Henry Thring, 1st Baron Thring

Henry Thring, 1st Baron Thring KCB (3 November 1818 – 4 February 1907), was a British lawyer and civil servant.

The Right Honourable The Lord Thring KCB
Lord Thring, c. 1907
First Parliamentary Counsel to the Treasury
In office 1869–1886
Preceded by	Inaugural holder
Succeeded by	Sir Henry Jenkyns
Parliamentary Counsel to the Home Office
In office 1861–1869
Preceded by	Walter Coulson
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Personal details
Born	Henry Thring (1818-11-03)3 November 1818 Alford, Somerset
Died	4 February 1907(1907-02-04) (aged 88)
Spouse	Elizabeth Cardwell ​ ​ (after 1856)​
Relations	Godfrey Thring (brother) Edward Thring (brother) Arthur Thring (nephew)
Children	Katharine Annie Thring
Parent(s)	Rev. John Gale Dalton Thring Sarah Jenkyns
Education	Shrewsbury School
Alma mater	Magdalene College, Cambridge

Early life

Henry was born in Alford, Somerset on 3 November 1818. He was the second son of Sarah (née Jenkyns) Thring (1791–1891) and the Rev. John Gale Dalton Thring (1784–1874), the Rector of Alford and later rural Dean for Cary.^[1] Among his siblings were John Charles Thring, Theodore Thring, a Commissioner of Bankruptcy; the schoolmaster Rev. Edward Thring, the hymn-writer Rev. Godfrey Thring and the cricketer and barrister Theodore Thring.^[2][3]

His maternal grandfather was Rev. John Jenkyn of Evercreech, Somerset.^[4] His nephew Arthur also served as First Parliamentary Counsel from 1903 to 1917 and was knighted in 1908.^[5]

He was educated at Shrewsbury School and Magdalene College, Cambridge.^[1]

Career

Thring was appointed First Parliamentary Counsel when that office was established in 1869, a position he held until 1886.^[6][7] He became known for his role as a parliamentary draftsman and as an innovator in the framing of legislation.^[8] Thring was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in 1872,^[9] and promoted to Knight Commander (KCB) in 1873.^[10]

In 1886, he was raised to the peerage as Baron Thring, of Alderhurst in the County of Surrey.^[11] He was a regular contributor in the House of Lords until 1905.^[12] Apart from his career in Parliament he also served on the Council of the Royal College of Music.^[8]

Personal life

In 1856, he married Elizabeth Cardwell (1822–1897), a daughter of John Cardwell, Esq.^[4] Together, they were the parents of one daughter:^[1]

• Hon. Katharine Annie Thring (1861–1947) who did not marry.^[1]

Lord Thring, who lived at 5 Queen's Gate Gardens, SW, died in February 1907, aged 88. Upon his death, the barony became extinct.^[13]