Mr Harry Thorn was born at Chalk Hill in West End, South Stoneham, Hampshire on 31 July 1886 and baptised on 10 October that year.
He was the second born and only surviving child of George Thorn1 (b. circa 1854 in Hampshire), a labourer, and the former Ellen Moore (b. circa 1852 in Littlehampton, Sussex), who were married in 1883.2
He had one sibling, his elder sister Lydia (b. 1885) who died as an infant.
His father died in 1887 aged just 33 and his mother was remarried early the following year to Andrew Johnstone (b. circa 1855 in Southampton), a mariner, but had no further children. The family appeared on the 1891 census as boarders at 11 Queens Road, Southampton and on the 1901 census as residents of Chapel Road in the same city; by the time of the latter records, Harry was described as an errand boy. Harry appears to have lived his life being referred to colloquially as “Harry Johnstone”.
His mother died in 1904 and his stepfather was remarried two years later to widow Mary Elizabeth Rendle (b. circa 1879 in Southampton), who brought two children from her previous marriage, David and Winifred.
Harry was married in Southampton’s St Mary’s Parish Church on 18 February 1908 to Elizabeth Eliza House (b. 8 December 1886 in Southampton). He was described as a ship’s cook and gave his father’s name as George Thorn, a deceased plumber. Elizabeth was the daughter of coal porter William Walter House (then deceased) and the former Mary Elizabeth Kimber.
Harry and Elizabeth would have no children and only Elizabeth is recorded on the 1911 census, then living at 103 Albert Road, Chapel, Southampton whilst Harry was absent, presumably at sea.
When he signed-on to the Titanic in Southampton on 9 April 1912, Thorn gave his name as “H. Johnston” and his address as 103 Albert Road, Southampton. He had transferred from the Minneapolis and as an assistant ship's cook, he received monthly wages of £4.
Harry Thorn died in the sinking and his body, if recovered, was never identified.
THORN (JOHNSTONE) – April 15th, 1912, on the s.s. Titanic, Harry, the beloved husband of Elisabeth Eliza Thorn, 103 Albert-road, Southampton, aged 25. - Hampshire Independent, 11 May 1912
Harry’s stepfather died in 1925.
His widow Elizabeth was assisted by the Titanic Relief Fund. Towards the close of 1913 she was remarried to Dorset-native Reginald Edwin Marlow (b. 1891) and the two ran a pub together.
Widowed again in June 1930, Elizabeth was remarried to Harry Chick (b. 1871), a London-born publican. Widowed for a third time in 1942, Elizabeth spent her final days living in Swindon, Wiltshire where she died on 23 November 1959 aged 72. She had no children from any of her three marriages.
Comment and discuss
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I have managed to gather all the information on this man as quoted above, but one question remains unanswered. Does anyone know why he signed on as Johnson when his real surname was Thorn? Look how I've spelt Thorn without the 'e'. He was born in Fawley on the other side of the Solent. After checking the Census for 1901, he's now living with an adopted family in Southampton, whilst his elder brother has kind of disappeared from the sense altogether. Where he went too remains unclear. I will at a later stage be releasing the details on this man as I've got a few more bomb shell's tucked up my sleeve. I would however, be very grateful for your views or suggestions as to why he decided to signed on with a different surname. Unfortunately the Relief Fund doesn't give anymore clues as the bulk of the old 'Letter Files' were destroyed. So I cannot offer you anymore that what I...
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