and companies across Europe.

Mary moved to the USA  in 1946 and married into the Shaler family of Crystal Lake Illinois. May joined her there in 1955, bringing a collection of Brian’s works with her.

A thought to be first oil portrait of May was amongst them – and also amongst those that came back.

 For Mary Hatton's story see herefordtimes.com on Boxing Day