Hi All.
I am somewhat distantly related to WHT1781, through WHT1817.
Below, please find a newspaper article about William Henry Lindsey Thornton 1842-1932, a son of WHT1817. This article was published in the "Cairns Post" ofr 19/Dec/1925, an electronic version of which can be found at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/40519047 :
THORNTON OF TOWER
HILL.
WELL KNOWN NORTHERN
PIONEER.
SETTLEMENT OF DOTSWOOD.
ln the record of splendid names of
North Queensland pastoral pioneers not
one is more lustrous than that of Wil-
liam Henry Lindsey Thornton
of Tower Hill. He came to
Queensland in 1861, sixty-four years ago,
and in 1862 took over the management
of Dotswood station. lt may be safely
assumed that Mr. Thornton is not young.
He came to Australia, in 1845, which is
80 years ago ; but to look at him who
would think he was even that age? A
smart, spare, keen man, straight as a
lance, and about middle height; he looks
good yet for a gallop over the ranges of
the North or for a day's hard work on
a cattle camp. But I saw him in the
North about 47 years ago, and there is
a change. In those days of 1878 Mr.
Thornton was a splendid horseman,
lean, tanned, and wonderfully active.
Few in Queensland, if any, are better
judges of horses or cattle, and few bet-
ter know and understand the North,
writes Spencer Brown in thc "Courier."
FIGHTING FOREBEARS.
lt will be noticed that the Lindsey in
Mr. Thornton's Christening names is
spelt with an "e." His grandfather
Lindsey on the maternal side was Com-
missary General in the West Indies, a
distinguished soldier and administrator
and the paternal grandfather fought all
through the Peninsula War, including
Toulouse, Vittoria, and thc Pyrenees
and married a lady-in-wating at the
Court of Portugal. Mr. Thornton's
father was born in the palace at Lisbon.
His grandfather was badly wounded in
the battle of the Pyrenees, having been
in command of a Portuguese legion to
which he was appointed by thc Duke of
Wellington, and he died in Hongkong in
1848. As already stated, Mr. Thornton
came out in 1845 with his father, who
was a captain in the army, and was in
charge of a vessel which brought 200
convicts, and joined the 11th Regiment,
the old Devons, at Hobart in about
November, 1845.
DOTSWOOD AND TOWNSVILLE
Arriving in Queensland in 1861, Mr
Thornton decided for the bush. Mr.
Phil Summer, with his party, had taken
up country on the Burdekin. The party
included Edward Cunningham, Michael
Miles, Stenhouse, and Christie Alling-
ham, most of whom were well-known in
the North. Cunningham and Alling-
ham were there in my time, that is, in 18?8.
The last named was a brother of Wi-
liam and Johnston Allingham. The
party included Dotswood in their hold-
ings, and in October, 1862, or 63 years
ago, Mr. Thornton joined them with the
cattle. The morning after his arrival
the youngster was put in charge of the
station, and had the usual rough experi-
ences of the men who laid the founda-
tions of pastoral life in those latitudes.
It was hard work with the cattle, and
it was necessary to be watchful of the
blacks, who in many parts of the coun-
try were by no means amiable. Mr
Thornton found the pass to the coastal
area now known, as Thornton's Gap, and
that opened a short route to Cleveland
Bay, where Townsville now stands. In
1863 he was on the beach, the wonder-
fully fine stretch of yellow sand where
Cleveland Bay rolls blue waters and
lacey foam to the feet of the fine city
now of 24,000 people, the capital of the
North. Townsville in those days was
scarcely a name, probably it was not
even put on the map as a compliment to
Robert Towns, the Captain Towns who
ran his ships round Cape Cleveland to
the roadstead sheltered by Magnetic Is-
land, and who started cotton planting
on the fertile lands between Ross Creek
and Ross River. Only lately Mr
Thornton and I talked over the later
days when I was there, though really a
man who did not arrive until 1878 was
more or less of a new chum. But we
both knew Bohle, the engineer from
whom the Bohle River is named, and
who gave me letters of introduction to
James Gordon and Andrew Ball when
I came to Queensland. Mr. Thornton
knew them in earlier days, and also the
Ross from whom Ross River and Ross
Creek are named. And many more
he mentioned, and old memories were
revived. One of the names discussed
was that of Robert Christison, but he
was more of a Bowen than a Townsville
man, and he selected Poole Island for
the meatworks to operate; where he had
formed a company. As stated in my
"Memories," Mr. Thornton was a mem-
ber of the company, and he showed me
last week his scrip, or certificate of
shares, and the ominous notice of
liquidation.
TOWER HILL.
After nearly four years on Dotswood,
Mr. Thornton went to Tower Hill,
which then belonged to the same firm,
Hervey and Summer, and later on, took
over the station. He converted it into a
fine property between 1866 and 1901,
selling out in the last mentioned year,
and his name became well-known
throughout Queensland in his first ten
years there. The Tower Hill cattle were
good, but cattle raising was, as now, not
always very profitable ; but the Tower
Hill horses were always profitable. The
late owner of Tower Hill is one of the
old school, and most of his contem-
poraries have passed away. Some of
the names will bring to his mind the
older generation—the Allinghams at
Barrett Vale and Disraeli, Henry Rourke
who in 1877 was at Dotswood, W. A.
Vanneck at Denham Park—later, I think
Lord Huntingfield and well known in
the Lockyer district. William Hann at
Maryvale, the Whites at Ravenswood,
thc Annings at Reedy Springs, Scott
Bros. at Arthur's Plains and other
places, Johnston Allingham at Spring
Lawn, John Stevenson at Aberuthven,
the Romes at Blackdown, Edkins at
Mount Cornish—which is getting away
south—W. Looker at Stainburn, and the
Christisons at Lammermoor. But, bless
us, one might fill a page of these well
remembered names of North Kennedy
and Mitchell. As a fact, Mr. Thornton
must have some sadness in looking down
the avenue of the splendid years of the
late sixties and the seventies. Thc trees
are tombstones ; yet there is the know-
ledge that the pioneers well and truly
laid the foundation of Queensland's pas-
toral greatness, and they will not be soon
forgotten. Yet Mr. Thornton is cheery,
and as they say of another notable, "still
going strong."
PRODIGAL AND MANDRAKE.
lt is a long call from thc days of
Prodigal to those of Mandrake, the last
named being the very handsome chap on
which Mr. Thornton won a Townsville
blue ribbon in recent years. Mandrake
was a rather difficult horse to manage.
Mr. Thornton carried the reins in his
left hand, not a rein in each hand, as
we see the police at the Exhibition; and
like Colonel Venn King, when mounted
he seems to be part of the horse, or like
the Centaur of old. Mandrake was
bought by Mr. Rodgers, an Indian ship-
per, for a good round sum. The horse
was by Mr. Thornton's Centennial from
Madame by Le. Beau by Sir Hercules
from Blue Bonnet. Madame was from
a mare owned by Mr. Tom Rusden, of
Shannon Vale, near Glen Innes. "Now
I'll tell you something about "Prodigal"
—bred by Mr. Haly at Tanbinga, and by
the imported Arab Beeza, and to which
horse Mr. Harry Bracker lately referred.
"Prodigal was not owned by George
Rankin when he did the best of his rac-
ing, but by John Rankin, a brother.
Mr. Thornton tells me that Mr. Rankin
was on Bowen Downs station, and then
manager of the cattle station, Mount
Cornish. Prodigal belonged to a man
named Smith, known as "The Duke,"
because of an aristocratic nasal contour;
and he gave the horse to a girl who was
working on Bowen Downs, and she sold
it to a jackaroo on Mount Cornish for
£18. "Rankin found out through me
what Prodigal could do, for he beat a
good horse of mine." Mr. Thornton
continued, "and he got him from the
jackaroo, giving a very good horse in
exchange." In one race at Randwick,
Prodigal ran a dead heat with a horse
owned by John Tait, and Tait would not
divide. In the run off Prodigal won.
And now, when I could give pages more
about Mr. W. H. L. Thornton and peo-
ple and horses. I must conclude—but
voting Queenslanders should put at the
back of their heads the name of this
most worthy and distinguished pioneer.
One son fought in the South African
War, another in the Great War, and W.
H. L. Thornton finds fault with the
almanac in that he was not able to join
them. At present he is on a visit to his
daughter, Mrs. J. C. Young, at Sunny-
bank.
Below is the obituary of WHT1817 from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article14557176 :
Colonel William Henry Thornton, of the 11th
Imperial Regiment, died at the residence of his
daughter (Mrs. F. R. Peel), Woolwich, on Friday.
He was a son of the late General Thornton, of the
Peninsular War, and had reached the advanced age
of 85 years. An Irishman by birth, he enlisted in
the British Army as ensign, and gradually advanced
in rank. After a brief service in the West Indies,
where he married Miss Lindsay, the deceased with
the rank of captain came out to New South Wales,
in command of the 11th Imperial Regiment, which
was located for a time at the old Sydney Barracks,
Wynyard-station. Upon the completion of the
Victoria Barracks Captain Thornton transferred his
troops to Paddington. Subsequently he left with the
11th for Tasmania. He was afterwards raised to the
rank of major, and upon the regiment being ordered
home, some years later, the deceased gentleman re-
signed his command and retired with the rank of
colonel. Following upon his retirement from
military life the late colonel left Sydney for the
Macleay River, in which district he engaged in
pastoral pursuits for some years. He also subs-
equently filled the dual positions of coroner and police
magistrate in the district. For the last 15 years he
has resided in the suburbs of Sydney with his son-in
law and daughter (Mr and Mrs. F. R Peel). Mr.
W. H. L. Thornton, the well-known pastoralist of
Queensland, and Mr. R. F. J. Thornton, of Cool-
gardie, W.A., are sons of the deceased colonel.
These three generations of William Henry Thorntons all have memorials in FindAGrave.com
Kind regards,
Robyn Morley
