Hugo Pratt origin, his maternal grandfather was of Marrano (Jewish) descent, and his grandmother was of Turkish origin. He was also related to actor Boris Karloff (né William Henry Pratt). In 1937, Pratt moved with his mother to Abyssinia (Ethiopia), joining his father who was working there following the conquest of that country by Benito Mussolini's Italy. Pratt's father, a professional Italian soldier, was captured in 1941 by British troops and in late 1942, died from disease as a prisoner of war. The same year, Hugo Pratt and his mother were interned in a prison camp at Dirédaoua, where he would buy
Henry Lark Pratt with views of Windsor Castle that Pratt had painted. He moved back to Derby in 1851 where he was still making a living from his artistic skills that kept his wife and their nine children. In 1861 he described himself as a "Landscape painter on China." He died on 3 March 1873 in Stoke on Trent. Pratt’s son Henry Lark Pratt changed his name to Hilton to try to avoid confusion with his father but this was to little effect as paintings are found that are signed "H.L.Pratt". Pratt (junior) went on to exhibit a painting at the Royal Academy