THORNE
FAMILY ARCHIVES
Compiled by
Janet Thorne Foley (5), Hamilton, Scotland
As people’s first names are often the same from generation to generation,
I have indicated in parentheses after the name which generation the person is -
starting with 1 for Joshua and Mary Ann Thorne. Pat, you and I are
generation 5. I have also indicated which ones had the “family
hair”. Most of the information comes from the family records held by
Uncle Earl Thorne (3) before his death in 1982. I presume they are now in
the hands of his descendants. Much of the information obtained from Uncle
Earl was from primary sources...birth and death certificates, family Bible,
etc. - backed up by his own personal recollections.
The information in italics is from the biography of Kate Greenaway by Rodney
Engen, published in Britain in 1981 by MacDonald Futura Publishers Limited,
Paulton House, 8 Shepherdess Walk, London N1. ISBN 354 04200 9.
Most of this information links up with the information I obtained from Uncle
Earl, although some discrepancies do appear. I had very little time to
skim the book, as I was in Inverness at the time waiting for a bus to Hamilton,
but I photocopied a few pages to take back with me. I will do my best to
obtain the book in due course.
Joshua Thorne (1) - Born July 7 or 14, 1818 lived in Loch’s Wharf, Edmonton,
England was a wholesale clothier and artist (notebook of drawings with Pat
Arnold (5)) married Mary Ann Jones (1) (who was Welsh and had the Thorne hair)
on 27 September, 1840 at the Registry Office of John Wace, Hackney Road,
in the Parish of Shoredich, London, England.
Joshua died of apoplexy in a carriage in London in 1855 (either 3 August or 17
October) at the age of 38. Buried in Abney Park Cemetery,
Stoke Newington. Left his widow and 7 small children ( the
youngest, Kate(2) only 6 months old) totally unprovided for.
Mary Ann Jones Thorne (1) (who was Welsh and had the hair) - born 22 September,
1816. Her parents were Rebecca Potter, daughter of a wealthy Dagenham
farmer and Nathaniel Jones, a Welsh-born butcher working in Shoredich.
Her brothers and sisters were (according to Thorne family records):
William Jones(1) - September 21, 1805
John Jones(1) - February 1, 1809
Sarah Jones(1) - February 6, 1811
Elisabeth Jones(1) - January 1, 1815
James Jones(1) - February 10, 1815
Mary Ann Jones(1) - September 22, 1816
Note: Kate Greenaway’s biographer Rodney Engen’s information differs
slightly from the information in the Thorne family records. He does
not mention William Jones, and does mention a Hannah Jones instead. Some
of the birth dates do not agree either. In fact, he lists the marriage
date of Rebecca and Nathaniel Jones as some time in 1806...which would make
William Jones something of an embarrassment, if our information about his
existence and birth date is correct! These matters will need a bit more
investigation.
Mr. Engen also mentions that Mary Ann’s two brothers were “disreputable”, and
that after they both emigrated to Canada, one of them sent Mary Ann a letter
asking her to arrange for his mistress and illegitimate daughter to be sent to
him. Big scandal, I imagine!
Mr.
Engen’s information also includes some insights into the character of some of
Mary Ann Jones’ family and herself. Her mother, Rebecca, was quite a
character, and was known as a great storyteller. She also was fond
of little proverbs and sayings. One of these may have remained
in our family since then. I seem to remember my Dad, Walter “Bud” Thorne
(4) saying a version of Rebecca’s little prayer “From witches and warlocks and
longtail buzzards and things that run at the bottom of the hedge, Good Lord
deliver us”. Dad’s ran more like “From witches and ghosties and
long-legged beasties, and things that go boomp in the night, the Lord deliver
us”. Probably a long shot. But it would be fun if this sort of
thing had come down through the family from this far back.
Kate Greenaway (2), the children’s author and illustrator, was the daughter of
Mary Ann’s sister Elizabeth (1). Her father, John Greenaway, was an
engraver by trade, and interestingly for Thorne family history, was Joshua
Thorne’s (1) best friend. This might explain Joshua’s interest in
art...maybe he and John Greenaway met and became friends through something
having to do with art. This angle is certainly worth investigating
According
to Rodney Engen’s biography of Kate, Joshua and Mary Ann, who were already
engaged to be married themselves, were witnesses at the marriage of Elizabeth
and John Greenaway on 10 May , 1840 in what is now Southwark Cathedral.
It was also interesting to read in the biography that Kate did not like her
Aunt Thorne (Mary Ann) and found her “a most disagreeable person”. She
applied the same description to her cousin Marion Thorne (2) whom she described
as being exactly like her disagreeable aunt. Not a wonderful start to our
family tree, but while it might be true enough, it is also worth noting that
according to the biography, Kate Greenaway was considered to be a rather “odd”
child, who seemed to be subject to many strange fits and notions. Her
mother, Elizabeth, was also very strict and religious. Possibly the two
sisters were simply not very much alike. I would prefer to think that,
than to believe that our noble family tree is topped by a crowd of
disreputable, disagreeable, odd religious fanatics!
Mary Ann (1) came to Goderich, Canada from London in 1856, with some of her
children. Daughter Kate (2) died in
March of that year and is buried in London, so I assume that Mary Ann came to
Canada after that date, as she would probably have been unable to pay for the
passage money back to England just to bury her daughter. According to
Rodney Engen, her daughter Marion (2) remained behind in the house of John and
Elizabeth Greenaway for a while.
Mary Ann (1) may have joined one of her brothers in Canada when she first
arrived. She later married George Harris (1) on 26 August, 1862 in
Canada. She died as “Grandma Harris” on October 6, 1897.
Children of Joshua (1) and Mary Ann (Jones) (1) Thorne (not in chronological
order by age):
Walter Thorne I (2 -hair)- born in London (leap year) February 29, 1848.
Moved to Godrich, Canada in 1856. Moved to Alpena, Michigan in
1866. He became a US citizen in Alpena on January 27, 1873.
He started building the “family home” at 525 Lockwood Street in Alpena about
1873 (before he was married) according to Uncle Earl (3). Joshua married
Tillie Borland (2) on November 17, 1874 at the First Congregational Church in
Alpena. He moved to the Bitter Root Valley in Montana in 1910, and on to
Seattle Washington in 1902. He died in Hamilton Montana on September 1,
1936. His wife Tillie died October 14, 1925 at the age of 68 - don’t know
for sure where.
There was an indication in Uncle Earl’s (3 - hair) papers that when Walter
Thorne I (2 - hair) was 9 years old he had been in an “orphan working school”
in 1857. That was probably in Canada. According to Uncle Earl, his
dad Walter Thorne I followed the lumbering trade for 50 years as a saw
filer. Could be what took him out west.
Tillie (Matilda) Borland Thorne (2) was born in Ottawa, Canada. Her
father was John Borland (1), as indicated in a letter in Uncle Earl’s
possession, which was from Ottawa and dated April 18, 1891. Tillie had a
sister named Maggie F Borland (2) who married Charles A Lee on March 7,
1863. Maggie and Charles had 5 children and they lived in Saginaw,
Michigan. Tillie also had a brother named Alex, who, according to Uncle
Earl, had a fight (!) with Walter I, left town, and was never heard from
again! Don’t know any more details of this little tidbit, unfortunately.
Walter and Tillie had 4 children: Walter E Thorne II (3 - hair), Laurenze
Jackson Thorne (3 -hair), Eular Joshua Thorne (3-didn’t have the hair) and Earl
Wellington Thorne (“Uncle Earl”) (3 -hair).
Marion Thorne Richmond Masters (2) was born on July 8, 1841 in London.
According to the Kate Greenaway biography, she was left behind in England when
her mother moved to Canada after the death of her father. She lodged with
her aunt and uncle, John and Elizabeth Greenaway, and trained with her uncle as
an engraver’s assistant. As part of her training, she attended evening
classes in the Finsbury School of Art off William Street, which is off the
present Claremont Square in London. Her cousin Kate Greenaway (who
apparently was not fond of her cousin Marion) used to accompany her to her
classes. While Kate continued on at the school, Marion soon lost interest
and left . She was married to a Mr Richmond while in England. She later
married Charles Masters (2) in Alpena, and is buried there. Marion
and Charles Masters had 3 daughters: Mrs. M. McIntyre (3), Mrs. John
Woods (3) and Mrs. Sidney McDonald (3).
Eular Thorne (2) was born on October 16, 1850 in London and came to Alpena,
Michigan in 1866. He married Mary Woods (2). They lived in Long
Rapids near Alpena. Eular died on January 14, 1957 at the age of
106. Eular and Mary had 4 sons: Robert Thorne (3), Jackson Thorne
(3), Milo Thorne (3), and Wilson Thorne (3).
Nellie (Aunt Polly) Maude Thorne Borthwick (2 -hair) was born on November 5,
1853 in London. She married Jackson Borthwick(2) and they lived in
Duluth, Minnesota. Aunt Polly and Jackson had 2 daughters: Bess
Steise(3 -hair) who lived in Hamburg New York and taught in Buffalo New
York, and Louise (Mrs Fred) Saint(3).
Emily Thorne Wesson Wagoner (2) was born on August 4, 1843 and married William
Wesson (2) about 1860 in Alpena. She was later married to Henry Wagoner
(2) in Alpena. She died in Alpena. Emily and William Wesson had two
children: Ernest Wesson (3) and Florence Wesson (3).
Kepler Thorne (2) was born September 20, 1845 in London. He died on June
21, 1861, and was buried in Goderich, Canada. A certificate exists among
Uncle Earl’s papers which is dated June 22, 1861, number 31 and is written to
Mary Thorne (1) for $2.00. It is the certificate for the plot in Maitland
Cemetery in Goderich where Kepler is buried. The plot is Lot 1612162,
Section 5. (Note here from Janet Thorne
(5) who is compiling this history: While reading through Uncle Earl’s papers, I
came across two conflicting birthdates for Kepler Thorne (2) on differing
documents. I assumed an error had been made, and chose the birthdate
which listed him along with his siblings as correct, rather than the other
which came from a more obscure source and listed him as having been born on a
wholly different date several years earlier. However, since moving to
Scotland, I’ve discovered that it was common for Victorians to name a second
child after a first who died. So it’s possible that there were two Kepler
Thornes in the same family, the first one dying as a baby or very young child
and the second one—named after him—born on September 20, 1845, and living long
enough to make the move to Goderich Canada)
Kate Thorne (2) was born in London on July 14, 1855. She was the “baby”
of the family and died (in England according to Uncle Earl) on March 20, 1856
shortly after the death of her father, Joshua (1) and before her mother, Mary
Ann Jones Thorne, moved to Canada. She is buried in City of London and
Tower Hamlets cemetery, death certificate number 9533, South Grove Bow
Road. There is, apparently, no headstone.
Children of Walter Thorne (2) and Tillie Borland Thorne (2) (in chronological
order by age):
Walter E Thorne II (3 -hair)- born in Alpena Michigan on February 20,
1877. He married Elsie Blanchard (3) on July 17, 1900. He operated
a men’s clothing store (presumably with a partner) Masters and Thorne, and later
on he changed to Thorne and Mills Men’s Store at 102-104 South Second
Avenue in Alpena. He retired 17 years before his death on November 13,
1950. He was a Spanish American War veteran, and a keen hunter and
outdoorsman. His death in 1950 was of a heart attack which happened just
prior to the start of the deer hunting season out at the Leroy Hunting Club
camp in Lachine, where he was a founding member.
note: The following information on Elsie Blanchard Thorne which is in
italics came from a history of the Blanchard family compiled by Elsie’s niece
Gertrude, otherwise known as Sister Marie Dolores, IHM. She is the
daughter of Elsie’s sister Mary (Mame) Blanchard Reinke.
Elsie Blanchard Thorne (3) was the youngest daughter of Jeremiah Blanchard
(2) and Sophia Rousseau Blanchard (2). It is thought that Sophia (2)
came from Canada and lived in Detroit where she was married to Jeremiah (2) in
1857. They moved to Alpena Michigan in 1867. They had 7 children,
Joseph (3), Mary (3), Libbie (3), Louis (3), William (3) , John (3), and little
Elsie (3).
Sophie Blanchard (2) died when Elsie (3) was still a baby. As her father
was unable to properly care for a baby, she was taken into the home of her
mother Sophie’s sister Delphine (Mrs Fred) Huot (2), who is known in the family
as “Aunt Doll”. Elsie (3) was raised as a cousin to her own brothers
and sisters...which complicates the family records no end! Later on, the
daughter of her brother Joseph (3) who was also named Elsie (4) -
(and called “Little Elsie” by the family for obvious reasons) - was taken in by
the Huots to raise ... complicating things even more!
Elsie
Blanchard Thorne (3) died of complications from diabetes on August 18 1931.
Walter II and Elsie had 4 children: Beryl (4), Miriam (4), Dora (4-hair)
and Walter Jeremiah (“Bud”) (4-hair).
Laurenze Jackson Thorne (3-hair) was born on July 31, 1879 in Alpena.
Laurenze left Alpena and moved to Wisconsin. He married Mary Robbins (3)
who was born July 6 1879 in Ishpeming Michigan, and who went to Becoda,
Wisconsin as a young woman. Laurenze and Mary were married in Chehalis,
Wisconsin on May 28, 1903. They moved to Hamilton Montana in the summer
of 1909, where Laurenze worked for Ravalli County Mercantile, and later for
Valley Mercantile and Town Grocery. Laurenze died in Hamilton on May 22,
1952, and was buried in Riverview Cemetery on May 24.
Mary Robbins Thorne was preceded in death by her parents and her twin sister,
Mrs George F Sachs (Martha). Mary Robbins Thorne died in Grayling Michigan
on April 9, 1971 or 1972. She is buried with her husband in Riverview
Cemetery in Hamilton Montana.
Laurenze and Mary Robbins Thorne never had any children.
Eular Joshua Thorne (3) was born on February 19, 1882 in Alpena Michigan.
He died as a baby on May 23, 1882.
Earl Wellington Thorne (3 - hair) was born in Alpena on July 18, 1895. He
married Margaret H Much (3) on December 9 1918. Some time either before
or after his marriage, he moved to Seattle where they lived and had 3
children. They divorced in January 1934. He then married Hazel Zook
(3) on February 15, 1934.
“Uncle Earl” was a buyer for Birds Eye frozen foods for much of his career,
which took him up and down the West Coast from California to Washington.
He enjoyed traveling, and after his retirement, he and Hazel bought a silver
Airstream trailer, sold their home in Seattle, and spent most of their time
either traveling around visiting the country and their far-flung relatives, or
in places like Phoenix Arizona for the winters.
After Hazel’s death of cancer, Earl bought a permanent mobile home in
Seattle, where he lived until his death in 1983. I visited him there in
the summer of 1982, where he showed me great hospitality for a week or so, and
I was able to collect the information which forms the bulk of the older data in
this Thorne family history. He said that the family Bible and other data
would be passed to either his son Earle Jr. or his son Gareth after his death,
so I presume one of them now has it.
My memories of Uncle Earl are fond ones. His occasional visits with Hazel
to Alpena during my childhood were a lot of fun for me. He was quite a
joker, and Aunt Hazel was very kind and good fun. My visit to him in 1982
was subdued by his sadness over the loss of Hazel, and mine over the loss of my
Dad (“Bud” (4) Thorne) the previous summer. However, I was very grateful
to him for spending all the time going over his records and explaining so much
to me.
Earl and his first wife Margaret had 3 children: Earle W Jr. (4), Gareth
David (4-hair) and Barbara Eileen (4).
The record I got from Jan seems to be truncated in the middle of the next
paragraph so I have stopped the record here.
I hope to get the complete record from her sometime in the next short
while and upload it then.
I also hope to clarify some confusing things in the text.
However, it
is always touch and go to coordinate with someone who now lives in Glasgow,
Scotland and is intent on writing creative things of her own. She only wishes she had thought of writing
about a young orphan in an English boarding school.
The one note that I would insert in this record is that the “Thorne hair” is very tightly curled, almost afro-like. My aunt Kay Huston (Coombs) whose sister Marie was married to the younger Eular, Robert's son and the elder Eular's grandson, did not know that there was such a phenomenon.
Return to: