Hatton was born in Preston, Somerset, England on 8 September 1835 to Elizabeth Stenner and Robert Hanover.

As a young woman, she was involved with Sunday-school work, and she campaigned for temperance with the Band of Hope.

The Franchise League campaigned against the anti-suffrage politician Henry Fish's bid for the mayoralty of Dunedin later in 1892.

A celebratory meeting was held in the Dunedin City Hall with a "thousand handkerchiefs waving for victory".

Hatton next worked to make sure as many women as possible were on the electoral rolls for the general election on 28 November 1893.