Biography of David Thorne, Greene Co, AR

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Submitted by: Michael Brown
        Date: 5 Sep 1998
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
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Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northeast Arkansas

page 177

Rev. David Thorne, an extensive farmer and fruit-grower, of Greene County,
Ark., was born in Edgecombe County, N. C., in 1828. His parents. Thomas and Morning
(Dawes) Thorne, were of English descent, and were also born in the “Old North State,”
the former's birth occurring in 1781, while Gen. Cornwallis was encamped within seven
miles of the scene. He emigrated to Madison County, Tenn., in 1831, located, and
became an extensive farmer, and owned slaves, departing this life in his eighty-
second year. He and his life-partner lived together nearly fifty-five years, raising
to maturity eleven children, and losing one in infancy. His father, Nicholas Thorne,
according to family tradition, was born in North Carolina about 1730 or 1740. His
father, Richard Thorne, was born in England, about the year 1700 or 1710, and came to
America, perhaps, about the [p.177] year 1710 or 1720, serving an apprenticeship in
Charleston, S. C. His son, Nicholas Thorne, was a farmer, and participated in the
Revolutionary War, on the side of the colonies. David Thorne, the subject of this
sketch, attained his majority in Madison County, Tenn., and received his education in
the common schools and the academy at Denmark. Madison County, Tenn., his instructor-
in-chief being Dr. William L. Slack, now of Friar's Point. Miss. While a resident of
Hardeman County, Tenn., in the year 1859-60, he was elected presiding justice of the
county and probate court, which position was held two or three terms, and was much
esteemed by him; indeed, with one exception, that honor was held par excellence among
many favors conferred by the grand old county of Hardeman, because it was bestowed
gratuitously and without solicitation. Emigrating to Greene County in 1871, three
years after, in 1874, he was prevailed upon, by strong and urgent solicitation, to
become a candidate for the constitutional convention, making the race before the
people in competition with Hons. L. L. Mack and B. H. Crowley, and was beaten by only
fifteen votes, by Mr. Crowley. He was afterward elected county and probate judge, and
served one term. Having been reared by pious and religious parents, he naturally felt
an interest in Christianity, and for nearly forty years has had membership in a
Missionary Baptist Church, and since 1868 has been engaged in the ministry. Before
closing this sketch it is proper to say, that Mr. Thorne attributes everything
pertaining to what he is and has enjoyed, as respects morals and religion, to
parental training and early impressions made by Christian parents in their work in
the family nursery; and, in justice to them, whatever may have been accomplished in
the way of good–yea, even the hope of Heaven, under the blessings of God–all is
dedicated in memory to the Christian influence of loved parents that have laid their
armor by. The subject of this sketch is sharing the income of a good farm, and is
taking a warm interest in fruit-growing, for which this section seems well adapted.
The crowning blessing, referred to heretofore, which Hardeman County bestowed, was
the gift, in marriage, of one of her best daughters, in the person of Miss Mary A.
Toone, who was a daughter of James Toone, Sr. James Toone, Sr., was one of the
pioneer settlers of West Tennessee, and Hardeman County was his adopted home. Before
the late war he was one of the leading farmers, owning large slave property. The
marriage partnership entered into in June, 1857, by Mr. and Mrs. Thorne, has
culminated in quite a family, namely: James L., Thomas L. B., William H., David C.
and Wiley, five sons; and Mary F. B., Jinie B., Ida R. and Allis E., four daughters;
all have made the Christian profession, and the whole family are members of the same
church–truly a Baptist family.