Research Forum

George THORNE - Olympic Golfer 1900
published by Pat Hase on Sat, 26/09/2015 - 11:45

We have been contacted with a query about a George THORNE who was said to be from Weston-super-Mare and who represented Great Britain in Golf at the 1900 Paris Olympics. At the moment there seems to be two possibilities but there could be more!

George THORNE, who died on 23 June 1907, at Friedenheim, 7 Highbury Parade, Weston-super-Mare, aged 60 - He appears to have lived previously in Castle Hills NSW, Australia
George THORNE, born in about 1860 who appears on the 1901 and 1911 census living in Weston and died 18th April 1943 in Leicester but was buried in Weston Cemetery.

Golf is being reintroduced into the Olympics next year so it would be good to recognise any Weston resident who took part. Can anyone help?

Comments ..

Submitted by semlyn on Sat, 26/09/2015 - 15:27

This link confirms he was a member of the WSM Club

http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/th/george-thorne-1.html

Submitted by Pat Hase on Sat, 26/09/2015 - 21:50

Thank you - that helps. This afternoon Dave Tyler found an obit to the one who died in 1943 but no mention of Golf! He traced his wife as well - but still no mention of Golf. There are several books about Weston Golf Club in the Library but again no mention of George THORNE. One of our members suggested that even if he lived in Weston perhaps he played at a course outside of Weston - Burnham & Berrow was suggested or even further afield.

Submitted by Pat Hase on Tue, 13/10/2015 - 17:42

Following on with this we have now established that the George THORNE who died in 1907 and was buried at Hutton was the son of a George and Elizabeth Ann THORNE née BISDEE. This accounts for his burial at Hutton because of course the BISDEE Family owned Hutton Court. Thanks to Brian Hancock for a photograph of his grave.

There was an 18 hole golf course on the BISDEE estate in Hutton which might have inspired George THORNE. The obituary for George THORNE in the Australian newspapers states that he had come to this country from Australia just 3 months before he died in 1907 and initially we thought that made it impossible for him to be in this country in 1900. But, a newspaper account for May 1900 shows a George THORNE playing for Weston Golf Club. A passenger list on Findmypast has George, his wife, Miriam and two daughters (by his first wife) travelling from this country to Australia in Dec 1903. Those daughters, Annie and Isabel (born in New Zealand) are in Weston on the 1901 census - listed as daughters with no head of household present. Still not sure where George & Miriam were in 1901.

So to sum up it looks as if we've identified George THORNE as a grandson of the BISDEE Family, with the opportunity to play on the Family Course and enough money to travel to Paris to compete in the Olympics. Thanks to all those who made suggestions.