Sir John Thorold, 9th Baronet

Thorold was returned unopposed as Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire at a by-election 15 December 1779. He was also returned unopposed at the 1780 general election. In 1780, the English Chronicle described Thorold in these terms. “He is a sensible man, and sometimes speaks in the House, but he wants that brilliancy of elocution which gives effect and grace to reasoning, and is not therefore at all eminent in the present list of parliamentary orators.” He was returned unopposed for Lincolnshire in 1784 and 1790. However he withdrew in 1796 rather than face a threatened contest at Lincolnshire.^[3]

Thorold was a book collector and built a library at Syston Park which included a first edition folio of Shakespeare.^[4] He died on 25 February 1815 and was succeeded in the baronetcy by his son John who extended the library collection.^[1] The city of Thorold in Ontario, which was settled by United Empire Loyalists, was named after the 9th baronet in 1793 because of his opposition to war with America and his interest in the colonies.^[5][3]