Alice Thornton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alice Thornton
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| Born | Alice Wandesford 13 February 1626 Kirklington, North Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 1707 (aged 80–81) East Newton, England |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Genre | Autobiography |
| Notable work | My First Booke of my Life |
Alice Thornton (born Alice Wandesford) (1626–1707) was an important British writer. She lived during the time of the English Civil War. She wrote about her life, and parts of her books were published many years later in 1875.
Contents
Alice Thornton's Early Life
Alice Thornton was born in Kirklington, England. Her father was Christopher Wandesford, who later became the Lord Deputy of Ireland. Her mother was Alice Osborne. Alice was a cousin to Thomas Osborne, 1st Duke of Leeds, a powerful English leader in the 1670s.
Her father was a close friend of Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford. Wentworth was a very important person at the time. In 1633, Alice's father went with Wentworth to Ireland. Alice grew up with Wentworth's daughters in Dublin Castle.
Leaving Ireland and Family Troubles
In 1640, Wentworth lost his power. Alice's father then became the Lord Deputy. But he died just a few months later. His family had to quickly leave Ireland during the Irish Rebellion of 1641. After a difficult journey, they safely returned to Kirklington.
During their escape, her father's will (a legal document about his property) went missing. This caused many years of legal fights and family arguments. Alice knew the will promised her a lot of money. She had even read it carefully. But without the original paper, she could not prove what she was owed. Even when the will was found later, some family members still argued against it. This caused her more legal problems.
Marriage and Later Life
Alice married William Thornton in 1651. They had a happy marriage. Alice always wrote about her husband with love. Some people later blamed William for not protecting Alice's money. They also said he left her poor when he died.
However, Alice herself wrote that her own family was to blame for her money problems. She especially pointed to her brother Christopher and his father-in-law, Sir John Lowther.
In 1662, Alice and William built a house in East Newton in Yorkshire. Alice lived there for the rest of her life. William died in 1668.
Alice's Children
Alice and William had many children. But only three of them lived to be adults. They had one son and two daughters. Their older daughter, Alice (called Naly), married Thomas Comber. He was a religious leader called the Dean of Durham. Naly and Thomas had six children. Naly lived a very long life and died in 1720.
Alice Thornton's Writings
Alice Thornton started writing her life story, called My first Booke of my Life, in 1669. She was 47 years old. She wrote this book to defend herself against false stories being told about her.
Her book also shares important details about her father's work. It includes clear descriptions of her mother, her sister Katherine, and her three brothers.
The Manuscripts
Alice wrote three manuscripts (handwritten books). She left them to her oldest daughter, Naly. People said Alice wrote these books because of rumors about Naly's marriage. Naly got married only three months after her father died. Alice was criticized for this. She felt the best way to answer these untrue stories was to write about them.
- The first manuscript told her life story in order. It started with her childhood and went up to her husband's death. This book also talked about her faith and how she managed her family and home. This text was used a lot in the 1875 published version of her autobiography.
- The third manuscript contained memories from her first year after her husband died.
These two books were bought by the British Library in 2009. In 2019, the second missing book was found. Dr. Cordelia Beattie found it in the archives of Durham Cathedral.
Death and Legacy
Alice Thornton died in 1707 in East Newton. She left her three books to her daughter, Mrs. Alice Comber. Her daughter died in 1727.
In 1875, a group called the Surtees Society published parts of Alice's autobiography. This version was based on her three books, but some parts were left out. Two of her original books were bought by the British Library in 2009. The first book was edited and published in full in 2014 by Professor Raymond Anselment. The missing second book was found in 2019.
