Godfrey St Leger Thornton

Godfrey's parents, Henry Edward Thornton and Katherine Charlotte Thornton (née Grenfell) were first cousins. Katherine, born 17 December 1842, was the daughter of Pascoe St Leger Grenfell (1798-1874) and Catherine Anne Du Pré and the sister of Field Marshal Francis Wallace Grenfell PC GCB, 1st Baron Grenfell. Henry was born on 31 October 1842, the son of Rev Spencer Thornton MA (1813-1850), vicar of Wendover, and Caroline Adelaide Du Pre, daughter of James Du Pre of Wilton Park, Buckinghamshire. They were married on 15 February 1871 in Kilvey, Glamorgan. Henry and Katherine had eight children; Nina Katherine (1871-1951), Henry Grenfell (9 Feb 1873-1934), Susan Theresa (1875-1958), Pascoe Spencer (3 Mar 1877-1917), Claude Cyprian (2 July 1878-1939), Godfrey St Leger (21 Mar 1881-1918), Gertrude Fanny (1882-1967) and John Gordon (23 Dec 1884-1969).Henry Grenfell was in the 1st Nottinghamshire (Robin Hood) Rifle Volunteers from 1893 resigning in the rank of captain in 1899. He later served as a trooper in the 106th Company (Staffordshire) 4th Bn Imperial Yeomanry and served in South Africa for just over a year from February 1901. Pascoe Spencer joined the Merchant Navy but was an interpreter with the Chinese Labour Corps during the war and died in hospital in Tientsin, China, on 10 April 1917. Claude and John took Holy Orders (Claude married Alice Mary Sillery, the daughter of the bishop of Northwood) while Nina married Rev FT Woods MA (Camb), later bishop of Winchester, and Susan the Rev JB Barton MA (Camb). Gertrude married, as his second wife, Frank Evelyn Seely JP, ( Major and Hon. Lieutenant Colonel South Notts Hussars TD Yeo, the second son of Sir Charles Seely of Calverton Hall, Nottingham. Katherine Thornton died on 16 January 1906 aged 63 and Henry married c. 1909 Isabel (also k/a Isobel) Mary Smith, a descendent of Abel Smith, the banker. They had a son, Robert Henry, who was one year old in 1911 (b. October 1909, possible date of death 1984, London). They lived in Henry's home on the Ropewalk and had a staff of seven; a nurse, chauffeur and five servants. They later moved to Wymeshead, Kegworth, Leicestershire. Henry died on 22 October 1926 aged 83 and Isabel later lived in South Kensington dying in Llandudno on 18 February 1945 aged about 79. She is buried in Nottingham Church (Rock) cemetery.Henry was a JP and a partner in the bank of Samuel Smith and Company although at the time of the 1881 census his occupation is given as bank manager. In 1881 he and Katherine lived at 58 The Ropewalk with their family of six children, Nina (9), Henry 8), Susan (6), Pascoe (4), Claude (2) and the youngest at 1 month, Godfrey. Their six domestic staff reflect the family's social position and young family: domestic nurse, maternity nurse, cook, parlour maid and two housemaids. Ten years later the family included Henry and Katherine's two youngest children, Gertrude (8) and John (6). Only they and Nina, Susan and Pascoe, now a naval cadet at HMS Britannia, were at home; the older boys may well have been away at school. The household had five domestic servants: a nurse/servant, cook, lady's maid, parlour maid and housemaid, none of whom were the same staff as in 1881. However, two of the staff, Sarah A Sturges, formerly a nurse/servant and now a maid, and Edith Smallwood, a parlour maid, were still with the family in 1901 along with a house maid and kitchen maid. Only Claude was at home with his parents on the night of the census. At the time of the 1911 census, Godfrey, now 30 years old and a captain in the Army, was serving with VI Field Artillery Brigade in India.He died at Ramsdale Park, Arnold, which was probably the home of his married sister, Gertrude, who had married Frank Seely whose family owned Ramsdale Park.