Robert Surtees Thornewill
Robert was born in February 1875, the only child of Catherine Aurora Thornewill nee Page, who died just four days after his birth. There is a "family story" that his father, Robert Thornewill, came home from work to find her dying, and the midwife dead drunk on the floor.
Robert - always known as Robie - was baptised on 28 March 1875 in the Church of St Modwen, Burton upon Trent.
Young Robbie was brought up by a very devout nurse, Beatrice M E Blakemore (1855 - ("Blakie"), whose deeply religious views influenced him to such an extent that he took Holy Orders.
His father married again, and had two daughters, who were 10 & 11 years younger than Robbie, so not much of a "family bond".
In 1891 Census he was a boarder in Godalming, aged 16 - which suggests that he was a pupil at Charterhouse School.
Robbie obtained a B.A. at Trinity College, Oxford.
Robbie did his curacy at St. Mary Magdalene, Munster Square, Regent's Park, and in March 1901 and in March 1911 he was curate to (and resident with) the Rev John Aaron Le Couteur, Vicar of St Columba's, Kingsland Road, Haggerston E2. Charles Huth Walters (1882-?) was also living in the same house as Robbie, as also was .
Robbie then became Vicar of St Mary's, Cable St, Stepney, from 1914 until his death.
He never married, and died at home in Stepney on 11 March 1950.
In his Will he left £6,157 (£225,000 today) to the Revd Evan Bruce MURRAY and to Leonard Rowland RICKUS (civil servant).
