Augustus Thorne:- July 16, 1825- October 28, 1901


This is a brief summary of the life of my Great Great Grandfather Augustus Thorne.

Schooled at Merchant Taylors'.
Wished to Study Law at Oxford.

1845 went to Canton and joined the Company called: Gibb, Livingstone & Co., which had been founded 9 years earlier. Company was made to exploit the rich Chinese market thrown open to all traders with the ending of the East India Company's monopoly in 1833. The Chinese had tried to exclude all foreigners from their Empire, but the 1842 Opium War had forced them to open Canton, Shanghai and 3 other ports to Western traders and to cede Hong Kong to Britain. Trade in Silks, Porcelain, Tea, and other oriental luxuries were exchanged for the manufactured goods pouring out of the mills and factories of Lancashire, Yorkshire and the Midlands.
Changed Company he worked for while in China called: J.P.Thomas & Co. and became a partner. This enabled him to pioneer British trade with the Yangtse valley. Became a Freemason and in 1855 he set up business: Thorne & Co. with the help of his brothers- Cornelius and Joseph.

Contracted Black Water fever- regarded at the time as incurable, but survived- but told he had to return to an open-air life in England and not return to China. He returned to England and bought a small farm in Battle near Hastings and became a Sheep Farmer. (The Board of Trade in 1866 records the farm had 120 Sheep, 38 Lambs, 2 Milking Cows and 1 Pig. But increased health and boredom made him decide to embark on several new careers.

An early interest in Law led him in 1863 to enter the Middle Temple, and he was called to Bar in November 1865. Though he had no intention of practicing as a barrister, he knew that his legal knowledge would be of great value to his commercial plans and also his growing interest in prison reform.

1865 A new venture began with him holding weekly auctions of Tea in Mincing Lane, London. The Tea was advertised as being "sold without reserve", which meant ignoring the agreed market price in order to undercut his rivals when it suited him.

1877, 6th February- He married Margaret Blenheim Ochterlony Greig- known as Maggie, a thirty year old Scottish lady who at the time was very sick and not expected to live long. She died 3 weeks after their first wedding anniversary, probably from Consumption as Augustus in his will bequeathed money to 2 hospitals for chest complaints, and kept her memory alive by endowing a bed at the London Hospital to be known as "Maggie's Cot".

When he married Mary Frances Nicol, Augustus was living in Sevenoaks in a house called Dornhurst near to his widowed sister "Aunt Church". Mary found her presence and the house suffocating so thy moved to rented accommodation on Green Street, W1. After a while they purchased a permanent residence: 32 Great Cumberland Place, Hyde Park. Dornhurst was not sold until after the First World War by his son Augustus (Andrew).

Study of the Law, a farm, control of Thorne & Co and the Mincing lane auctions meant leading a very busy life. However his sense of Civic duty encouraged him to take an active part in the affairs of two livery Companies: the Cooks[1901] and the Cordwainers[1902] - eventually becoming Masters of each- his Mastership of the Cordwainers fell in the year 1896/1897 when, as part of the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of Queen Victoria in 1897, he presided over the banquet at which the visiting Colonial premiers were entertained.

1870 He agreed to stand as a Parliamentary Candidate for the Borough of Nottingham, but forced to withdraw as his radical sentiments alarmed potential voters due to his belief in, what we now call "Women's Lib".

1887 Became Deputy Lieutenant for the Tower Hamlets.
1893 Councilor for the Borough of Marylebone.

At the turn of the Century he was invited to be prospective Lord Mayor of London, aged 75, but his health was beginning to fail so reluctantly declined the honour.

Had a strong attachment to Scotland and especially Lossiemouth. Many family holidays there. In 1894 Dunconusg, a house was completed.

26 March 1894- Mary's elder sister died at Childbirth leaving two twins- Gerald and Phillis Messervey and a young son Ernest Dyce Messervey. These orphans were welcomed into the house, although never officially adopted they retained their surname they became fully part of the Thorne family, cared for, brought up and educated as if they were Augustus’s and Mary's own children.

When he died he left an estate valued at over half a million pounds, a large sum in 1901.