Individual Details
RALPH (RAFE) T. THORNE
(22 Oct 1843 - Sep 1927)
Ralph (Rafe) Thorne lived and worked in Havelock, particularly the Salem Road area, all his life. A number of stories survive about his various exploits including a trip to get supplies. Ralph and his brother Hazen got into a dispute over the use of the free meeting house on the Canaan Road and were forced to allow other religious groups to use it. He died in the Alms House in Norton and his body was returned to Havelock for burial with the service conducted by the Rev William Boney and interrment in the Baptist cemetery. He left Havelock several years prior to his death to live with his son Abiathar (Byatha) Thorne in Sussex.
Ralph and his brother Hazen got into a dispute over the use of the free meeting house on the Canaan Road and were forced to allow other religious groups to use it. He died in the Alms House in Norton and his body was returned to Havelock for burial with the service conducted by the Rev William Bonney and interrment in the Baptist cemetery. He left Havelock several years prior to his death to live with his son Abiathar (Byatha) Thorne in Sussex.
A Rafe Thorne Story (as told by Wilmot Brown Jly 29, 1984)
Rafe Thorne was a good skater. Like a lot of people he used Whelpley's "Long Reachers". On one occasion he and old Dr. Blis Thorne were skating up the Canaan River. Rafe had a back pack on with some supplies in it. (As the story grew in the telling so did the weight of the back pack. Eventually a story teller added a "Star" stove and half of Rafe's cabin.)
Rafe was not only a good skater but he also was a fast one. On this particular trip he got well out in front of Dr. Bliss. It was near dark and Bliss plodded along trying to keep up as Ralph disappeared into the night. Because he was going so much slower, Dr. Bliss stopped in time before he plunged into a 14' gap in the ice. He thought "Poor Rafe, he's drowned." Dr. Bliss picked his way up the bank and carefully went around the hole. When he finally got back down on the ice, there were Rafe's skate tracks where he had landed."
Harry Thorne can remember when he was five or six years of age old Rafe telling the yarn to his father (Fred Thorne). Apparently he spent more time lighting matches than his pipe and would then start in on one of his stories. "He said and then I said" was his standard method of spinning a yarn!.
[Thorne Book]
Ralph and his brother Hazen got into a dispute over the use of the free meeting house on the Canaan Road and were forced to allow other religious groups to use it. He died in the Alms House in Norton and his body was returned to Havelock for burial with the service conducted by the Rev William Bonney and interrment in the Baptist cemetery. He left Havelock several years prior to his death to live with his son Abiathar (Byatha) Thorne in Sussex.
A Rafe Thorne Story (as told by Wilmot Brown Jly 29, 1984)
Rafe Thorne was a good skater. Like a lot of people he used Whelpley's "Long Reachers". On one occasion he and old Dr. Blis Thorne were skating up the Canaan River. Rafe had a back pack on with some supplies in it. (As the story grew in the telling so did the weight of the back pack. Eventually a story teller added a "Star" stove and half of Rafe's cabin.)
Rafe was not only a good skater but he also was a fast one. On this particular trip he got well out in front of Dr. Bliss. It was near dark and Bliss plodded along trying to keep up as Ralph disappeared into the night. Because he was going so much slower, Dr. Bliss stopped in time before he plunged into a 14' gap in the ice. He thought "Poor Rafe, he's drowned." Dr. Bliss picked his way up the bank and carefully went around the hole. When he finally got back down on the ice, there were Rafe's skate tracks where he had landed."
Harry Thorne can remember when he was five or six years of age old Rafe telling the yarn to his father (Fred Thorne). Apparently he spent more time lighting matches than his pipe and would then start in on one of his stories. "He said and then I said" was his standard method of spinning a yarn!.
[Thorne Book]
Events
| Birth | 22 Oct 1843 | New Canaan, Brunswick Parish, Queens County, New Brunswick |  | ||
| Death | Sep 1927 | Norton, Norton Parish, Kings County, New Brunswick | | ||
| Burial | 25 Sep 1927 | Greenhill Cemetery, Havelock, Havelock Parish, Kings County, New Brunswick | | ||
| Marriage | CHRISTIANNA KEITH |
Families
| Spouse | CHRISTIANNA KEITH (1836 - 1916) |
| Child | BYATHA ALBERT THORNE (1868 - 1956) |
| Father | MICHAEL THORNE (1814 - 1849) |
| Mother | DEBORAH COLPITTS (1823 - ) |
| Sibling | CALEB THORNE (1844 - 1899) |
| Sibling | HAZEN THORNE (1845 - 1917) |
| Sibling | ANNA (ANNIE) ADORA THORNE (1846 - 1912) |
Endnotes
1. RYDER GENEALOGICAL FILES.
2. RYDER GENEALOGICAL FILES.
3. RYDER GENEALOGICAL FILES.