This English merchant, passionate about business and social causes, lived both to build fortunes and to give them away. Considered in his time the second richest man in the world, he chose to live austerely despite being surrounded by luxury. Criticized, praised, and even deemed eccentric, he found in generosity his truest source of joy.
John Thornton (1720–1790), in addition to possessing innate business talent, had a remarkably generous heart. As a British merchant, he pioneered trade routes and strengthened commercial ties with Russia and the countries bordering the North Sea. His legitimately earned fortune grew to such an extent that, near the end of his life, he was considered the second richest man in Europe. Wealth—its accumulation, at least—was never his ultimate goal. His passion was philanthropy, and consistent with his Protestant Christian faith, he donated most of what he owned during his lifetime, earning recognition as one of the most notable philanthropists of the 18th century.
Thornton was born in 1720 in Clapham, a London suburb south of the city. Coming from a wealthy family of merchants spanning five generations, he inherited a vast fortune after the death of his father, Robert Thornton of Yorkshire (1692–1742). He wasted not a single penny on extravagance, indulgence, or leisure. He invested only what he considered necessary to forge his path and put into practice his own ideas about business—something he did exceptionally well, almost as a form of recreation, guided by an inner compass that pointed him toward the right decisions. He conducted successful transactions as naturally as breathing or drinking afternoon tea: effortlessly, elegantly and in proper English fashion.
By making wise use of his inheritance, he expanded his career as a merchant and eventually became a distinguished banker. Much of his wealth went into consolidating trade routes with the Baltic regions and Russia, an exceedingly profitable venture that generated steady and substantial returns. As his prosperity grew, other projects—destined to flourish in due time—emerged with ease. Thornton would ultimately donate nearly all his fortune to philanthropic causes that shaped the lives of many across the globe. Among the issues he believed most urgent were evangelization and the abolition of slavery in the Americas.
Marriage as a Path to Faith
Lucy Watson, the gracious daughter of Samuel Watson—a principal partner of Thornton and later his wife—held a deep evangelical faith. This would play a decisive role in the unfolding of events, gradually awakening in Thornton a vibrant and authentic spirituality. His close friendship with Reverend Henry Venn, an Anglican pastor appointed to lead the congregation of Holy Trinity Church in 1754, further shaped Thornton’s pious character and encouraged his wholehearted embrace of the values of the Christian Gospel.
The Gospel’s admonition not to “store up treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy,” became a guiding principle for Thornton. He devoted himself entirely to accumulating treasures in heaven. Systematically and with great zeal, he began donating substantial sums to countless charitable organizations, individuals in need, and evangelistic efforts that, at the time, formed the backbone of Protestant expansion in America, the Caribbean and other distant regions.
For the remainder of his life, Thornton consistently gave away half of his annual income to philanthropic endeavors. He financed the timely production, illustration, printing and distribution of thousands of Bibles and hymnals for evangelical schools and churches that could not afford them due to their high cost. He also funded a group of preachers who traveled each year to evangelize in colonial America.
A Passion for Evangelizing and Helping Others
Together with Jonas Hanway, another devout Christian involved in commerce, Thornton became a founding member of the Marine Society in 1756. This charitable organization sought to shelter and clothe poor boys entering the Royal Navy during the turbulent Seven Years’ War. In 1758, he partnered with others to establish the Magdalen Hospital in Whitechapel, London—an institution offering refuge, care and rehabilitation to hundreds of women involved in prostitution. The hospital provided compassion, protection and vocational training to help them rebuild their lives.
John Newton—once a slave-ship captain and later a devoted Protestant pastor serving the parish of St. Peter and St. Paul in Buckinghamshire—received from Thornton, between 1764 and 1780, an annual stipend of £200, a substantial sum that enabled the parish to assist the poor. Thornton also quietly supported a devout neighbor, Lady Huntingdon, whose own philanthropic vision led to the establishment of Trevecca College in Wales. Thanks to generous donations, the college became a vital center of education for thousands of children and young people of limited means—an opportunity they might never have had without the combined efforts of Lady Huntingdon and Thornton.
