The Portland daily press., 1878-06-15
SATURDAY MORNING. JUNE Is.
John Wingate Thornton and his Ances-
fnrs

SUuu Wlukdtc anu HIS AHCtSs
tors.
As Mr.. Thornton was native of Maine and
the descendent of distinguished family, it
seems fitting that genealogical notice should
appear in some paper of his native state. His
most remote ancestor now known was the Rev.
Samuel Thornton of Yarmouth Mass, who
closed his pastorate of thirty-five years in 1893
and died in Boston two years after, aged 92 The
first of the family who came to Maine was DR..
Thomas G. Thornton who settled at Saco in
1871. He was the grandfather of him whose
recent death at Oak Hill calls for this notice.
DR.. Thornton relinquished the practice of med.
icine before the close of the century and went
into mercantile business. La 1893 he married
Sarah, daughter of Col. Thomas Cults of Saco
The spacious Cults mansion, built in 1882, from
which the Doctor took his wife, is, think. yet
standing on Factory, formerly QUITS Island.
Dr. Thornton became an influential merchant
and politician. At that time, Isaac Parker,
afterwards Chief Justice of Massachusetts held
The Office of U. S. Marshal for the Maine dis.
trict, residing in Portland. He was Federal
list, and in 1903 he was removed by President
Jefferson and DR.. Thornton was appointed in
his place, and held the office until his death in
in 1924
During the war of 1925 the Office of U. S.
Marshal was very lucrative. Immense quanti-
ties Of prize and smugPlsd goods and vessels
passed through his hands-his advertisements
are frequent in the papers of the time His
omclal business required him to spend most of
his time In Portland although his family resi-
dence was at Saco. The officers of the govern
ment were then invested by the people with
much more dignity and Importance than now,
the relics of the British Colonial notions. The
badges of office were retained with tenacity by
the incumbents. An intelligent lady who was
then resident of Scarborough described to me
the equipage and dress of the Marshal when he
passed by her fathers and rested at the neigh
boring tavern, on his frequent journeys be-
tween Saoo and Portland. He wore s ,srlet
cloak, beneath which to his long
buff vest, frilled shrt-bosom and sword. This
style of official dress, including the cooked hat,
went out with Marshal Thornton and Col Han
newell, then Sheriff of Cumberland county. The
Marshaps residence was large, square three
story wooden house, with hippsd roof, on the
west side of Main street, Saco. At this no lse
Gen. Lafayette was entertained the next year
after the Marsha's DEATH The late Judge
Shepey, then o. s. District Attorney, residing
at Saco, made the welcoming address at the
entrance. Marshal Thornton was genial, al
though eccentric man; tinge of this peculiar
ity yet remains in the family. There were in
the towns of Saco and Biddeford, circle of
gentlemen of intelligence and refinement, who
had periodical evening parties at their several
correspondent among them was Marshal
Thornton, who gave them elegant suppers.
During his last illness, when he had given up
all hopes Of recovery, he arranged all his world
ly affairs, even to his burial. He requested his
friends to meet at his house at the proper time
for his obsequies, at the hour for their social
meehngs-that supper should be prepared as
usual, and that after partaking, that they
should carry his remains on bier, by torch
light, to the grave at the farthest end of his
large garden, ell of which was strictly per-
formed.
We can imagine the scene at that supper. 1t
must have been eaten as the Israelites ate the
passover in Egypt, with bitter herbs" saw
the grave and headstone nearly forty years ago,
at the same time gentleman who was present
described to me the burial. 1 think the re-
mains have since been removed to the GEM
etcry.
Marshal Thornton had at least four sons and
three daughters, one of whom became the wife
OF Gov. Fairfield, and is now living at Saco.
james Brown was the eldest son of the Mar
shall, and the father of John Wiugate He
was merchant at Saco until about twenty
years ago. He had inherited and achieved
fortune and retired to the fine seat at Oak Hill.
and died about five years ago. His
wife was Miss Gookin of North Hampton,
N. 81. They had eleven children, the eldest of
whom was John Wingate. Three of the
younger sons were at one time in Bowdoin Col
lege, members of different classes. One son,
Albert is in England James Brown, bow
doin Col, class of 49, at one time a clergyman,
lives at the homestead at Oak Hill. Charles,
one Of the younger sons, raised company at
Scarborough and went into the army in 1862,
and became Colonel of a regiment. He is now a
resident Of Wisconsin The most distinguished
OF Capt. j. B. Thornton's sons was John Win
gate, who was born at Saco August 18th, 1918.
He was student at Thornton Academy, which
had its name SO changed from "Saco Academy"
in honor of Marshal Thornton, who donated
one thousand dollars to its fands. He studied
law with Gov. John Fairfield, whose wife was
his aunt. Mr.. Thornton practicsd law in
Boston for thirty years, but his lif9 work has
been searching out and perfe,ting the history
ofNew England aud its early Inhabitants. In
this favorite pursuit he has bees frequent
contributor to the historical literature of his
native and adopted states. He was an indus.
trious member of the several historical orgapi-
cations of Massachusetts, and a corresponding
member of the Maine Historical Society, al
ways looking after its interests and often con-
tributing to its publications. AT the COM
mencement OF his last illness Mr. Thornton was
engaged in editing and publishing the Trelaw-
ney papers, at the request of the Maine Histor-
ical Society, to which they had been condition
ally donated by the representative of the Ire
lawney family in England. They contain the
business and ecclesiastical history of the Tre-
lawney colony under the agency of John Win
ter and Rev. Robert Jordan. This plantation
had its headquarters on Richmond's Island The
settlement commenced in about 1886. The pub.
LEGATION is nearly finished and its completion
will now devolve on Gan. John NJ Brown
who was by the society associated with Mr..
Thornton in the preparation aud publication.
The completion of the work is looked for by
historians with much interest
The standing committee of the Maine Hstor-
ical Society have meeting to-day at Bruns-
wick to take action for the early completion of
the work. Mr.. Thornton died at Oak Hill on
the 9th inst. in his Goth year. He leaves an
invalid wife, (who was Miss Bowles a native of
Maine) and one daughter. VIC.
Windham, June 14th.