The Rev Timothy Thornton, formerly of The Old Cottage, Warcop, near Appleby, has died at the age of 88.
Timothy was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 19th October, 1935 to Charles and Judith Thornton. Judith was the daughter of Major General Christopher Buckle and Mrs Elizabeth Buckle (nee Chamley), whose ancestral families had links to Warcop and Stainmore dating back to the 1500s.
Timothy’s father and grandfather before him ran a company that helped bring goods and services to Argentina at a time when Britain held strong trading links with South America.
Gradual economic instability within Argentina during the 1940s necessitated the family’s return to England.
Starting his schooling in Buenos Aires, Timothy continued his education at St Aubyns, Rottingdean, East Sussex and Charterhouse, Godalming, Surrey, before going up to Oxford University.
During his time at Oxford he read greats and theology at Christ Church, achieving first class degrees. His academic work was exemplary and he was invited during his time at Oxford to read a piece of Latin prose he had written at the annual Encaenia ceremony, held in the Sheldonian Theatre, in the presence of the poet, W. H. Auden, who was an alumni of Christ Church.
Timothy’s time at Oxford instilled his life-long calling for church ministry and, following a curacy at St Thomas’s, Kirkholt, Rochdale, under the watchful guidance of the late Canon Bill Vanstone (formerly of Chester Cathedral) he joined the staff of Lincoln Theological College as a tutor.
During his time at Lincoln he developed a desire to work overseas and secured a role on the staff team as a lecturer at the Pacific Theological College in Suva, Fiji Islands. At around the same time a chance encounter with a young woman called Margaret Martin at a United Society for Partners of the Gospel (USPG) event led to Timothy and Margaret becoming engaged and they went to Fiji together.
Timothy valued the opportunity to work in an ecumenical environment, something that had a powerful impact wherever his ministry took him in later life.
Following marriage and the birth of their son, Charles, Timothy returned to England. A post as school chaplain at Brasted Place College, Westerham, Kent, was followed by an appointment as Canon Missioner with Guildford Cathedral while serving as rector in the parish of Hascombe, near Godalming, Surrey.
In the late 1970s he moved to another part of Surrey where he was vicar of Chobham and Valley End.
His final ministerial move was to Oxfordshire where, from 1984 to 2000, he was vicar serving the parishes of Chadlington, Spelsbury and Ascott under Wychwood.
On retirement in 2000 Timothy and Margaret moved to Warcop before one final time in 2021 moving to Capel Court Church of England retirement home, near Cheltenham.
Timothy’s ministry was a quiet yet sincere one. His love of academia led him to be constantly inspired by the great theologians of our time and he regularly contributed scholarly works to the New Testament Studies periodical. At the same time, he valued the opportunity to carry out providing pastoral support to so many people.
His life-long Christian ministry and service to the church will be always cherished.
He was a devoted husband to Margaret and father to Charles.
