ROBERT

See also:

• THORNTON, HENRY (1760—1815)
• ROBERT THORNTON (1623-1678)
• THORNTON, WILLIAM THOMAS (1813-188o)

THORNTON (1623-1678)  , English antiquary, belonged to an old Nottinghamshire family, which took its name from Thoroton, near Newark . He resided mainly at another village in the same neighbourhood, Car Colston, where he practised as a physician and where he lived the life of a country gentleman . He took very little part in the Civil War, although his sympathies were with the royalists, but as a magistrate he was very active in taking proceedings against the Quakers . In 1667 Thoroton, aided by a band of helpers, began. to work upon his elaborate Antiquities of Nottinghamshire . This was published in London in 1677; it was dedicated to Gilbert Sheldon, archbishop of Canterbury, and was illustrated by engravings by W . Hollar . In 1797 a new edition of the Antiquities was published by John Throsby (1740-1803), who added an additional volume . In 1897 the Thoroton Society was founded in honour of the antiquarian, its object being to promote the study of the history and antiquities of Nottinghamshire . Under its auspices annual volumes of Transactions and several volumes of Records have been published and much valuable work has been done . A brass tablet to the memory of Thoroton has been placed in Car Colston church . See J . T .

Godfrey, Robert Tlwroton, Physician and Antiquary (189o) .