Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue

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Reference
X552
Title
Gifts from the Thornton family
Date free text
1805-1962
Production date
From: 1805 To: 1962
Admin/biog history
The Thornton family beginning with Robert Thornton in the late 16th century, originated in Birkin, Yorkshire, where Robert was rector. Rev. Robert Thornton was eminant during the English Civil Wars as the monument in the church records. The family tree shows that they descended through various branches one of which resulted in Godfrey Thornton (1737-1805), great-great grandson of Rev Robert Thornton, a director of the Bank of England, owner and remodeller of Moggerhanger House, Beds. Godfrey's son Stephen inherited Moggerhanger and many of his children remained in the Bedfordshire area. The next generation appears to have moved away from banking and towards the army, particularly the army in India. The documents in this collection from the late 19th and early 20th centuries relate mostly to descendants of this part of the family. The Moggerhanger estate documents are the most useful part of the collection from a Bedfordshire point of view but the personal papers were accepted by Bedfordshire Archives due to their relationship with the first deposit.
Archival history
First deposit made in April 1977, second depositmade in February 2013, at which time both accessions were gifted to the archive service.
Level of description
fonds