Thorne

Where did they go?: Georgia death certificates, no. 2.

The counties in which these Wilson County natives died are all in south Georgia and suggest migration to work in the naval stores industry after North Carolina’s longleaf pines were tapped out.

  • Joseph Horne

In the 1870 census of Black Creek township, Wilson County: farm laborer Abraham Horne, 45, with Jefferson, 30, Gray, 15, Lettuce, 17, Rayford, 13, Jeff Davis, 8, and Milburn Horne, 6; and Martha Holland, 14.

In the 1880 census of District 384, Dodge County, Georgia: Columbus Barnes, 24; Gray Horne, 22; Samuel Jenkins, 18; Alfred Caruthers, 20; and Everett Farmer, 20. All were described as laborers, and all were born in North Carolina except Caruthers, who was a native Georgian.

On 12 December 1893, Joseph Grey Horn married Tena Small in Glynn County, Georgia.

In the 1920 census of Militia District 1356, Glynn County, Georgia: farmer Joe Horne, 74; wife Clementina, 42; daughter Rosalee Henry, 2 [sic]; and grandson Edwin Henry, 3 months.

Joseph Horne died 22 June 1924 in Southern Junction, Glynn County, Georgia; was about 59 years old; was born in Wilson, N.C., to Abraham Horne and an unnamed mother; was married; worked as a laborer; and was buried in Freeman Rest cemetery. Clementine Horne was informant.

In the 1930 census of Militia District 1356, Glynn County, Georgia: widow Climentine Horn, 48, farm laborer; daughter Rosalee Club, 24, widow; and grandson Edwin Hinry, 10.

  • Grant Thorn

In the 1870 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: farm laborer Warren Thorne, 28; wife Rachel, 28; and children Louisa, 16, Stephen, 15, Rosa, 5, Grant, 4, John, 3, and Patsey, 10 months.

In the 1880 census of Gardners township, Wilson County: farmer Lewis Woodard, 36; wife Bashaby, 32; son Henry, 16, farm laborer; and servant Grant Thorn, 14.

In the 1900 census of Arabi village, Dooly County, Georgia: turpentine laborer Grant Thorn, 35, born in North Carolina, and wife Evie, 35.

In the 1910 census of Militia District 762, Crisp County, Georgia: turpentine laborer Grant Thomas, 45, born in North Carolina; wife Julia, 28; and daughter Florie M., 9; sister-in-law Dina Shivers, 40, private family cook, and niece Adel Shivers, 18, public school teacher.

In the 1920 census of Arabi township, Crisp County, Georgia: in Turpentine Quarters, naval stores laborer Grant T. Thorn, 55, born in North Carolina; wife Julia, 36; and children Grant T., Jr., 7, and Evans L., 4.

Grant Thorn died 10 May 1925 in Arabi, Crisp County, Georgia. Per his death certificate, he was born in 1859 in Wilson County, N.C., to Warren Thorn and Rachal Thorn; worked as a farmer; and was buried in Little Rock Cemetery, Arabi. John Thorn was informant.

In 1940, Evans Lawton Thornes registered for the World War II draft in Palm Beach County, Florida. Per his registration card, he was born 1 February 1915 in Arabi, Georgia; lived at 2126 Contentment Avenue, West Palm Beach, Florida; his contact was mother Julia Thornes; and worked for John Zennie, West Palm Beach

In 1941, G.T. Thornes registered for the World War II draft in Crisp County. Per his registration card, he was born 17 July 1912 in Crisp County; lived at R.F.D. No. 2, Arabi, Crisp County; his contact was mother Julia Ray Thornes; and worked for H.W. Hamilton, Arabi, Crisp County.

  • Lucy Burgess

In the 1920 census of District 1157, Berrien County, Georgia: farmer Joe W. Burgess, 50; wife Lucy, 48; nephews Brie, 10, and Jim, 8; and nieces Minnie, 16, and Agnes Perry, 13.

Lucy Burgess died 20 March 1926 in Nashville, Berrien County, Georgia. Per her death certificate, she was 52 years old; was born in Wilson County, N.C., to Trim Body and Jennie [maiden name not listed]; was married; and worked as a cook. J.N. Burgess was informant.

  • Lizzie Bradley

Lizzie Bradley died 6 October 1924 in Fort Mudge, Ware County, Georgia. Per her death certificate, she was born 28 May 1882 in Wilson, N.C., to Ike Williams and an unnamed mother; was married to R.B. Bradley; and worked as a domestic. Mattie Williams was informant.

  • Allen Mercy

In the 1900 census of Smiths township, Laurens County, Georgia: farmer Allen Mercer, 40, farmer; wife Bettie, 44; son Willie, 18; and daughter Anna, 14.

In the 1910 census of Smiths township, Laurens County, Georgia: farmer Allen Mercer, 50, born in North Carolina, and wife Bettie, 52, born in Virginia.

Allen Mercy [Mercer] died 22 April 1922 in Dublin, Laurens County, Georgia. Per his death certificate, he was 65 years old; was born in Wilson, N.C., to John and Sarah Mercy; was a widower; and worked as a ditcher. Johnny Mercy was informant.

  • Daniel Barnes

In the 1900 census of Abbeville, Wilcox County, Georgia; Alison Atwater[?], 60; wife Mollie, 45; stepson Daniel Barnes, 21; and grandsons Mager Shaws, 13, and Richard Barnes, 4. All were born in North Carolina except Richard, who was born in Georgia.

Daniel Barnes died 23 November 1920 in Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Georgia. Per her death certificate, he was 42 years old; was born in Wilson County, North Carolina, to Daniel Barnes and Mollie [maiden name not given]; was married; lived in Osierfield, Georgia; and was buried in Abbeville, Wilcox County, Georgia. Lawyer Davis was informant.

A call for help from Istanbul.

We first met entertainer Isaiah Prophet Thorne via passport applications, here. In 1941, Thorne wrote the Daily Times, asking for help locating his family.

Wilson Daily Times, 24 June 1942.

Isaiah Thorne’s family appears in the 1870 census of Gardners township, Wilson County: farmer Preston Thorne, 23; wife Julia, 22; William, 3, James, 1, Charity, 5 months, and Alice, 10; and John Bullock, 18.

In the 1880 census of Wilson, Wilson County: on Pettigrew Street, farmer Preston Thorne, 37; wife Edney, 36; and children William, 13, Eugene, 11, Hattie, 6, and Annie, 4.

On 12 March 1890, Hattie Thorne, 17, daughter of Preston and Edney Thorne, married Willis Grissom, 21, son of Willis and Carry Grissom, in Wilson.

Isaiah Thorne’s sister, Hattie Grissom Henry, died 21 November 1930 in Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was born in Wilson County to Preston Thorn of Edgecombe County and Eddie Adams of Greene County; lived at 203 Vick Street; was a widow; and worked in nursing. Lydia Grissom was informant.

I have not found anything else about Thorne’s family, including anything about his father and brothers in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Clipping courtesy of J. Robert Boykin III.

Sudden death.

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Wilson Advance, 21 April 1882.

In the 1870 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: blacksmith Isaac Thorne, 58; Edith Thorne, 55; and David Thorne, 11.

In the 1870 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: Henry Forbes, 48, domestic servant; wife Louisa, 43; and children Charles, 15, farm laborer, and Georgiana, 9; plus John Forbes, 21, selling tobacco, and Patsey Forbes, 70.

In the 1880 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: blacksmith Isaac Thorn, 72; wife Luzana, 70; and roomers Tony Barnes, 52, laborer, and Hannah Barnes, 80, pauper.

 

 

He has always conducted himself as an American citizen.

Wilson native Isaiah Prophet Thorne‘s peripatetic lifestyle criss-crossing Europe as an entertainer required that he periodically apply for passport renewals and demonstrate his continued allegiance to the United States.

In the earliest document I’ve found, dated 1909, 24 year-old Thorne asserted that he was a singer, that he had left the U.S. in 1898, and that he was temporarily living in Berlin, Germany.

IP Thorne 1.png

In 1915, his application required additional information revealing that his father was dead; that he was now working as a vaudeville artist in Naples, Italy; that he had last left the U.S. in February 1910; and that he needed his passport to travel in Italy, Egypt, Tripolitania [Libya], Greece, France, Spain and England “performing in vaudeville.”

IP Thorne 2

This application contained a small photograph affixed to its reverse and appears to list a contact relative: Warren Thorne, 604 Spring Street, Wilson.

IP Thorne 3

Two years later, Thorne again applied for a renewal, indicating that he was a theatrical performer who had left the United States in September 1907 (which conflicts with the statement above) and was now staying in Saloniki, Greece.

IP Thorne 6

World War I was raging, and Thorne had joined the British Colonial Force. He was required to submit an Affidavit to Explain Protracted Foreign Residence and to Overcome Presumption of Expatriation. He confirmed that he had last been in the United States in 1907 and had spent the intervening years performing in England, Germany, Holland, Russia, Denmark, Romania, Turkey, Egypt, Italy and Greece. He claimed that he did not pay income tax because he made too little income, and he was not sure when he would return to the U.S., but was willing to do so “if called for service.”

IP Thorne 7

The interviewing officer, American Vice-Consul H. Earle Russell, concluded that Thorne’s explanation for his protracted foreign residence was satisfactory and that he was “entitled to protection as an American citizen.”

IP Thorne 8

In 1920, Thorne again applied to renew his passport. This application erroneously asserted that he had first left the U.S. in 1888 (when he was only 3), but revealed that his father was named Preston Thorne. It also yields a beautiful black and white image of the man.

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Isaiah P. Thorne apparently never returned to the United States. I have found only one additional source of reference for his life — in the final pages of The Black Russian, Vladimir Alexandrov’s astounding biography of Frederick Bruce Thomas, the Mississippi-born son of former slaves who built a fortune of millions as the owner and impresario of renowned restaurants and nightclubs in Moscow and Istanbul: “Frederick died … on Tuesday, June 12, 1928, at the age of fifty-five. Because [his wife] Elvira was out of the country, all funeral arrangements were made by his friends. One of these was Isaiah Thorne, a black man from North Carolina who had worked for him at Maxim and who became his token executor.”; “Isaiah Thorne effectively adopted [Frederick’s sons Bruce and Frederick Jr.] when [their mother] Elvira was away ….”; “On November 25, 1930, at Thorne’s instigation, Fred and Bruce went to the American consulate general in Constantinople to apply for a passport” because “he wanted to help them escape the hardships of their lives in Turkey by taking them with him to North Carolina, where he had family.”; but “Thorne did not succeed in taking the boys to the United States because he could not raise the money ….”

Box 4495, Volume 002: Constantinople, Emergency Passport Applications, Argentina thru Venezuela, 1906-1925; U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925 [database on-line], http://www.Ancestry.com