Thomas Thornycroft
Born 19 May 1815
Died 30 August 1885
Active: 1836 - 1874
Country of birth and death: England
Sculptor
Born at Great Tidnock, near Gawsworth, Cheshire. Died at Brenchley, Kent. In 1840 he married Mary Francis, the daughter of his teacher, John Francis.
Thomas and Mary's children, in addition to William Hamo Thornycroft, included: John Isaac Thornycroft (1842-1928) naval architect; Alyce Thornycroft (1844-1906) sculptor;
Helen Thornycroft (1848-1937 painter; and Theresa Thornycroft (1853-1947) painter.
In his later years, he assisted John with the design of steam launches.
Wealth at death: £11,046 3s. 3d.
Probate date: 23 December 1885
Works
Dates are usually the year a work was exhibited so may differ from date of production.
New entries have been made each time a work was exhibited. Click here for more information.
Collaborated on The Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal as a young shepherd and a gleaner
1851
Collaborated on Group of three children
1851
The knitting girl
1855 (Presumed)
Locations
Address 56 Albany Street Regent's Park London | View on map
1839 - 1844
Address 39 Stanhope Street Hampstead Road London | View on map
1845 (Circa) - 1860 (Circa)
Address 21 Wilton Place London SW | View on map
1861 (Circa) - 1874 (Circa)
Exhibitions, Meetings, Awards and other Events
Exhibited at The International Exhibition, London, 1862
'HRH the Prince Consort'
Exhibited at Annual Exhibition of the Academy of Arts (Leeds), 1853
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts, The Eighty-Fourth, 1852
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts, The Eighty-Seventh, 1855
p.52
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts (Summer Exhibition), 1768-
1836 - 1874
Exhibited 29 times (10 times prior to 1851), usually one to two works per year.
Institutional and Business Connections
Member of Institute of British Sculptors
1856 (Circa) - 1861 (Circa)
Personal and Professional Connections
Mother/father/parent of William Hamo Thornycroft
Mother/father/parent of Alice Thornycroft
Nominated by John Henry Foley
14 December 1866
'Name erased [from nominations book] at the request of the candidate'[handwritten note in Royal Academy Nominations Book; name has been struck out].
Pupil of John Francis
1835 - 1839 (Circa)
Seconded by Joseph Durham
14 December 1866
'Name erased [from nominations book] at the request of the candidate'[handwritten note in Royal Academy Nominations Book; name has been struck out].
Taught Thomas Duckett Junior
Wife/husband/spouse to Mary Thornycroft
29 February 1840
They were married at the Old Church, St Pancras,
Descriptions of Practice
Listed under Sculptors Post Office London Directory, 1851 Post Office/Kelly London Directories
Listed under Sculptors Post Office London Directory, 1860 Post Office/Kelly London Directories
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1841
'Sculptor' and his father-in-law, John Francis, head of household, 'Sculptor'
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1851
Both Thomas and Mary Thornycroft 'Sculptor' and a nephew, born c.1837 in Cheshire 'Workshop Boy'
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871
Thomas, Mary and William Hamo all 'Sculptor' and Alice and Frances 'Painter'
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881
Thomas and Mary 'Sculptor', William Hamo 'Sculptor ARA', Mary and Theresa 'Painter' and Henry Webb (born c.1867 in Notting Hill) 'Studio Sweeper Domestic'
Sources
Catalogue of the Annual Exhibition of the Academy of Arts, 8 Bond Street, Leeds, 1853
1853 (Presumed)
Cat. No. 553, p. 24
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1841
2004
HO107 piece 684 folio 13/10 page 14
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1851
2004
Class: HO107; Piece: 1493; Folio: 786; Page: 62; GSU roll: 87822-87823
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871
2004
Class: RG10; Piece: 103; Folio: 36; Page: 26; GSU roll: 838762
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881
2004
Class: RG11; Piece: 27; Folio: 131; Page: 3; GSU roll: 1341006
International exhibition 1862, official catalogue, fine art department
1862
List of Members: Institute of British Sculptors (or Sculptor's Institute)
2008 (Circa)
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
2004
Mark Stocker, ‘Thornycroft, Thomas (1815–1885)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, Oct 2006 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/27369, accessed 13 Dec 2009]
Post Office London Directory, 1851 Post Office/Kelly London Directories
1851
p. 1365
Post Office London Directory, 1860 Post Office/Kelly London Directories
1860
p. 1803
Royal Academy of Arts Nominations for Associateship, 1866-1906
1906
See entries for 1866.
Rules of the Institute of Sculptors
1861
p. iv
The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts, The Eighty-Fourth, 1852
1852
The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts, The Eighty-Seventh, 1855
1855
p.52
Citing this record
'Thomas Thornycroft', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011 [http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib7_1206708457, accessed 23 Mar 2023]
