Alice Thornton

Alice Thornton (née Wandesford) (1626–1707) is best known as the writer of a series of autobiographical manuscripts. Although born in Yorkshire, where she lived most of her life, her father’s political career took her to London and Dublin in her early years. In 1651, she married William Thornton, who died in 1668, leaving no will and substantial debts. Until relatively recently, the only way to access Thornton’s writing was to consult Charles Jackson’s edition (1875), which presented her primary interests as domestic accidents, illnesses and pregnancy. However, following Cordelia Beattie’s 2018–19 recovery of two Thornton manuscripts—previously presumed missing—it has emerged that finance and religious/political allegiances play a larger part in Thornton’s life and story than previously recognized. Also, central to her sense of self, is the “scandal” to which she frequently refers; although the Thorntons had been planning to marry their eldest daughter, Alice (Nally), to the local curate, Thomas Comber, William’s untimely death meant that the marriage took place when she was only fourteen. The early marriage, and the rumors of an affair, are the “scandal” to which Thornton frequently refers in her writing, and the desire to defend her reputation played a significant part in the composition and circulation of Thornton’s “Books,” which are now available in an online edition ( https://thornton.kdl.kcl.ac.uk ).