DEATH OF A SHEFFIELD WORTHY - SEPTEMBER 1896
The following is from The Sheffield & Rotherham Independent (Sheffield, England), Thursday, September 17, 1896. The term "worthy" has fallen into disuse over the years but it means an honourable and admirable person, and so Charles Thorne passed way knowing that he had made his mark on the world and "left it better than he found it." As an active member of the Order of Druids, he would have been expected ""to preserve and practice the main principles attributed to the early Druids, particularly those of justice, benevolence and friendship." He certainly appears to have done that!
1891 Census Record
Name Charles Thorne Age 42 Estimated Year of Birth 1849
Relationship to Head of Household Head Occupation Spring Knife Cutter
Address 108, Heavy Gate Road District Ecclesall Bierlow, Nether Hallam Parish
Nether Hallam Administrative County Yorkshire (West Riding)
Birth Place North Anston Birth County Yorkshire Reference Information Folio 56
Page 13 Piece 3798
108 Heavygate Road Crookes - June 2012
Whilst I was preparing this article I came across the following post that was made to a mailing list back in 2001
From: Irene <idavem@telus.net>
Subject: [SHEFF] ADDRESSES FOR THE THORNES
Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2001 10:45:07 -0700
My great grandparents, CHARLES THORNE and ANN GOODISON had following addresses, over the years shown;
1870 - 165 Pearl Street
1873 - 17 Finlay Street
1875 - #13 Court, 20 Hammond Street
1877 - 13 Hope Street
1879 - 164 Richards Road Heeley
1882 - 149 Walkley Street
1886 - 85 Holland Road
1896 - 108 Heavygate Road - see above
And in May 2013, I received the following mail from the current occupant of 108 Heavygate Road. In the e-mail he discloses that he has lived at the address with his wife since 1986. About nine years ago his wife was "contacted out of the blue" by a family in Canada who are descendents of CHARLES and MARIA THORNE. They found details of the house on the internet and contacted the current owners!
But they also sent the current owners two photographs of the Thorne Family dating back to the late nineteenth century
The descendents of Charles and Maria in Canada have kindly given me permission to post the above photographs to the site. They are absolutely fantastic
The first was taken in the garden of 108 Heavygate Road around 1890 and the second at the rear of 108 Heavygate Road in around 1895. They also confirmed that the bearded man sitting in the first photograph was indeed CHARLES THORNE. And they also provided a bit more information about Charles and his family
"(It is) Charles Thorne, although I am not sure which of
the boys is on his lap. I had also assumed they had a photographer come around
to do the photo.
I was quite interested in Chris Hobbs post and tried to connect with the
individual who claimed Charles Thorne as her great-grandfather as well (Irene),
although the wife noted in the webpage, Anne Goodison, was not my great
grandmother. We may have the makings of a family scandal here :)
Another family detail is that Charles Thorne was known as Charles Coates for a
period in his youth as his mother had remarried and Charles had taken the
stepfather's name. Apparently his father 'stepped out for a loaf of bread' and
never returned."
The current owner remarks
"It was fascinating to see pictures of people who lived in our house a century before we did. We had no idea, though, that Charles Thorne was a local worthy, till we saw your article!"
Notes
1881 Census Record
Name Charles Thorne
Age 32 Estimated Year of Birth 1849 Relationship to Head of Household Head
Occupation Spring Knife Cutler Address 149, Walkley Street District Ecclesall
Bierlow, Nether Hallam Parish Nether Hallam Administrative County Yorkshire
(West Riding) Birth Place Anston Birth County Derbyshire Reference Information
Folio 137 Page 10 Piece RS00
Sources
The Sheffield & Rotherham Independent (Sheffield, England), Thursday, September 17, 1896
This page was last updated on 04/04/14 15:56