A doctor in Barchester, later in Greshambury who adopted his brother Henry's illegitimate child Mary, and brought her up as his own. He married Martha Dunstable, and became a country gentleman of Chaldicotes.

Most prominent in Doctor Thorne; also in Framley Parsonage; and as a member of the Commission to question Mr. Crawley in The Last Chronicle of Barset.

"No man plumed himself on good blood more than Dr. Thorne.... He had within him an inner, stubborn, selfadmiring pride, which made him believe himself to be better and higher than those around him.... He was brusque, authoritative, given to contradiction ... and inclined to indulge in a sort of quiet raillery.... People did not always know whether he was laughing at, or with them" - Doctor Thorne