Alfred Thorne
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| Portrayed by (Michael Sheen) | |
| Full Name | Alfred Thorne |
|---|---|
| Title | Mr. Thorne |
| Associated Noble House(s) | None |
| Date of Birth | 1760 |
| Father | George Thorne |
| Father's Rank | Attorney |
| Mother | Claire Thorne |
| Mother's Rank | Middle Class |
| Town Residence | N/A |
| Income | £2000 pa |
| School | Grammar school |
| University | N/A |
| Year of Marriage | 1782 |
| Spouse | Rose Thorne |
| Spouse's Rank | Gentry |
| Issue | Adelaide (1783), Alexander (1785), Horace (1787), Ellena (1789), Clarissa (1792), Edgar (1795), Camilla (1797), Walter (1800), Clara (1802) |
Alfred Thorne is an unfortunate man. An active man in his youth and destined to follow in his father's footsteps as an attorney, he made the mistake firstly of falling for Miss Rose Montgomery and secondly of losing his uncle James Thorne, his aunt, a male cousin and his father all at once in a sad outbreak of a very virulent strain of influenza. This left Alfred as master of Handforth Dean, a struggling estate attached to a farm in the deepest Dorset countryside, an inheritance he was not at all suited for, and his wife even less.
Nine children followed and though Alfred has done his best, his income of £2000 pa has not increased over the years. The farm and estate do tolerably well, mostly thanks to the efforts of his children Adelaide and Alexander. The fact that the local great house, Morven Castle, has been mismanaged for decades and is in current decline, has not helped Alfred by giving him an active landowner as a neighbour to offer him support.
Alfred gets through his days as quietly as possible, avoiding his wife and children as much as he can, allowing him plenty of opportunity to regret his life and choices.