Robert H. Batey

Under His Hat Robert H. Batey

Alice in Wonderland' is a book loved worldwide by people of all ages. But 'Under His Hat' reveals other intriguing stories of Alice, who was known in real life as Alice Liddell, the daughter of Henry George Liddell, Dean of Christ Church College Oxford. Born into the privilege and wealth of English nobility, her real-life hatter was Coffee Johnny, an orphan. Introduced when Alice was very young during a family holiday to Ravensworth Castle, their affinity for each other lasted their lifetimes and he became her confidant and close friend. Their fascinating stories unfold in Tyneside, Windsor and Oxford in England at the start of the Industrial Revolution. The two become instrumental in inspiring Lewis Carroll to write his masterpieces. It is only much later learnt by the pair that Johnny was actually the illegitimate son of Dean Liddell, and so Alice's half brother.