William Pole Thornhill
Encyclopedia
William Pole Thornhill was a British Whig and then Liberal Party
politician. He sat in the House of Commons from 1853 to 1865.
Thornhill was the last member of the family of Thornhill who had owned estates at Stanton Hall
, Stanton-in-Peak since the end of the 17th century when John Thornhill married the heiress Mary Bache. Thornhill and his wife were considerable benefactors to the village, building the parish church in 1833, the reading rooms and "The Stand", originally known as "The Belvedere", a viewing platform giving panoramic views over the Wye
Valley. Many of the houses in the village carry the initials "WPT".
Thornhill became High Sheriff of Derbyshire
in 1836. He was elected as a Member of Parliament
(MP) for North Derbyshire
at a by-election in July 1853,
and held the seat until he stood down at the 1865 general election
.
As a politician he was a strong reformist and built the Earl Grey Tower on the eastern edge of Stanton Moor
dedicated to the Reform Act 1832
. He was briefly, between 1860 and 1863, a lieutenant in the 9th Derbyshire Rifle Volunteers. He died at Brighton at the beginning of 1876.
Thornhill married Isabella Gell at Wirksworth in 1828. Isabella was the heiress of Hopton Hall
. They took the name Gell according to the terms of inheritance and lived briefly at Hopton Hall but in due course renounced the inheritance.
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician. He sat in the House of Commons from 1853 to 1865.
Thornhill was the last member of the family of Thornhill who had owned estates at Stanton Hall
Stanton Hall, Stanton in Peak
Stanton Hall is a privately owned country house at Stanton in Peak in the Derbyshire Peak District, the home of the Davie-Thornhill family. It is a Grade II* listed building....
, Stanton-in-Peak since the end of the 17th century when John Thornhill married the heiress Mary Bache. Thornhill and his wife were considerable benefactors to the village, building the parish church in 1833, the reading rooms and "The Stand", originally known as "The Belvedere", a viewing platform giving panoramic views over the Wye
River Wye, Derbyshire
The River Wye is a limestone river in the Peak District of Derbyshire, England. It is in length, and is one of the major tributaries of the River Derwent, which flows into the River Trent, and ultimately into the Humber and the North Sea....
Valley. Many of the houses in the village carry the initials "WPT".
Thornhill became High Sheriff of Derbyshire
High Sheriff of Derbyshire
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Derbyshire from 1568.The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been...
in 1836. He was elected as a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for North Derbyshire
North Derbyshire (UK Parliament constituency)
North Derbyshire was a Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom constituencies. It originally returned two Knights of the Shire to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
at a by-election in July 1853,
and held the seat until he stood down at the 1865 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1865
The 1865 United Kingdom general election saw the Liberals, led by Lord Palmerston, increase their large majority over the Earl of Derby's Conservatives to more than 80. The Whig Party changed its name to the Liberal Party between the previous election and this one.Palmerston died later in the same...
.
As a politician he was a strong reformist and built the Earl Grey Tower on the eastern edge of Stanton Moor
Stanton Moor
Stanton Moor is a small upland area in the Derbyshire Peak District of central and northern England, lying between Matlock and Bakewell near the villages of Birchover and Stanton-in-Peak. It is known for its megaliths and erratics.-Archaeology:...
dedicated to the Reform Act 1832
Reform Act 1832
The Representation of the People Act 1832 was an Act of Parliament that introduced wide-ranging changes to the electoral system of England and Wales...
. He was briefly, between 1860 and 1863, a lieutenant in the 9th Derbyshire Rifle Volunteers. He died at Brighton at the beginning of 1876.
Thornhill married Isabella Gell at Wirksworth in 1828. Isabella was the heiress of Hopton Hall
Hopton Hall
Hopton Hall is an 18th century country house at Hopton, near Wirksworth, Derbyshire. It is a Grade II listed building.The Manor of Hopton , anciently the seat of the de Hopton family, was acquired by the Gell family in 1553 by Ralph Gell who also purchased lands at Darley Abbey and Rocester.John...
. They took the name Gell according to the terms of inheritance and lived briefly at Hopton Hall but in due course renounced the inheritance.