Thornton , John , 1720-1790 , merchant and member of the Clapham Sect

John Thornton was born in Clapham on 1 April 1720, the son of Robert Thornton, a successful merchant in Russia. John inherited his father's fortune and invested it in trade. He was a generous supporter of the first generation of 'Evangelical' Anglicans and was one of the so-called 'Clapham Sect', a group of pious evangelical reformers living in Clapham whose lives were ruled by the teaching of the Bible. In addition to their religious activities, the Clapham Sect were equally active in the cause of social reform and the abolition of slavery. The group included William Wilberforce and Thornton's diaries mention his friendship with the Wilberforce family. The journals reflect the great importance of the Bible in John Thornton's daily life and his intense religious conviction. He died on 7 November 1790.