William Thornhurst

William Thornhurst (1575-1606) was an English landowner.

He was the son of Stephen Thornhurst, keeper of Ford Park (died 1616) and his first wife. His second wife, Dorothy (1565-1620), was a daughter of Roger Drew of Denchworth. Her first husband was Dr Hippocrates d'Otthen of Holstein (died 1611).[1][2]

Their lands were at Romney and Agney. Stephen Thornhurst sold Bramshill House to Edward la Zouche, 11th Baron Zouche. A brother, Thomas Thornhurst was killed at the siege of Saint-Martin-de-Ré in 1627. His monument is at Canterbury Cathedral.[3]

William Thornhurst married Anne Howard (died 1633), a daughter of Thomas Howard, 1st Viscount Howard of Bindon. She was a half-sister of Frances Howard, who, as Lady Hertford, became a lady in waiting to Anne of Denmark.[4]

Portrait of Susanna Temple, Dame Thornhurst, later Lady Lister (dated 1620), by Cornelius Johnson

Their children included:

• Gifford Thornhurst (died 1627), knighted in 1622, who married Susanna Temple.[5] He was buried at Allington.
• Grace Thornhurst, who married the poet Mildmay Fane, 2nd Earl of Westmorland in 1620
• Frances Thornhurst, who married Robert Napier of Luton Hoo

He died on 24 July 1606 and was buried at Herne. A wall monument shows him kneeling at a desk. Above is a helmet and a heraldic carving of a stag hound. A local legend says the tomb was that of a hunter killed by his own dogs for Sabbath breaking.[6]