Thorne Family Tree

Thorne is the 1,721st most popular name in the United States (Thorn is common as well). Thorne is an English name found mostly in the area of Dorset and Devon, bordering counties located on the southwestern coast of England. Some of our other ancestors are from Ireland, including Kilbride, Kings County (Ella Mullin's parents), which includes present day Laois.

Here's the church in Dorset, England where our early Thorne family attended (baptized, married, buried). Jean Farrow wrote to John Thorne: "The Stoke Wake church is now in someone's garden. We were given permission to see the church by its owner who now uses the church for an art collection. The village of Stoke Wake no longer really exists - it is just one or two houses."

Further down the line (in 1908), John Joseph Thorne (born 1872) married Leona Ritter, whose parents are from Germany & Prussia.

Currently we can verify our tree back to Robert B. Thorn, who married Mary McFarland (born in Ireland) in Toronto in 1843. We have possibly located Robert's parents and grandparents - in correspondences with another Thorne we were provided records of a Robert Thorne: "christened January 14, 1827 in Stoke Wake, Dorset England; died January 28, 1856 in York County, Ontario, Canada." We know our Robert died in late December, 1855 in Niagara, Ontario, was temporarily buried in St. James Anglican Cathedral (where he and Mary were married) in Toronto, then reinterred in Weston (a suburb of Toronto) in April, 1856. If this link can be verified, we will then know Robert's parents & grandparents in England. Visit Robert B. Thorn in the tree for more details. Many (if not most) Thornes in America are descendants of William Thorne (born in England in 1617), who landed in the Massachusetts Bay Colony ~1638 with the first contingent of Quakers.

After Robert B. Thorn died in Niagara, Ontario, Canada in Dec., 1855, the status of his wife (Mary) and four children are unknown until they appear in the 1871 Collingwood, Ontario census. Below are some photographs (click for larger images).

Robert Thorne & Ella Mullin (left); sons Robert (with wife Anna), John Joseph (with sons Robert & Paul in enlarged picture), and William Thorne.

George Ritter (left), father of William Ritter. William Married Barbara Heumann (middle with children Leona & Henry). Barbara's parents were Leonard & Maggie Heumann (2nd from right). Leona Ritter (right), married John Joseph Thorne.

Robert B. Thorn's son, also Robert Thorn (1844 - 1884), a railroad engineer, married Ella Louise Mullin (1850 - 1934) in late 1871 in Collingwood. They had 5 children - John Joseph, Robert, William, Francis Mary, & James. There are about 67 descendants of Robert & Ella (via John Joseph & Robert, the only two to have children). Francis Mary and James died in early childhood. Click below to see the Thorne Tree, as well as Leona Ritter's branch (John Joseph Thorne's wife).

In the 1890s, the 3 brothers (John Joseph, Robert, and William), children of Robert and Ella Mullin Thorn, moved to Michigan.

The knighthood was bestowed on William Thorne, son of John Thorne, by King Richard the Lion Hearted for heroism during the 3rd crusade approximately 1199. The seat of the family was in Pembrokeshire, the most easterly county of Wales, in the town of Lianstadwell. Our motto "Vincere Del Mori" literally translates "Conquer or Die" (John Arthur Thorne).

John Arthur Thorne: John Thorne (grandson of John Joseph) has dedicated many years researching the Archambault, Chene, & Thorne family trees. He has visited genealogy libraries, churches, courthouses, and graveyards in many cities (incl. Canada) to piece the individual branches of our trees together. You can email him at sanjont

aol.com.

Sandra Thorne Borgon: My mother (granddaughter of John Joseph) helped form the foundation of the Thorne tree by telling me every name she could remember, as well as many quick write-ups. I wouldn't have gotten this tree off the ground without her.

Helen Bailey: Helen Ransom Bailey (granddaughter of Robert) provided many pictures for this tree and is helping to fill in gaps on Robert Thorne's (1873) branch.