Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 56.djvu/286

  to contemporaries and current affairs, his somewhat egotistical garrulousness, his confessions, descriptions, and reflections, besides illustrating his own character, throw light on the condition of America, and even of the civilised world, in his time. His publications are: The last-named work first appeared serially in the ‘Knickerbocker Magazine,’ the ‘New York Mirror,’ and various other periodicals.
 * 1) ‘Forty Years' Residence in America; or the Doctrine of a particular Providence exemplified in the Life of Grant Thorburn (the original Lawrie Todd), Seedsman, New York,’ with an introduction by John Galt, 1834.
 * 2) ‘Men and Manners in Great Britain, by Lawrie Todd,’ 1834.
 * 3) ‘Fifty Years' Reminiscences of New York; or Flowers from the Garden of Lawrie Todd,’ 1845.
 * 4) ‘Lawrie Todd's Hints to Merchants, Married Men, and Bachelors,’ 1847.
 * 5) ‘Lawrie Todd's Notes on Virginia,’ 1848.
 * 6) ‘Life and Writings of Grant Thorburn, prepared by Himself,’ 1852.

 THORBURN, ROBERT (1818–1885), miniature-painter and associate of the Royal Academy, born at Dumfries in March 1818, was the son of a tradesman. He received his early education at Dumfries high school. He soon developed a love of art, and, owing to the kindness of a neighbouring lady, was at the age of fifteen sent to Edinburgh to draw at the academy, where he made rapid progress and gained distinction. About three years later he came to London and entered the classes of the Royal Academy. As a native of Dumfries he enjoyed the special patronage of the Duke of Buccleuch, whereby he obtained many commissions. Thorburn's success as a miniature-painter was soon secured, and for many years he shared the patronage of fashionable society with Sir {[subst:d|William Charles|Ross}} [q. v.] In 1846 he received his first commission from Queen Victoria; many followed. Miniature-portraits of the queen, and of the queen with Edward VII, when Prince of Wales, are reproduced in Sir R. R. Holmes's ‘Queen Victoria’ (1897). Thorburn's miniatures were of a larger size than usual, showing more of the figure and often accompanied by a landscape background. They are painted on large pieces of ivory, sometimes on pieces joined together. Their extreme finish produces a sense of monotony and flatness where the colours have lost their freshness. They were, however, very much admired at the time of their production, and at the Paris International Exhibition in 1855 Thorburn was awarded a gold medal. One of his most widely known miniatures is that of Louise, duchess of Manchester, a reproduction of which is given in Foster's ‘British Miniature Painters’ (1898). The same work contains a portrait of Thorburn from a miniature by himself and a list of Thorburn's principal sitters, comprising most of the beautiful ladies of the time. Thorburn was elected an associate of the Royal Academy in 1848. When photography began to supersede miniature painting, he took to oil-painting, and exhibited portraits and other subjects at the Royal Academy exhibitions with moderate success. He had a house at Lasswade, near Edinburgh, but died at Tunbridge Wells on 3 Nov. 1885 in his sixty-eighth year, having quite outlived the great reputation of his earlier years.

 THORESBY, JOHN (d. 1373), archbishop of York and chancellor, was son of Hugh de Thoresby of Thoresby in Wensleydale, Yorkshire, by Isabel, daughter of Sir Thomas Grove of Suffolk. He seems to have been educated at Oxford, and as early as 15 Oct. 1320, when an acolyte, was presented to the living of Bramwith, Yorkshire, by Thomas, earl of Lancaster. Afterwards he entered the service of Archbishop [q. v.], who made him receiver of his chamber and his domestic chaplain. In 1327 he went to the papal court in Melton's service, and on 5 May, though he already held the living of Honington, Warwickshire, and a subdiaconal prebend in the chapel of St. Mary and the Angels, York, he was provided to a canonry at Southwell, with a reservation of the next prebend (, Cal. Pap. Reg., Letters, ii. 257), and as a consequence obtained the prebend of Norwell Overhall (ib. ii. 528;, iii. 437). Thoresby's connection with Melton naturally brought him into the royal service, and on 7 March 1330 he was sent to the papal court in connection with the proposed canonisation of Thomas of Lancaster (Fœdera, ii. 782; Cal. Pat. Rolls, Edward III, i. 493). On 2 Nov. 1333 he was appointed by the king to be master of the hospital of St. Edmund, Gateshead, and at the same time is mentioned as constantly attendant on the king's business (ib. ii. 471, 473). In 1336, as a notary in chancery and one of the king's clerks, he had a grant of forty marks a year (ib. iii.