Henry Thrale facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Henry Thrale
Henry Thrale by Sir Joshua Reynolds, *2003JM-3, Houghton Library, Harvard University
Born	1724 Harrow Corner, Southwark
Died	4 April 1781 (aged 56–57) London
Occupation	English politician

Henry Thrale (born around 1724, died 1781) was an important English politician. He was a member of the House of Commons from 1765 to 1780. Henry Thrale was also a very close friend of the famous writer Samuel Johnson. Like his father, he owned a large brewery in London called H. Thrale & Co.

Henry was born in Southwark, London. His father, Ralph Thrale, was a wealthy brewer. In 1763, Henry married Hester Lynch Salusbury. They had 12 children together. Henry was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Southwark. He also held important roles like Alderman and Sheriff of the City of London. He was known as a respected man who enjoyed hunting and sports.

Henry Thrale's Early Life and School

Henry Thrale went to Eton College, a famous school. After that, he studied at University College, Oxford. He started his studies there in 1744. Later, he traveled around Europe. He explored different countries with Lord William Henry Lyttleton Westcote.

Friendship with Samuel Johnson

Samuel Johnson, a very famous writer, first met the Thrale family in 1765. He quickly became like a part of their family. They spent a lot of time together. Many other talented writers and thinkers joined their group.

Johnson lived with the Thrales for about 15 years. He stayed at their country home, Streatham Park. He also spent time at their home connected to the brewery. This close friendship lasted until Henry's death in 1781.

His Career in Politics and Business

On December 23, 1765, Henry Thrale was chosen to be a member of Parliament. He represented the area of Southwark. He continued in this role until he lost the election in 1780.

Henry Thrale took over the Anchor Brewery, Southwark from his father. In 1772, the brewery faced a big problem. A new way of brewing beer caused the company to owe a lot of money. They were in debt by £130,000, which would be about £13 million today. This almost made Henry Thrale go bankrupt.

His wife, Hester Thrale, helped a lot. She raised money from her mother and friends. Because of her efforts, Henry was able to pay off the debt in nine years.

Travels with Family and Friends

In 1774, Samuel Johnson joined the Thrales on a trip to Wales. During this journey, they visited Hester's cousin, Sir Robert Salusbury Cotton, 5th Baronet, at Lleweni Hall.

In September 1775, Hester, Henry, and their oldest child, Queeney, traveled to Paris. Samuel Johnson and Giuseppe Marc'Antonio Baretti also went with them.

On October 19, 1775, the group visited the royal court. They were allowed to see King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette at Fontainebleau. They even had dinner and enjoyed a play with the King and Queen.

Henry Thrale's Family Life

Henry and Hester Thrale had twelve children. Sadly, only four of their daughters lived to become adults:

• Hester Maria (Queeney) (born 1764, died 1857)
• Susannah Arabella (born 1770, died 1858)
• Sophia (born 1771, died 1824)
• Cecelia Margaretta (born 1777, died 1857)

Some people thought Henry and Hester's marriage was not loving. However, they actually respected and cared for each other deeply. Hester wrote that their marriage was based on good sense and liking, not just strong passion. She said she loved him dearly and wanted to honor his memory.

Hester was from a higher social class than Henry. She often stood out more at social events because of her family's background. This sometimes made Henry upset. Despite this, Fanny Burney, a friend, wrote that Hester was very sad when Henry died.

Henry Thrale's Personality

In 1777, Hester Thrale wrote about her husband's personality. She described him as a strong man with a pleasant face. His eyes were deep blue and thoughtful. He was polite and calm, without any strange habits. Hester felt he was a person who could not be easily copied or made fun of.

Henry liked money and worked hard to earn it. But he also liked to be generous and spend money on fashionable things. His feelings were not easily shown, or he kept them under control. It was rare for him to show strong hope, fear, anger, love, or joy.

He deeply respected his father's memory. He was also a very good brother. Hester remembered a time when his sister's house was on fire. Henry stayed calm and just told a servant to help. He also remained calm when a huge beer cask at his brewery burst. He simply mentioned it at dinner as if it were a small thing.

Henry was sober and spoke respectfully, without bad language. This made him very comfortable to live with. He was also easygoing and not easily offended. However, his servants did not seem to like him much. Hester also wondered if his children felt much affection for him. He was not very warm or friendly with common people.

Hester noted that Henry was very private and did not share much. But after living together for 13 years, she knew him well. Samuel Johnson thought highly of Henry. Johnson said that if Henry talked more, he would be a perfect gentleman.

Illness and Death

In 1777, newspapers wrongly reported Henry's death. This caused worry for his friend James Boswell.

In 1779, Henry had his first stroke. This happened while he was reading a will at his sister's house. He had a second stroke in February 1780. A third stroke happened in September 1780. This occurred while he was meeting people for his election campaign.

These strokes were likely caused by his unhealthy eating habits. He enjoyed large meals and drank a lot of ale.

Henry Thrale died in London on April 4, 1781. His wife, Hester Thrale, and Samuel Johnson were with him. He was buried in the crypt of St. Leonards Church in Streatham. Samuel Johnson wrote the words for Henry's tombstone.

Tributes to Henry Thrale

After Henry's death, many people shared their thoughts about him. Samuel Johnson wrote that Henry's death was a great loss. He said he had lost a friend who was always kind to him for 15 years. Johnson also noted that Henry was very much in charge of his family.

Arthur Murphy said Henry had a very honest mind. He mentioned that Henry's education made him a gentleman. Murphy also said Henry's kind nature made him a good friend.

James Beattie described Henry as a very respectable person. He found him intelligent, modest, and friendly.

In his book Life of Johnson, James Boswell praised Henry. He mentioned Henry's good principles, knowledge, business skills, and polite manners. Boswell also added that Henry was handsome and generous to his wife.

Henry Thrale's Will

The people in charge of Henry Thrale's will were Samuel Johnson, Henry Smith, Joseph Crutchley, John Cator, and Hester Thrale. The Anchor Brewhouse, Henry's brewery, was quickly sold. It was bought by David Barclay of Youngsbury. He partnered with Henry's old manager, John Perkins. Their new company became Barclay, Perkins and Company. The brewery was sold for £135,000, which is about £13.5 million today.

This money was put into a trust for Henry's five daughters. Each daughter was said to have received £20,000, which would be about £2 million today. From other things he owned, his wife Hester Thrale received the income from £50,000 for her life. She also got to keep all the contents of Streatham Park, including paintings by Sir Joshua Reynolds, for her lifetime.

Samuel Johnson famously said when they were selling the brewery, "We are not here to sell a parcel of boilers and vats, but the potentiality of growing rich beyond the dreams of avarice." This meant they were selling the chance for great wealth, not just old equipment.