Joseph Henry THORNE

  General Notes:

Birth Dec 1859 Barnstaple 5b 488 Thorne Joseph Henry

Birth Certificate
Entry 386 in register of Bishops Tawton sub district of Barnstaple.
10th October 1859 at Fremington, Joseph Henry, Boy, John Thorne, Mary Thorne formerly Evans, Farm Labourer. The informant was Mary Thorne, mother of Fremington on 24 October 1859

Baptism at Fremington
6 November 1859 Joseph Henry son of John & Mary Thorn of Bickington, Labourer

Marriage #1
Marriage Mar 1878 Barnstaple 5b 734

Marriage Certificate
Married at the Parish Church in Fremington on 31st March 1878
Joseph Henry Thorne, Under, Bachelor, Mason, Bickington in Fremington. Father John Thorne, Labourer
Eliza Ann Blackmore, Full, Spinster, - , Bickington in Fremington. Father William Blackmore, Railway Inspector.
The witnesses were Richard Dale(?) and George Thorne (brother?)

Marriage #2
Marriage Mar 1927 Barnstaple 5b 713

Married at the Parish Church, Fremington on Feb 26th 1927
Joseph Henry Thorne, 67, Widower, Mason, Roberts Cottages Fremington. Father John Thorne, Labourer
Lucy Hockridge, 65, Widow, - , Combrew Fremington. Father John Andrew (deceased), Farmer
Both signed names but there is another name beneath Lucy's.
Witnesses were Joseph Henry Thorne and Mary Jane Gould.
The name of the first witness was clearly wrong as the only Joseph Henry Thorne around was the Groom himself!

The parish registers for Fremington show
Married at the Parish Church, Fremington on Feb 25th 1927
Joseph Henry Thorne, 67, Widower, Mason, Roberts Cottages Fremington. Father John Thorne, Labourer
Lucy Hockridge, 65, Widow, - , Combrew Fremington. Father John Andrew (deceased), Farmer
Both signed names.
Witnesses were William Henry Thorne and Mary Jane Gould.
Similar details except that the name of the first witness was in fact William Henry Thorne (his son) and the date was one day earlier - I have a copy of this entry.

Death Dec 1935 Barnstaple 5b 526 Thorne Joseph H, aged 76

Death Certificate
15th October 1935 at North Devon Infirmary, Joseph Henry Thorne, Male, 76 years, of 9 Penrose Square Litchdon Street Barnstaple formerly a Mason (Journeyman). The informant was H Thorne, Daughter in Law, present at the death, of 10 Bicton Street Barnstaple, on 16th October 1935.
(H Thorne was Hannah, wife of Ernest Thomas).

I have a photo of him taken outside No 9 in 1935 with his second wife (and another photo of the house that I took in 2003).

Burial at Fremington church
19 October 1935 Joseph Henry Thorne of Barnstaple Infirmary, aged 76
Not found a gravestone yet - odd, as he was a stone mason and so was his son, William Henry. Apparently he was buried in an unmarked grave, but his wife was buried with her mother - Ann Blackmore nee Muxworthy

North Devon Journal 24 October 1935
Funeral of Mr. Henry Thorne at Barnstaple
The interment took place in Fremington Churchyard on Saturday of Mr. Henry Thorne, whose death, at the age of 76 years, occurred at 9, Penrose-square, Barnstaple, on Tuesday of last week. The Rev. H. C. F. Burrowes (Vicar) officiated.
The principal mourners were the widow, Mrs T. Thorne (daughter-in-law), Misses E. and M. Thorne and Mrs A. Thorne (grand-daughters), Mrs F. Hockridge (step-daughter-in-law), Mr and Mrs N. Beer (step-daughter and step-son-in-law), Mr and Mrs Easterbrook (Bickington), Mr and Mrs J. Bennett (Bickington, nephews and nieces). Mr and Mrs J. Thorne (London, son and daughter-in-law) and Mrs W Thomas (daughter-in-law) were unable to be present through indisposition.
- Mrs T Thorne would be Hannah, wife of Ernest Thomas "Tom". Misses E & M Thorne are probably Elsie and May. Mrs A Thorne would be Beatrice, wife of Archie.

From newspaper article about the Penrose Almshouses
The church is on a well-marked Heritage Trail of historic places- Church Lane Almshouses, part of which was a school founded in 1659 to care for "20 poor maids;"The Square, where the tall Albert Memorial Clock's dials earned it the local name of "the four-faced liar" because they showed different times; the still-lived-in 17th Penrose Almshouses in Litchdon Street, with an old pump in the cobbled courtyard which no longer drawns water, but attracts lots of photographers and the Three Tuns in the High Street which is 15th century and is reputed to be the oldest hostelry in town.

Mum told me about her grandad living on Yarner estate as the head gardener and that she went there on holiday (by train to Bovey Tracey or Lustleigh) played in the woods and visited Becka Falls. We went there in the 1960's when I was a child and got a permit to view the woodland nearby (it was owned then by the Nature Conservancy), so presumably there actually was a connection with this estate. I remember that we also stopped the car outside a house as it was where she used to visit. I visited again in Feb 2002 - Yarner Wood is now owned by English Nature. We also found the Yarner house (road west from Bovey Tracey towards Haytor).

With the 1901 census and his death certificate in 1935 both being "Barnstaple", together with wife's death certificate in 1925 at the same almshouses, there seemed to be some doubt as to this story. But it now appears to be true after all. I met a cousin, Roger, who had researched the family some 25 years ago and, although he hadn't remembered it, he had made some notes about Joseph Henry from talking to his mother. Towards the end it said "Joseph Henry became the head gardener at Yarner House ......"

Although the photos that my mum had were in the 1930s, it appears that the visits to Yarner may have been earlier - say around 1920 and that the 1933 photos were a visit to show my dad where she had visited as a child. The photos of Joseph Henry taken outside the almshouses, probably in 1935, were with his second wife, Lucy.

The cottages on the Yarner estate were :
Yarner House, Yarner Farm House, Keepers Cottage, Yarner Lodge, Yarner Wells Cottage, North Lodge, Captain Dicky's Cottage. Yarrow Lodge (at Yarner Wood) was apparently derelict from about 1901 until 1950s.
On the 1881 census, Yarner House is called "Chad Wyche" and occupied by the Chadwick family. It had been renamed from Yarner when Henry Chadwick bought it in 1878. The description of ED5 for RG11/2158 F52 refers to "Yarner now Chadwycke Farm" and "Yarner now Chad Wycke Lodge". In 1901 (ED6 refers to "Chadwyck and Lodges" as well as Yarner Well) it is still referred to as "Chadwyck House". It is in the Bovey Tracey parish. The 1889 map on www.old-maps.co.uk also shows the house as Chad Wycke. The house and estate were renamed Yarner in 1902 when it was bought by Sir Harry Trelawney Eve. Sale particulars of Chardwycke (the Yarner estate), by auction, are at DRO reference Z18/39. He sold it in 1919 to Richard Henry Lee. I suspect that JH Thorne worked there until about 1919.

At least part of the story has been proved through checking the Electoral Roll books for Bovey Tracey and my guesses about the timeframe were very close.
The voting qualifications are R=Residence, O=Occupation, HO=Husband's Occupation
The two qualifications were for parliamentary and local elections

Ashburton Division 1914 and 1915
Separate lists for Ownership, Lodgers, Occupation qualifications
No reference to Thorne

1916 and 1917 - no registers produced

Totnes Division 1918 (whole year)
960 Thorne Eliza Ann Drive Bungalow Yarner HO HO
961 Thorne Joseph Henry do R O

Totnes Division Spring 1919
989 Thorne Joseph Henry Drive Bungalow Yarner R O
990 Thorne Eliza Ann do HO HO

Totnes Division Autumn 1919
no entry for Thorne

Totnes Division Spring 1920
1150 R O Thorne Joseph Henry Rachel Cottages
1151 HO HO Thorne Eliza Ann do

Totnes Division Autumn 1920
1155 R O Thorne Joseph Henry Rachel Cottages
1156 HO HO Thorne Eliza Ann do

Totnes Division Spring 1921
1170 R O Thorne Joseph Henry Rachel Cottages
1171 HO HO Thorne Eliza Ann do

Totnes Division Autumn 1921
1169 R O Thorne Joseph Henry Reddafird Bungalow
1170 HO HO Thorne Eliza Ann do

Totnes Division Spring 1922
1152 R O Thorne Joseph Henry Reddafird Bungalow
1153 HO HO Thorne Eliza Ann do

Totnes Division Autumn 1922
no entry for Thorne

Totnes Division 1923 and 1924
no entries for Thorne in either Spring or Autumn

From English Nature at Yarner Wood
"Rachel cottages is on the left heading down the road towards Lustleigh
at SX 788795 approx. When we first came here in 1986 it was known as
Yarner Cottage which caused a lot of confusion. It reverted to its
original name a few years ago. In the sale there are No's 1 and 2 which
are still there although both have been extended.
Drive Bungalow is probably (but not definitely) what is now called
Yarner Lodge at SX 783781 approx. The bungalow at Long Brake (opposite)
looks much more recent.
Reddaford Bungalow is probably what is now known as Little Reddaford SX
786 791 approx."

We visited again in June 2006 and found all three of the houses that he is known to have lived in. Little Reddaford is definitely the one I remember us seeing all those years ago. I talked to the current owner who has been there for over 45 years. According to his deeds it was once used for the estate chauffeur - probably after Joseph Henry had left. I mentioned that it was odd that Joseph Henry was a stone mason, yet was at Yarner as head gardener. He wondered if he had originally come because of the quarries etc and then changed jobs - might be possible. I was allowed to take photographs of the house (see the yarner page of my web site ).

1861 census
RG9/1495 F13 P20
Bickington Village, Fremington
John Thorne, head, mar, 61, Ag Lab, South Molton Devon
Mary Thorne, wife, mar, 43, , Braunton Devon
Elizabeth do, daur, un, 17, Scholar, Barnstaple Devon
Edman do, son, un, 9, Scholar, Fremington Devon (Edmund)
George do, son, un, 7, Scholar, Fremington Devon
Emma do, daur, un, 5, Scholar, Fremington Devon
Henry do, son, un, 1, Scholar, Fremington Devon (Joseph Henry)

1871 census
RG10/2192 F11 P13
Bickington, Fremington
John Thorne, Head, Mar, 71, Jobbing Gardener, Filleigh Devon
Mary do, Wife, Mar, 55, Wife, Braunton Devon
Elizabeth do, Daur, Un, 28, Servant domestic, Barnstaple Devon
Edmund do, Son, Un, 19, Railway Labr., Fremington Devon
Emma do, Daur, Un, 16, Servant Domestic, Fremington Devon
Henry do, Son, Un, 11, Scholar, Fremington Devon

1881 Census
RG11/2251 F80 P8
North Lane, Bickington, Fremington, Devon
Joseph Hy Thorne, Head, Mar, 21, Mason, Devon Fremington
Eliza Ann do, Wife, Mar, 29, , Devon Fremington
Edmund do, Son, Un, 2, , Devon Fremington
William Hy do, Son, Un, 3mo, , Devon Fremington
Elizabeth E do, S. Law, Un, 13, Scho, Middlesex Hammersmith London
Florence M do, S^r Law, Un, 8, Scho, Middlesex Hammersmith
The last two actually had the surname Blackmore (sisters of Eliza Ann) - there is enough evidence for this, including births in Kensington.

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

Kellys Directory of Devon & Cornwall 1893 [pt2 Court and Trades Directories]
under Carpenters & Joiners
Thorne J H, Bicton St Bear St Barnstaple
- no evidence that this is the same person

1901 Census - Fremington
RG13/2152 Folio 42 P 1 & 2
Deptford Villas, Fremington
(note 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
RG14PN13321 RG78PN772 RD284 SD1 ED5 SN58
4 Grenville Avenue, Barnstaple, Devon (5 rooms)
Joseph Henry Thorne, , Married, 53, Mason, Fremington Devon, married 33 years
Eliza Ann Thorne, Wife, Married, 59, , Fremington Devon, married 33 years
Ernest Thomas Thorne, Son, , 22, Mason, Fremington Devon
- now called Granville Avenue, which meets the description of the Enumeration District
- against Joseph Henry it states there had been 7 children born alive, 4 still living and 3 had died
- index gives birthplaces as Tremington

On the page http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~stonemen/TAY-THO.htm (this is obviously J H Thorne)
THORNE, Henry, b/d NK, Stone & Marble Mason, address 1890: Bickington, Fremington-Dev.
THORNE, Henry, b.1858 Fremington-Dev, Mason, address 1901: Fremington-Dev.
THORNE, Joseph Henry, b.1860 Fremington-Dev, Mason, address 1881: North Lane, Fremington-Dev.
Page now updated to provide a single entry for him with all the addresses and dates
- the first entry almost certainly refers to an entry in "Devonshire Professions and Trades" page 1279
Thorne Hy, Bickington, Fremington - under Stone & Marble Masons (on Ancestry.co.uk)

I was told that there was another daughter, Lily May, who died around 1885 - I have her birth and death certificates and she was the daughter of Richard Thorne. Her burial at Fremington (which probably gave rise to the suggestion) gave age as 1 and abode as Barnstaple. So not our line. However, the 1911 census does imply that there was another child who had died.

Notice in the North Devon Journal on 11 June 1891 and 25 June 1891
I, Joseph Henry Thorne, Mason, of Bickington, Fremington, HEREBY GIVE NOTICE, that I will not be responsible for any Debt or Debts my Wife, Eliza Ann Thorne may contract after this date.
Dated 10th June 1891
Signed Joseph Henry Thorne
Witness William Henry Mullins

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation: Mason, Between 1878 and 1888, Bickington, Fremington, Devon, England. Description on birth certificates of children

• Occupation: Mason, 19 Oct 1885, Fremington, Devon, England. on birth certificate of Henry John and 1881 census

Joseph married Eliza Ann BLACKMORE, daughter of William BLACKMORE and Ann MUXWORTHY, on 31 Mar 1878 in Fremington, Devon, England.¹ (Eliza Ann BLACKMORE was born on 22 Feb 1852 in Fremington, Devon, England,⁷ died on 29 Sep 1925 in Barnstaple, Devon, England ⁸ and was buried on 3 Oct 1925 in Fremington, Devon, England.)

Joseph next married Lucy ANDREW, daughter of John ANDREW and Prudence HOCKRIDGE, on 26 Feb 1927 in Fremington, Devon, England.^{2 3} (Lucy ANDREW was born circa Mar 1861 in Clovelly, Devon, England, died on 18 Oct 1937 in Barnstaple, Devon, England and was buried on 21 Oct 1937 in Barnstaple, Devon, England.)