Percy Thorne

Story:
The early life of Percy Thorne is shrouded in doubt but it is more than possible that he was born on 15 Jun 1884 in Yeovil, Somerset, and baptised there on 16 Oct 1884 the son of William Thorne, a Hawker, and Ann Thorne. The mother died in 1892 and the father in 1904 both in Yeovil. The 1911 Census shows Percy Thorne (born in an estimated year of 1887 in Yeovil) working as a Domestic Groom and living at Cowdray Park Stables, Midhurst, Sussex. The first reference to Percy Thorne in Shaftesbury, Dorset, is on both the Absent Voters List and the Electoral Roll of 1918 showing he was registered at 12 Gold Hill, Shaftesbury, Dorset. He had enlisted and joined the Army Service Corps as a Private eventually being promoted to Corporal (Service No. R4/066292).  He served in France and Flanders from 4 Apr 1915 with the 4th B R D Remounts Section.  He was discharged on 19th May 1919 and awarded the Victory and British War medals as well as the 1915 Star.  He married Clara Taylor at Holy Trinity Church, Shaftesbury, in 1919 and they went on to have five children.  The 1921 Census indicates that he had moved to 29 St. James Street, Shaftesbury, and was described as a Dealer (born in Yeovil). By the time of the 1939 Register he was living back at 15 Gold Hill, Shaftesbury, Dorset, working as a Gardener and gave his date of birth as 1887 not 1884.  He continued to live at 15 Gold Hill, Shaftesbury, right up to his death at the Newbridge Hospital, Salisbury, Wiltshire, on 10th October 1960 (as confirmed on the Probate Register). His wife continued to live in Gold Hill until her own death in 1979.