The register entry for her baptism in St Leonard's Parish Church, Shoreditch gives her date of birth. However her parent's abode except for Bethnal Green is indecipherable. The 1871, '81 and '91 censuses all give her place of birth as Bethnal Green which is on the eastern border of Shoreditch. The maps of Shoreditch and Bethnal Green parishes show that that St Leonard's Church was very close to the parish boundary with Bethnal Green but that the parish church of St Mathew (which was the only church in Bethnal Green at the time of her baptism) was in the middle of the parish. Thus if the family had lived close to the border between the parishes Caroline's parents may have just gone to the nearest church to have her baptised.

Address: Shoreditch, Middlesex

During this time the area was undergoing considerable change with old buildings being demolished and new houses being built. It is assumed that they set up home together as soon as they were married. Where this was is not known as the only evidence of where they lived comes from 1861, '71, '81 and '91 censuses, the birth certificates of their children and Thomas' death certificate. They do not appear in the 1851 and 1891 censuses.

They certainly moved around.

By the time of 1861 census on 7 April they had 4 children and were living at 37 Barnsley Road which they shared with another family. However, by June they had moved to 1 Octagon Place where their daughter Rebecca was born. The 1861 census shows 1 Octagon Place being occupied by a widow and two other families - a total of 7 people. Given the size of Thomas' and Caroline's family they probably needed the house to themselves so the other families must have moved out although it is possible that the widow who was a dressmaker stayed. The longest they appear to have been in one place was 2 New Street where they are shown as occupying the whole house in the 1871 and 1881 censuses. By the time of the 1871 census they had 8 children and 2 lodgers. The census shows that there were 29 houses in New Street but they may not have all been identical. Whilst most accommodated one to two families with an average occupancy of approximately 7 people, No.1 accommodated six families with a total of 36 people and No. 14 had four families with a total of 20 people. By the 1881 census the only 4 children were living at home and they no longer had any lodgers. However they still had the house to themselves. By the 1891census New Street has only 6 houses so it may have been in the process of being re-developed and the family had moved to 16 Wolverly Street which they shared with another family. Whether it was because of the re-development is not known but by this time the family had reduced in size to Thomas, Caroline and their youngest daughter Alice. The family's total income has obviously been reduced and they no longer required a large house.

Rebecca was their daughter and Thomas was Rebecca's husband.

Address: 3 Daniel Street

As a widow (her husband Thomas had died in 1901) she was living in a single room - sharing the house with three other families Her source of income is not known as there is no indication that she was either working or receiving aid from the Parish. Her family may have helped. Daniel Street was a turning off Gosset Street where Caroline's daughter Louise lived at number 57.

Cause: chronic bronchitis and syncope

Address: 90 Gibraltar Walk

Syncope is the medical term for fainting which can arise from several causes. However, the most like cause was the decrease in the amount of blood flowing back to the heart due to straining during the coughing associated with bronchitis. Her daughter Louise was present at her death and may have helped to nurse her though her final illness. Caroline's husband, Thomas, had also died of bronchitis almost exactly five years earlier which is probably indicative of the damp conditions and the industrial fogs which occurred in winter.

Address: for Bethnal Green

Thomas Thornton (1830-1900)

Caroline Ann Thornton (1852-1925)

Mary Ann Thornton (1854-1933)

Martha Thornton (1856- )

Elizabeth Thornton (1859- )

Rebecca Thornton (1861-1936)

Thomas Thornton (1863-1940)

Louisa Thornton (1867-1939)

Emma Thornton (1869-1953)

Alice Eleanor Thornton (1873- )

Address: Bethnal Green, Middlesex

The witnesses were almost certainly related to the bride but the relationship has not been established. The groom's father may have been present but his mother had died some three years before. It is thought that both the bride's parents may have been dead. Who else may have been present is not known.

The Church was comparatively new when they married having been formed out of the parish of St Mathew, Bethnal Green in 1842/3 which itself had been split out of Stephney in 1746. This reflected the rapid expansion of the area with people flooding in to work in the new factories (see notes on Thomas' and Caroline's residence and Thomas' occupation). The parish was reunited with St Mathew in 1951 and the church closed in 1952. It became a furniture store and now no longer exists.

Thomas' address is given as 1 Collingwood Place. Collingwood Place no longer exists. There is a Collingwood Street but this is nearly a mile east south east of the church and in the parish of St Mathew. It is conceivable that Thomas lived in the vicinity and walked to the church.

Caroline's address is given as 15 West Street where she probably lived with her parents. The only West Street shown on modern maps lies about a mile east north east of the church connecting Clare Street and Cambridge Heath Street and is little more than a bridge spanning a railway line and is in the parish of St Mathew. The street did not exist in 1893 and so was not there in 1850. It is therefore probable that Caroline and possibly Thomas lived in the area known as the 'Nicholl' which lay immediately to the west of St Philip's Church and which was demolished by the London County Council in the early 1890s.

Address: 37 Barnsley Road

The household consisted of Thomas who is working as a chairmaker, his wife Caroline, and their children Caroline (age 9), Mary Ann (age 7), Martha (age 4) & Elizabeth (age 2). They also had two lodgers, William Bosby, an apprentice chairmaker, and James Robinson, a jouneyman (i.e. employed) chairmaker. The family and their lodgers occupied the whole house. Although both Thomas and James were chairmakers Thomas is not described as a jouneyman. However, judging from the address and the other censuses in which he appeared it is unlikely that Thomas had his own business. The area abounded with small furniture workshops and many of their neighbours were also employed in the furniture trade.

Address: 2 New Street

The household consisted of Thomas, his wife Caroline, their 8 children Caroline, Mary, Martha, Elizabeth, Rebecca, Thomas, Louise, and Emma. The family occupied the whole house albeit at a different address from the previous census. They also had two lodgers James Robinson and William Perrin. James had also lodged with them at their previous address (see 1861 Census for Thomas Thornton). Both of them worked in the furniture making trade as did Thomas and his two oldest children Caroline and Mary. The area abounded with small furniture workshops and many of their neighbours were also employed in the furniture trade. Perhaps they all walked to work together. Thomas' wife Caroline is shown as a house domestic but does not indicate whether this just meant that she stayed at home looking after the family or went out to work cleaning. In the census return the wife of the next door family is not shown as having an occupation so perhaps she went out to work but then who looked after the children? Apart from the two who went out to work, three were at school leaving three at home. Perhaps the eldest of these, Thomas, looked after the other two but a more likely explanation is that a neighbour minded them.

Address: 2 New Street

The family consisted of Thomas, his wife Caroline and their children Thomas, Louisa, Emma and Alice. Although the family had reduced in size as the older children moved out it still occupied the whole house. Thomas continues to be employed in the furniture trade as was his only son Thomas, and many of their neighbours. Louisa is working as a cigar box paperer (probably at home) and the two youngest children are attending school.

Address: 16 Wolverley Street

All the children except Alice have now left home and the family have moved to two rooms in a small house which was was shared with another family, a widower and his daughter, who occupied one room. Thomas now gives his birthplace as Whitechapel as opposed to Spitalfields given in the previous censuses. Alice's occupation (Sog Maker) is not understood.