Background
Frank was born at Horfield near Bristol and was educated at Marcq in France and later King"s College School.
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Frank Hatton
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He was the second child of the journalist Joseph Hatton (1839–1907), who wrote a biographical preface to the book on North Borneo published posthumously based on field notes. With a keen interest in the study of geology, he joined the British North Borneo Company as a mineral explorer and set off on his first expedition, leaving London in August 1881. He reached Labuan in October and Abai in November.
He explored the Sequati and Kurina rivers before recouping at Singapore and in the summer of 1882 he visited the Labuk river followed by Kinoram district.
He was killed when his gun, tangled in the forest, went off while pursuing an elephant. Frank had been extremely interested in exploration, with a knowledge of local dialects and well read on the works of earlier explorers.
After his death, his body was brought by several days of canoe journey on the Kinabatangan River to Elopura. An enquiry pointed to accidental death and he was buried at Sandakan cemetery.
Frank"s publications included a note on The Adventures of a Drop of Thames Water to the Whitehall Review and two papersOn the Action of Bacteria on Various Gases, and On the Influence of Intermittent Filtration through Sand and Spongy Iron on Animal and Vegetable Matters dissolved in Water, and the Reduction of Nitrates by savage and other agents.
