Researching Charles Thornton

Thornton was born in Llanwarne, Herefordshire, the son of the Rural Dean of Hereford. He was orphaned before the age of five. and adopted, along with his brother, by Archdeacon Harrison of Canterbury. This is where he began to play cricket playing with children in the neighbourhood in informal single wicket competitions. He played his first organised game at Great Mongeham in 1861 making 22 not out.

He was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge.His career at Eton was slow to win approval. The master in charge of cricket, Fred Bell, did not like his attacking play. Thornton remarked that it was because he hit all the best balls into the trees. He had success in both Eton v Harrow and Oxford v Cambridge matches, then very much part of the London season. He must have had independent means because on graduation he was able to rent a hunting box in Oxford with his cousin, hunting three days a week and playing cricket the other four.

He was considered one of the biggest hitters in cricket, with one shot at Hove in 1876 claimed to have exceeded 160 yards.He hit the ball over the pavilion at Lord’s in the 1868 Eton v Harrow match. This, however was over the old pavilion. The only person to have struck a ball over the current pavilion (built 1889-90) is AE Trott. Other claims made by Thornton included a 156 yard hit at Ranelagh, a 152 yard hit at Canterbury and a 136 yard hit at Scarborough, the ball landing in Trafalgar Square (Scarborough).

Thornton founded the Orleans Club which was active for ten years from 1878. His own private team — C. I. Thornton's XI — played most of their early games at Fenner's, but after his retirement from playing in 1897 their home became Scarborough, where they continued to play first-class cricket until 1929, the year of Thornton's death. He died aged 79 in Marylebone, London.

Thornton had some interesting ideas about cricket. He wanted bowlers’ run ups limited to 10 yards, and the wearing of leg guards (pads) to be forbidden. The only protection he advocated was football style shin pads.

He was born in Clarke Township, Ontario and was a farmer. He was elected to the township council and served on the body for seven years. He also served on Durham West county council for five years.

Thornton first ran for the House of Commons of Canada as a Patrons of Industry candidate in Durham West during the 1896 federal election but fared poorly coming in third place with less than 500 votes.

He was elected as the Conservative MP for Durham West in the 1900 federal election. His election was declared void in October 1901 and his seat declared vacant. A by-election was held in January 1902 in which his Liberal opponent defeated Thornton by 28 votes.

He returned to the House of Commons in the 1908 federal election, this time representing Durham, and was re-elected in the 1911 federal election. Thornton remained in parliament until the 1917 federal election in which he stepped aside so that the wartime Union Government which Conservative Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden had formed could run Liberal-Unionist Newton Rowell as a pro-Government candidate.

Thornton was a member of the Orange Order. He died in Orono, Ontario in 1932.