The Reverend Reynell Wreford Hay, Rector of Garsdon & Lea

Page last updated: 3 November 2025, 6:43pm

The Reverend Reynell Wreford Hay (1859-1937)

The Reverend Reynell Wreford Hay has no known connection to Sutton Benger, but he was the Rector of Garsdon & Lea during the First World War. He and his wife Margaret (née Bolton) had seven children, two of whom were flying aces (credited with downing at least five enemy aircraft).

Hugh Allport Hay

  • Major Hugh Allport Hay, MC, served with No. 11 Sqn, RAF, in 1918; his story can be found online at the following link.

https://airwar19141918.wordpress.com/tag/hugh-allport-hay/

  • Lieutenant Roger Bolton Hay, MC, served with the Royal Flying Corps in 1917, on No 48 Sqn. He died on 17 July 1917, aged just 22, and was buried in the military cemetery in Ostend.

Ostend

Margaret Hay's brothers

In addition to losing her son, Roger Bolton Hay, Margaret Hay (née Bolton) lost three brothers in the First World War:

  • Captain Maurice Baldwin Bolton, MC
  • Captain Harry Hargreaves Bolton
  • Lieutenant John Bolton

Lt Harry Bolton

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