William Henry Thornton was born, 9th March 1830. His father was head of the tax department Somerset house and they lived in Clapham Common, London. Educated at Rugby school, where one day, in 1847, following a cross country run to the village of Newbold, the seventeen year old Thornton bought some unripe greengages from a street seller and contracted what is believed to be cholera. He was seriously ill for a time, and, upon recovery was found to be “rather delicate”. He went to a friend in Allerford village in the Selworthy district of the Porlock valley, Somersetshire, to convalesce. and build up his strength. His life would have included hunting, fishing, shooting and riding (at which he would cover prodigious distances for the rest of his life). He developed a lifelong love for the Porlock Valley, which he called “The happy valley and the fairest and choicest little district which exists on the face of the earth”. It was here that he first met Sir Thomas Acland (11th Baronet), from the Holnicote Estate (now owned by the National Trust). He had access to the extensive lands and guns on the estate. He also became a frequent visitor to a house known as Glenthorn, 10 miles away in Countisbury, where he made the acquaintance, and later, friendship of the Knight family from Simonsbath, on Exmoor. It was at this time, also, that he made the acquaintance of John “Jack” Russell, the sporting parson, from Swimbridge, Devon, and they remained in touch until Russell’s death in 1883. Thornton left the Porlock Valley in 1849 and matriculated to Trinity College Cambridge on 24th January. He entered as a "pensioner" (that is a student without emolument). This meant that he was only able to take an ordinary degree (BA) which he gained in 1853. He was awarded an MA from the same college in 1859. 