EIGHTH GENERATION

1968. Jonathan Jones Thorn was born on 26 Jan 1822 in Plattekill, Ulster County, NY. A handwritten family document has his bd as 26 Jan 1822, the written Quaker record, I think has 22 Jan 1822. I went with the family record. He died on 1 Aug 1906 in Umatilla County, OR. Per Death Cert died 12 mi south of Pendelton of dysentary, old age & paralysis. Age 84 yrs-6 mo-6 days. Obituary says he died at the Eldridge place on McKay Creek (home of his last surviving dtr, Cornelia Thorne-Eldridge). He was buried on 3 Aug 1906 in Walla Walla, WA. Buried Mountain View Cemetery, 2120 So. 2nd St. Walla Walla, Washington. He was Quaker. Philip V. Thorne Notes:

Family lore has Jonathan J. as having attended Yale University. He has been described as being a very gentle and soft spoken man. A devout Orthodox Quaker. Middle name was Jones. Quaker records have same day & month for birth but our family records say 1822!

JONATHAN J. THORNE, spent the last years of his youth, in Cornwall, NY living with his father & stepmother Charity Rider Thorne. He grew up on the farm of his father's, 2nd father-in-law, King Rider. That home is still standing today. It is located on Angola Road in Cornwall, Orange Co., NY In July, 1855 He & Father, Jonathan Thorne traveled to Wayne Co, Indiana, where on August 15 of that same year he married Margaretta Williams. She was the daughter of a very well known Quaker REVEREND Daniel Williams. When I first examined this information I thought it peculiar that a marriage would occur so quickly, between such conservative families but Professor Tom Hamm of Earlham Quaker College gave me a lead. He had discovered that Daniel Williams third & final wife was from Orange Co, NY, which is where Jonathan J. had lived. The quaker records reveal that Daniel Williams & Jonathan Thorne SR were in fact brothers-in-law. Daniel had married Roseanna Rider, younger sister of Jonathan Thorne's 2nd wife, Charity Rider Thorne. In all likelihood Jonathan J. Thorne & his bride Margaretta had anticipated marriage for some time. Margaretta was from 2nd wife, Margaret.

To give you some insight into the nature of his personality & that of the family, I'm going to include a poem that he wrote to his daughter-in-law, NANNIE M MEAD.

B E G I N P O E M

Zearing Ia. Jan 1883 Nanie; Here is one leaf resined for me- From all thy sweet memorials free- And here my simple song might tell- The feelings thou must guess so well- But could I thus within thy mind- One little vacant corner find- Where no impression yet is seen- Where no memorial yet has been- On it should be my sweetest care- To write my name forever there.

Your Friend J.J. Thorne

E N D P O E M

His obituary was in the Eastern Oregonian on 1 Aug 1906. It is reprinted below.
____________________

J. J. THORNE DEAD.

J. J. Thorne, an old resident of this county, died this forenoon at the Eldridge place on McKay Creek. The deceased was very old and had formerly lived in the north end of the county near the state line. He leaves a number of relatives here. His wife and daughter died within a few hours of each other on May 24, 1904.

The remains of the deceased will be shipped to Walla Walla for burial tomorrow morning. The body was brought to the Rader undertaking parlors this afternoon.
_____________________

Regarding the courtship of Jonathan & Margaretta; there seems to have been trips back & forth between New York & Indiana. Sufficient to keep young love alive. I have in my possession copies of a Book of Memorials & an accompanying "love letter" from Jonathan to Margaretta in 1853. From the details of this letter it is evident that there was frequent discourse between the 2 groups of family members. In the the preface of this book Jonathan wrote Margaretta a poem (or plagiarized it) called "A Fairy's Tale". He was really an old smoothy!!

Jonathan Jones Thorne's middle name was his Mom's maiden name; His maternal GG Grandad was Major Thomas Jones, who at one point in his life was a soldier during the Irish Civil War of 1699 & later roamed the seas as a British privateer!

He was married to Margaretta Williams (daughter of Reverend Daniel Williams and Margaret Weber) on 15 Aug 1855 in Fairfield MM, Wayne County, Indiana. Margaretta Williams was born on 27 Oct 1831 in Montgomery Co, PA. She died on 25 May 1904 in Pendleton, Umatilla County, OR. Margaretta died from pneumonia at 3:00 AM. She was 72 years 6 months & 29 days of age at her death She was buried on 27 May 1904 in Walla Walla, WA. Mountain View Cemetery, 2120 So. 2nd St. Walla Walla, Wa. With Husband, 2 youngest daughters, son Daniel & his young son Virgil. She was ill with Tuburculosis chronic. She was Quaker. Maragaretta was recorded a minister in the Religious Soc. of Friends in 1863. She spent her life for her family and faith. She was very active preaching at Quaker revivals. She was from fathers 2nd marriage. The WILLIAMS Family was from Wales. Reprinted below is the joint memorial that was printed for the combined funeral of Margaretta & her young daughter Mary, who preceded her in death by only 12 hours. It gives some wonderful insight into the nature of the Thorne family.

MRS. MARGARETTA THORNE

Margaretta Williams, daughter of Rev. Daniel Williams, was born near Philadelphia, Pa., October 27 1831 & died in Pendelton, Oregon, May 25 1904, aged 72 years, 6 months & 28 days.

When about one year old her parents removed from Philadelphia to Indiana, where she grew to young womanhood & on August 15th 1855, was united in marriage with Mr. Jonathan J. Thorne. They continued to live in Indiana 10 years after their marriage & in 1864 came westward to Iowa. For 18 years they made their home in this state. Then went northward & settled in Dakota for 4 years. In 1886 they came to Oregon & settled in Pendelton, where they have continued to reside in the vicinity of this place except for 3 or 4 years spent in Walla Walla

Nine children have been borne to them, seven of whom still live, the eldest having formerly passed away & the daughter who has now gone with her, being the youngest. The others are Oliver J. Thorne, who is operator for the Western Union Telegraph Co. at Cambridge, Idaho; Thomas H. Thorne of this city; Francis T. Thorne of Nebraska; Jonathan T. Thorne & Elias J. Thorne, Both of Holdeman, Oregon; Mrs. Levi Eldridge (Cornelia) of Pilot Rock, Oregon, & Miss Arabella Thorne. These, with the now bereft husband & father, form the immediate family circle to whom this event comes with peculiar sadness. Besides these immediate relatives she leaves 29 grandchildren & 2 great grandchildren making a company of 40 relatives besides a vast host friends who will deeply feel this loss.

Physically, the departed was always frail, suffering from ill health much of the time. Yet, moved forward by untiring energy & was always a hard worker. Naturally, Sister Thorne was of a quiet, patient & trustful disposition. This she was by nature; this she would have been had nothing deeper ever touched her life. But that which contributed most to her life on earth, deepening & enriching the same, was her religion.

Her father was a minister of marked ability in the Friend's Church, having spent a lifetime in preaching the gospel in this country & then traveled abroad in England & Scotland, where he did much effective work.

Sister Thorne was converted in childhood & at the age of 22 years she began public gospel work & was ordained as a minister in the Friends Church. For many years the love of God & love for the work caused her to sacrifice many home comforts & she went out wherever she felt God did call her & held revival meetings, in which God graciously sealed her labors with many conversions. Her spiritual work was of a deep abiding character. Her life was one of faith & prayer, so much so that souls have been known to be converted while she was in prayer for them.

Of late years her health did not permit her to go out to do public work. But she remained a patient, Godly, loving wife & mother, at home. Viewed in the light of many circumstances, Mother Thorne's life was quite remarkable. Jonathan Jones Thorn and Margaretta Williams had the following children:

+2871 i. Daniel William Thorne.
+2872 ii. Oliver J. Thorne.
+2873 iii. Thomas Henry Thorne.
+2874 iv. Francis Thomas Thorne.
+2875 v. Jonathan T. Thorne.
+2876 vi. Cornelia Thorne.
2877 vii. Arabella Thorne was born on 18 Dec 1869 in Liscomb, IA. She died on 6 Jan 1910 in Pilot Rock, Ulmatilla Co., OR. Arabella was 40 years & 10 days old when she died. She was buried on 8 Jan 1910 in Walla Walla, WA. Buried Mountain View Cemetery with Parents. She was Quaker. Philip V. Thorne Notes: I have 2 letters from her to the family. Sweet lady. Never married.
+2878 viii. Elias J. Thorne.
2879 ix. Mary Margaretta Thorne was born on 20 Oct 1876 in Story Co., IA. She died on 24 May 1904 in Pendleton, Umatilla County, OR. Cause of death was consumption or TB. She was buried on 27 May 1904 in Walla Walla, WA. Buried Mountain View Cemetery with Parents. Philip V. Thorne Notes:

We have 2 letters from her to Family. Sweet Lady. She died within 12 hours of her Mother Margaretta. Never married. Resided 103 Lincoln, Pendelton.

The following Info is taken from a newspaper clipping describing the Death of Mary Thorne.

MISS MARY THORNE
DIED YESTERDAY AFTER A LINGERING ILLNESS.

Mary Thorne, daughter of JONATHAN J. THORNE, a prominent farmer of the Coldsprings country, died yesterday at the family home, 103 Lincoln Street after a lingering illness caused by consumption. She was 27 years old. She was born in Iowa, where She lived for six years and in the Dakotas for 4 years, moving to Oregon, with her parents at the age of 10 years. She was a devoted Christian and was a prominent worker in the Friends Church of which She was a staunch member.

She has a brother residing in Nebraska and one in Cambridge, Idaho, both of whom have been notified of her death and the funeral arrangements will not be completed until they have been heard from. The body will be laid to rest at Walla Walla.

END CLIPPING

AN ADDITIONAL CLIPPING REGARDING HER DEATH

MISS MARY THORNE VERY ILL

Carried on a stretcher part of the way from Holdeman, yesterday evening. Miss Mary Thorne, who has resided with her brother, Elias J Thorne, near Holdman, was brought to this city last evening seriously ill. A start was made with her last Sunday, but She was so weak that only 5 miles were made the 1st day, when a stop was made for her to rest. It required 4 days slow traveling, to reach this City, a distance of only 24 miles.

The last 2 miles, down the hill, into this city, She was carried by 4 men on a stretcher, because of the rocks on the road, which made it so rough, that she could not ride in the carriage. Her brother has rented a house on Lincoln Street. Her parents and brother and sister will remain here until the patient recovers.
END CLIPPING