Much of this is included in 
An Introduction to the Rowntree Family  - One Branch in the First World War Era 

Ralph Thorp

Ralph Windsor Thorp arrived in London at the age of 28 years sometime between 1911 and 1913 from Leeds and married Molly Rowntree on 4^th December 1913.

He was born in Leeds in 1884, the son of William Henry Thorp and Catherine Sarah nee Dymond and went to Bootham and then Leeds Art College, presumably studying Architecture.

William Henry, his father, was at Bootham and later an architect doing considerable work in Yorkshire and Bristol.

The records take us back to John Hall Thorp, William Henry’s father, born in about 1823 in Leeds. He was builder and timber merchant and the Census records show that he lived in the following abodes in the Headingley area of Leeds.

1851 at Wesleyan College Otley Road
1861 35 Otley Rd
1871 Wesleyan College Otley Road
1881 Chapel Lane

In Sept 1849, John Hall Thorp married Annabella Windsor in Ulverston in Cumbria. By 1851 they had settled in Leeds and over the next 18 years had a total of seven children, 3 boys and 4 girls.
Although he did not go to Bootham, it is understood that he was a Quaker and is buried with his wife in the cemetery of Adel Quaker Meeting House.

John Hall’s first cousin was Fielden Thorp who was Head Master of Bootham from 1965-1875

See full family tree

William Henry Thorp, born in 1852, married Catharine Sarah Dymond in 1879 and it is through one of his sons Ralph Windsor Thorp that we have the connection with the Rowntree Family. Having said that, it interesting that there were probably connections developing some time before, through Quakerism, Friends Schools and Architecture.

He, in fact was at Bootham, as so many of the Grays, Thorps, and Rowntrees were but a few years before Fred Rowntree. However his wife to be, Catharine Sarah Dymond, who came from Exeter in Devon, was recorded in the census of 1871 to be at Friends Ladies School, Driffield Terrace, in York at the same time as Edith Mary Gray, the sister of Mary Anna Gray, Fred’s wife to be. They were each 14 and 15 years old.

During 1891 through to 1901 William H Thorp, with his family, lived at 9 Burton Crescent, St Chads, Headingley, Leeds

Some time later he must have moved to Bristol and in 1935, in the Bootham Register, was recorded as living at 21 Terrace Gardens Clifton, Bristol.

Windsor Thorp another son of John Hall stayed on in Leeds and joined his fathers building business. Thanks to Avril Pedly in Leeds we have a postcard which she obtained while doing research on Shadwell in Leeds. It was written by Frances Elizabeth Thorp, née Osborn, wife of Windsor Thorp, to a friend and is dated November 1912. The scene in the photo is essentially unchanged today apart from the presence of cars and the style of children's clothes. The school is still there and looks just the same.

Notice the yard door with the writing Wi.. showing.

Ralph Windsor Thorp was educated at Bootham a few years before either Colin and Douglas and yet somehow he ends up at 5 Hammersmith Terrace married to Fred Rowntree’s daughter, Judith Mary (Molly) in 1913. He entered the Friend’s Ambulance Unit of the Red Cross in the 1^st World War and obtained a medal for his work as an orderly. Reference was made in one letter from Mary Anne to Colin that Laurence Rowntree when injured in WW1 was put on Ralph’s train.

Ralph studied initially in Leeds and then qualified as an architect through King’s College London. He seemed to have been working in Leeds until about the time of his marriage in 1913, so how he met his wife to be and developed the connection with Fred is still a mystery.

However 1^st World War, Ralph was at Hammersmith Terrace and married to Molly whose father was living at no.11 with her brothers Douglas and Colin. Then, both of these got married at about that time. It seems likely Ralph’s mother and Fred wife knew each other.

Molly and Ralph had one daughter Betsy born 22^nd Jun 1915.

When the family moved into No. 5 Hammersmith Terrace is unclear however as in discussed elsewhere Fred Rowntree seems to had taken over a lot of Hammersmith Terrace as office space or for the extended family.

Exactly what Ralph was doing in the FAU is unclear however it is mentioned in a letter that Lawrence Rowntree , after he was injured was on "Ralph’s train". Near the end of the War it is mentioned that Ralph was injured but it was not clear as to how.

It is interesting to note that Betsy who was born during the war, was herself married to John Knight during World War 2, although their two daughters were born just after. An exercise for another time would be to look at the number of marriages and births occurred during WW2 within the family which by now was extending quite considerably. Three come to mind with little thought.

Searching out what family members did exactly during the War or Wars is difficult and in some cases impossible. As an aside, it was only at her funeral that we heard that Betsy Knight nee Thorp was working during WW2 at GCHQ Bletchley. This was perhaps the best kept family secret, a secret created by the pressure applied to those working there at the end of the War by Winston Churchill who insisted that they were sworn to secrecy.

Link to Thorp Family Tree

Information collected from the 1935 Bootham Register and Census Records.

He, in fact was at Bootham, as so many of the Grays, Thorps, and Rowntrees were but a few years before Fred Rowntree. However his wife to be, Catharine Sarah Dymond, who came from Exeter in Devon, was recorded in the census of 1871 to be at Friends Ladies School, Driffield Terrace, in York at the same time as Edith Mary Gray, the sister of Mary Anna Gray, Frederick Rowntree's  wife to be. They were each 14 and 15 years old.
During 1891 through to 1901 William H Thorp, with his family, lived at
9 Burton Crescent, St Chads, Headingley, Leeds

Some time later he must have moved to Bristol, as in 1935, in the Bootham Register, he was recorded as living at 21 Terrace Gardens Clifton.

One of his sons, Ralph Windsor Thorp was educated at Bootham a few years before either Colin and Douglas and yet somehow, he ends up at 5 Hammersmith Terrace married to Fred Rowntree’s daughter, Judith Mary (Molly) in 1913. He entered the Friend’s Ambulance Unit of the Red Cross in the 1^st World War and obtained a medal for his work as an orderly. Molly and Ralph had one daughter Betsy who unknown to anyone during most of her life worked at GCHQ Bletchley in the 2^nd World War.

Records show that Ralph was in Leeds with his parents and 3 siblings in 1901.

Ralph studied initially in Leeds and then qualified as an architect through King’s College, London. He seemed to have been working in Leeds until about the time of his marriage in 1913, so how he met his wife to be and developed the connection with Fred is still a mystery.

However by the time 1^st World War, Ralph was at no.5 Hammersmith Terrace and married to Molly whose father was living at no.11 with her brothers, Douglas and Colin. Both of these got married at about that time. As mentioned before it seems likely Ralph's mother and Fred wife knew each other.