Marianne Thornton facts for kids

Marianne Thornton was an amazing English woman who lived a long time ago, from 1797 to 1887. She was a strong supporter of human rights and worked hard to end slavery.

Who Was Marianne Thornton?

Marianne Thornton was born on March 10, 1797. She was the oldest of nine children. Her parents were Henry Thornton and Marianne Sykes. Her father, Henry Thornton, was a very important person. He was a politician and also worked to end slavery. He cared a lot about helping people.

Her Family and Early Life

Marianne's father, Henry Thornton, was a Member of Parliament for a place called Southwark. He was part of a special group called the Clapham Sect. This group included other important people like William Wilberforce. They were a group of religious people who wanted to make society better. They were sometimes called the "Clapham Saints."

This group believed strongly in social justice. They worked to free slaves and stop the slave trade. They also wanted to improve prisons. Marianne grew up in a family that cared deeply about these important issues.

Sadly, both of Marianne's parents passed away in 1815 when she was still young. After that, she and her brothers and sisters were raised by a family friend, Sir Robert Inglis. Marianne spent most of her life in a town called Clapham. She knew many interesting people, including Hannah More, who was also a writer and social reformer.

Her Legacy and Connection to a Famous Author

Marianne Thornton was the great-aunt of a famous writer named E. M. Forster. He wrote many well-known books. When Marianne passed away in 1887, she left a large sum of money to E. M. Forster. It was about £8,000, which would be like almost a million pounds today! This money helped him a lot.

In 1956, E. M. Forster wrote a detailed book about Marianne's life. This book helped many people learn about her and her important work.

Marianne's Family in a Movie!

Marianne's parents were even shown as characters in a movie! The 2006 film Amazing Grace tells the story of the fight to end the slave trade. The movie's title comes from the famous song "Amazing Grace." This song was written by John Newton, who was once a slave trader but later changed his life and became a founder of the Clapham Saints group.