Henry John "Jack" THORNE

  General Notes:

Birth Registration Dec 1885 Barnstaple 5b 471 Thorne Henry John

Birth Certificate
Entry 472 at Bishops Tawton sub-district of Barnstaple district.
8th October 1885 at Bickington, Fremington in Bishops Tawton sub district of Barnstaple.
Henry John, Boy, Joseph Henry Thorne, Eliza Ann Thorne formerly Blackmore, Mason. Registered by Eliza Ann Thorne, mother, Bickington Fremington on 19 October 1885.

Baptism of Henry John and Ernest Thomas on 14 Oct 1888 at Fremington gave address as Bickington and father's occupation as Mason

Marriage Sep 1911 St Thomas 5b 133
Thorne Henry John
Best Harriet Louisa

Marriage Certificate
The Parade Chapel, Exmouth on 22 July 1911.
Henry John Thorne, 25 years, Bachelor, Locomotive Fireman, 31 Albion Street Exmouth. Father Joseph Henry Thorne, Bricklayer.
Harriet Louisa Best, 24 years, Spinster, Dressmaker, 8 Albion Street Exmouth. Father Samuel John Best, Tailor.
Married at the Parade Chapel according to rites of the Congregationalists by Certificate.
Witnesses were E T Thorne (brother Ernest Thomas) and S Hookway (see 1911 census for groom).
Presumably Henry was in lodgings in Exmouth whilst working for LSWR.

Death Mar 1949 Ealing 5e 257 Thorne Henry J

Death Certificate
Registered in the Syon Park sub-district of Ealing, Middlesex
died on 17 February 1949 at 30 Twickenham Road, Isleworth - [actually West Middlesex Hospital]
Henry John Thorne, Male, 63 years, of 51 Mereway Road Twickenham Railway Engine Driver. The informant was H L Thorne, widow of the deceased of the same address on 18th February 1949.

Grandma was buried 23 Oct 1970. Exclusive Grave purchase £7 15s grave 109 plot G class B consecrated ground on 8 April 1949 (for burial of husband. 1st burial cost £13-1s-0d and second was £16-0s-0d. (see certificate of purchase).

MI at Twickenham Cemetery
Henry John Thorne Died Feb 17th 1949 Aged 63 Years
Harriet Louisa Thorne Died Oct 18th 1970 Aged 83 Years
In That Beautiful Land

Richmond Cemetery Services
Grave Details
Position Deceased name Age Date of Burial Cemetery Section Grave
2 Harriet Louisa Thorne 83 Years 23/10/1970 Twickenham Cemetery G 109 third row
1 Henry J Thorne 63 Years 23/02/1949 Twickenham Cemetery G 109 third row

The April 1949 SR Magazine includes the reference
Deceased: Thorne. H., Drvr, Feltham.

Probate Calendar 1949
Thorne Henry John of 51 Mereway Road Twickenham Middlesex died 17 February 1949 at 30 Twickenham Road Isleworth Middlesex Administration London 6 April to Harriet Louisa Thorne widow. Effects £809 1s 10d

I have no recollections of Grandad Thorne as he died before I was two years old. He was an engine driver with the Southern Railway and apparently his trains frequently went past "The Rec" (Kneller Gardens) in Twickenham. He had an allotment there and used to throw coal out from the tender to land on the allotment - cheap heating!

According to my cousin Ged, his last few years were spent on a chair/bed in the living room at 51 Mereway Road as he had cancer of the spine. She remembers visiting and he was always in that chair. This probably explains why he looked a large man in later photos but was much slimmer in his earlier days.

Electoral Role 1923 (on ancestry.co.uk)
Twickenham, West Ward
51 Mereway Road
H O Thorn Harriet Louisa
R O Thorn Henry John
- R Residential qualification (man), O Occupational qualification

Electoral Role 1927 (on ancestry.co.uk)
Twickenham, West Ward
51 Mereway Road - index has 61
H O Thorn Harriet Louisa
R O Thorn Henry John
- R Residential qualification (man), O Occupational qualification

Electoral Role 1932 (on ancestry.co.uk)
Twickenham, West Ward
51 Mereway Road
Rw Dw Thorne Harriet Louisa
R O Thorne Henry John
- Rw residential qualification (woman), Dw Qualification through husband's occupation
- R Residential qualification (man), O Occupational qualification

Electoral Role 1933 & 1934 (on ancestry.co.uk)
Twickenham, West Ward
51 Mereway Road
Rw Dw Thorne Harriet Louisa
R O Thorne Henry John
R - Thorne Thomas John
- Rw residential qualification (woman), Dw Qualification through husband's occupation
- R Residential qualification (man), O Occupational qualification

Electoral Role 1935 & 1936 (on ancestry.co.uk)
Twickenham, West Ward
51 Mereway Road
Rw Dw Thorne Harriet Louisa
R O Thorne Henry John
Rw - Thorne Jessie Louisa
R - Thorne Thomas John
- Rw residential qualification (woman), Dw Qualification through husband's occupation
- R Residential qualification (man), O Occupational qualification



1891 census
RG12/1780 F47 P15
Bickington, Fremington, Devon
Eliza A Thorne, Wife, M, 39, , Devon Bickington
Josheph Hy Thorne, Head, M, 33, Mason, Devon Bickington
Edmund do, Son, S, 12, Scholar, Devon Bickington
William H do, Son, S, 10, Scholar, Devon Bickington
Walter G do, Son, S, 8, Scholar, Devon Bickington
Henry J do, Son, S, 6, Scholar, Devon Bickington
Ernest T do, Son, S, 3, Scholar, Devon Bickington
Florence M do, Daur, S, 6m, , Devon Bickington
- sister Elizabeth Ann Halls is on the same page
- house is next door to Magdala House

1901 Census - Fremington
RG13/2152 Folio 42 P 1 & 2
Deptford Villas, Fremington
Henry = Joseph Henry, John = Henry John, Edward = Edmund, Thomas = Ernest Thomas, William = William Henry
Henry Thorne, Head, M, 43, Mason, Devon Fremington
Eliza do, Wife, M, 48, , Devon Fremington
Edward do, Son, S, 22, Machinist At Cabinet Factory, Devon Fremington
William do, Son, S, 20, Mason, Devon Fremington
John do, Son, S, 16, Office Boy, Devon Fremington
Thomas Thorne, Son, S, 13, Errand Boy, Devon Fremington

1911 census
RG14PN12578 RG78PN722 RD270 SD1 ED7 SN68
31 Albion Street, Exmouth, Devon (8 rooms)
Samuel Hookway, Head, 45, Married, Labourer (on buildings), Exmouth
Jessie Hookway, Wife, 37, Married, , Exmouth
Violet Hookway, Daughter, 13, , , Exmouth
Florence Hookway, Daughter, 11, , , Exmouth
John Thorne, Boarder, 25, Single, Railway Engine Fireman, Barnstaple
Charles Best, Visitor, 24, Single, Railway Engine Fireman, Chiswick
- Samuel married 17 years, 3 children born alive, 3 still alive
- Jessie was Jessie Hurford (marriage Sep 1893)
- Charles Best appears to be Charles Percy Best born Mar 1887(Brentford district), son of Edwin & Eliza (on 1901 census)
- no infirmities shown in the final column of the form

National Register 1939
Ref: RG101/0933A/006/31 Letter Code: BUDK
51 Mereway Road, Twickenham M.B., Middlesex, England
1 Henry J, Thorne, dob 8 Oct 1885, sex male, occ Loco Driver (heavy w, marital status Married, schedule 44
2 Harriett L, Thorne, 5 Nov 1886, sex female, occ Unpaid Dom Duties, marital status Married, schedule 44
3 Barbara K Thorne (later as Powell), 20 Jan 1921, sex female, occ GPO Telephones, marital status Single, schedule 44

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation: Locomotive Fireman, 22 Jul 1911, Exmouth, Devon, England.

• Occupation: Fireman (railway), 12 Dec 1913, Exmouth, Devon, England. birth certificate of Jessie

• Occupation: Engine Driver, 16 Jul 1938, Twickenham, Middlesex, England.

Jack married Harriet Louisa "Lou" BEST, daughter of Samuel John BEST and Elizabeth Jane HOOPER, on 22 Jul 1911 in Exmouth, Devon, England.¹ (Harriet Louisa "Lou" BEST was born on 5 Nov 1886 in Exmouth, Devon, England,^{5 6} died on 18 Oct 1970 in Tooting, London, England ⁷ and was buried on 23 Oct 1970 in Twickenham, Middlesex, England ⁸.)