He was born at Cambridge, son of John Hatcher, MD, Regius Professor of Physic.
[2] In 1565, being dissatisfied with the government of Provost Philip Baker, Hatcher along with some other members of the college, wrote a letter of complaint against him to William Cecil.
He studied law in Gray's Inn, where he was admitted in 1565, and then medicine.
In later life he resided on his father's estate at Careby, near Stamford, Lincolnshire.
[1] Hatcher married Catharine, daughter and heiress of Thomas Rede, son of Richard Rede of Wisbech, and had: a son John, elected from Eton to King's College, Cambridge, in 1584, who succeeded to the estates of his grandfather, Dr. John Hatcher, and received the honour of knighthood; Henry, sometime of St John's College, Cambridge; William; Alice, wife of Nicholas Gunter, sometime mayor of Reading; and other daughters.