The Hadwen Family of Lancashire

He was born in Chatham, Kent with severe eyesight problems and at the age of 12 3/4, only 4 months after his father's death (at the age of 49 in Chatham Workhouse), went away to the Henshaw School for the Blind in Manchester. He excelled at music (piano and organ) and on leaving school went abroad to be organist at Rangoon Cathedral in Burma. He returned after contracting malaria and taught briefly at his old school before securing the post of assistant Music Master at The Yorkshire School for the Blind in York. Here he met his wife Hilda who also taught at the school. He taught piano and organ both at the school and privately. He was Organist Choirmaster at several York churches - principally St Michael le Belfrey. He was an associate of the Royal College of Organists (ARCO) and also the local secretary for Trinity College of Music, London for several years. He progressed to Master of Music at The Blind school, a post he held until the school's closure in 1957.He had an elder sister, Ethel Neale who we know married William Regan and had 2 daughters (Marjorie and ?). The daughters were briefly evacuated to York during WWII. He seems to have lost touch with Ethel and family sometime during the 1950's. He had 2 younger sisters and 2 younger brothers. They were Alexandra Maude (born 1 June 1902), George F (born 1905 and died 1922), Hilda (born 1908) and Robert Adolphus (born 1910). His mother died in 1935. Apart from Ethel, the only other family member he appears to hvae had contact with was brother Robert who visited York during WWII when working for the Engineers - "building airfields".It is not known why he appears to have lost most contact with his family, almost from going away to blind school. Financial cicumstances may ahve played a part, given his father's early death in the workhouse or there may have been some sort of a rift. His surviving York family would dearly like to know more.