Mr Brian Thornton

The High Sheriff of Gloucestershire is Mr. Brian Thornton, Brian was born in 1937 and brought up in London, but was evacuated to Scotland 1943. He was educated at Eton College and did his National Service as a sub-lieutenant in the RNVR from 1955-57. He qualified at the Institute of Builders in 1960.

He joined Walter Lawrence & Son Limited, his father-in-law Guy Lawrence’s family building firm, as a Trainee Surveyor in 1958. On the death of his father-in-law he was appointed Managing Director in 1966 until it became a public company in 1975. He served on the Board of Walter Lawrence plc until it was taken over in 1990. He then worked as a Marketing Consultant for Jarvis plc until retiring in 1997. Brian has been a County Councillor for Gloucestershire since 2005.

He and his family moved from Essex to the Forest of Dean in 1993. One of his main interests is wildlife conservation and he has been involved with the rearing and husbandry of fallow deer at his home, Priors Mesne, with farm visits for primary school children being encouraged. The garden is open to the public within the National Gardens Scheme.

Cricket is Brian’s prime interest, having been a member of the MCC Estates Committee since 1984. He was responsible, as Chairman of Estates of MCC, for the re-building of the Grandstand, the Media Centre and the Cricket School at Lord’s. He also administers the Walter Lawrence Trophy which is awarded every season for the fastest century scored in first-class cricket in England. His wife’s grandfather first introduced this Trophy in 1934 and Brian has been responsible for it since 1965. His other interests include sailing, skiing and gardening.

Brian married Verity in 1959 and, of their six children four sons are living, having tragically lost a son and a daughter in 1998 and 2006 respectively. They now have nine grandchildren.

Email inquiries about and communications for the High Sheriff should be addressed to his Secretary, Lifa Oakley: lifa@wingatesfarm.net