Thomas Thornycroft facts for kids
Thomas Thornycroft (born May 19, 1815 – died August 30, 1885) was a talented English sculptor and engineer. He created many important statues, including the well-known Boadicea and Her Daughters in London.
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Early Life and Family
Thomas Thornycroft was born in a place called Great Tidnock, near Gawsworth in Cheshire, England. He was the oldest son in his family. He went to school in Congleton and then briefly studied to be a surgeon.
Later, he moved to London and worked for four years with a sculptor named John Francis. In 1840, Thomas married John Francis's daughter, Mary, who was also a sculptor. They often worked together on art projects.
Becoming a Famous Sculptor
In 1843, Thomas showed his sculpture called Medea about to Slay her Children at an important art show. This helped him get a job making statues for the new Houses of Parliament in London. He was asked to create two bronze statues of important noblemen who signed the Magna Carta, a famous document, for the House of Lords.
Working for Queen Victoria
For the Great Exhibition in 1851, Thomas Thornycroft made a very large plaster statue of Queen Victoria riding a horse. Both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert loved this statue. The Queen even sent her own horse to his studio several times so he could make the statue look just right!
Smaller bronze versions of this horse statue were later made and given out as prizes.
After Prince Albert died in 1861, Thomas made several memorials to him. These included horse statues in cities like Halifax, Wolverhampton, and Liverpool. The statue in Liverpool was later joined by another horse statue of Queen Victoria.
The Albert Memorial and Other Works
In 1867, Thomas Thornycroft was asked to create a marble group of statues called Commerce for the Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens in London. This sculpture showed 'Commerce' (which means trade and business) as something that helps people and countries grow. The main designer of the memorial, George Gilbert Scott, thought this idea was a bit too complex.
Thomas Thornycroft also worked on a huge statue of Boadicea and Her Daughters. He showed a giant head of Boadicea in 1864, which was part of this bigger statue. He worked on it for many years. The full statue wasn't made into bronze until 1902, many years after he passed away. Today, you can see this impressive statue on the Victoria Embankment in London, near Westminster Bridge. It shows Boadicea and her daughters in a chariot with sharp blades on its wheels, pulled by two horses.
He showed his art at the Royal Academy, a famous art institution, between 1839 and 1874.
Later Life and Legacy
In his later years, Thomas Thornycroft worked with his oldest son, John Isaac Thornycroft, who became a famous shipbuilder. They designed steam launches (small boats). In 1864, Thomas bought land by the River Thames in Chiswick to use for building boats.
In 1875, Thomas, his wife Mary, and another son, Hamo Thornycroft, designed the Poets' Fountain near Hyde Park Corner in London. You can also find his other works in places like the Old Bailey and Westminster Abbey in London.
Through his daughter, Teresa, Thomas Thornycroft was the grandfather of the famous poet Siegfried Sassoon. Thomas Thornycroft died in Brenchley, Kent, and was buried in Chiswick Old Church.
Other Notable Sculptures
- Statue of George Benjamin Thorneycroft, the first Mayor of Wolverhampton (1856).
- Memorial to John Hamilton-Martin in St Michael's Church, Ledbury (1857, created with his wife Mary).
- Statue of Richard Grosvenor, 2nd Marquess of Westminster in Grosvenor Park, Chester (1869).
