All Thrale's owe Richard a debt of gratitude for the authoritative work that he has done to document our history.
Richard bought, saved from demolition and refurbished Sandridgebury [6].
Richard died aged 76 on 28 October 2007. Two obituaries were published. The first obituary [7] was in the Herts Advertiser on 8 November 2007. The second obituary [8], which was more of an article on Thrale history, was published in the St Albans and Harpenden Review on 28 November 2007.
[9]
The Thrale family has been associated with St Albans for centuries. Following the recent death of one of its oldest members, reporter Alex Barham pays a special tribute to his legacy by sharing some of the family's history.
RICHARD THRALE [17], whose ancestors lived in St Albans for more than 600 years, died aged 76 on Sunday, October 28.
During his lifetime Richard took a keen interest in his family's history and spent many hours delving deep into the Thrale heritage and documenting his findings.
It is through his chronicle Thraliana [18] that some of the most exciting tales of the Thrale ancestry are told.
The family, who originated from Thrales End [19], a village close to the Bedfordshire border, branched out to Wheathampstead [20] and Sandridge [21] in the early 16th century.
It was in St Albans the Thrale legacy, which was to continue for centuries, began.
In 1505 Robert Thrale the Elder [22] settled in Sandridge and from him descended a family of yeoman who, throughout generations, possessed much property and held a good position in Hertfordshire.
For centuries the family farmed land in the village parish and Nomansland [23], which at the time was considered a favourite rendezvous for the principal nobility of the county.
Members of the gentry would often visit the area for a spot of hunting or a cricket match.
It is with the Sandridge clan the legendary history of the arms of the Thrale family is connected.
Legend has it between 1556 and 1558 the family helped Princess Elizabeth escape Queen Mary by concealing her for several days. As a token of gratitude, Queen Elizabeth I rewarded the Thrales on her succession to the throne with arms and a broad arrow [24].
The mark was used by the family for centuries, its use having to be abandoned with the advent of the Napoleonic Wars in 1789 and the adoption of the broad arrow as the official government mark.
Another legend still told to the Thrale kinsmen today is the tale of the "Bengal Tiger". During the early 19th century brothers Ralph Norman and William Thrale, who lived as country bachelors in Nomansland, opened a museum filled with prey from their hunting crusades. Among the displays of stuffed animals was the carcass of a tiger gunned down after it was found roaming in Wheathampstead. But the prize exhibit, treasured by the brothers, was a preserved lady's hand in a black glove.
By 1899 the Thrales moved to London Road, St Albans, and turned away from village life, involving themselves in commerce which occupied three generations in a family business, almost spanning the whole of the 20th century.
In 1903 the grandparents of Richard Thrale, Hannah and Norman, opened the first Thrale store in French Row, St Albans.
The shop, which sold chocolates and sweet treats, was shortly followed by other successive Thrale businesses including a bakery, a confectionery parlour in London Road and a tea rooms [25] during the early part of the century.
Some may still fondly remember the quaint tea room located in Market Place named after its founder, Norman Thrale [26], now a restaurant.
The couple's sons, William and Ralph, became trustees in the family business in 1920 following the death of their mother.
It was in June 1939 before World War II was declared that the Thrales opened the Waterend Barn restaurant [27].
The barn, which in recent years has become a haven for clubbers, was at the time the centre of St Albans community life, holding society evenings, dinner dances and coffee meetings.
In 1953 Richard Thrale, son of William, joined the family firm.
After 20 years of operating a string of restaurants and cake shops, Richard took time out from the family business to move his wife and children back to Sandridge, the traditional home of the Thrales.
In 1978 he saved a dilapidated mansion in Sandridgebury [28], owned by past generations of Thrales, from demolition and converted it into a beautiful home and took up residence in 1981. The estate is still home to the family.
It is through Richard Thrale's extensive research into his ancestry that this article was possible. Also grateful for his hard work in exploring the rich Thrale history is distant cousin David [29], who has designed a website dedicated to the family's past. Since contacting Richard, David, 44, of Watford, has also traced his family back to the Thrale family of Wheathampstead [20].
"I'm eternally grateful that Richard has done all this work to document the family history," he said. "I hope the work I do and others do will build on it and be a lasting tribute to him."
For more information about the Thrale family see www.thrale.com [30]
St Albans and Harpenden Review on 28 November 2007, pages 18 & 19 [31].
Herts Advertiser [3] 8 November 2007, page 4.
aimee.brannen@hertsad.co.uk [4] A DESCENDANT of one of the oldest St Albans families, who devoted half-a-century to the city and its people has died aged 76.
Richard William Thrale, whose ancestors are known to have resided in St Albans since 1480, died on October 28.
His family were bakers and caterers and restaurateurs, with the business hub being the Waterend Barn in the city centre which they operated for 25 years.
Mr Thrale was educated at St Albans School and began his National Service in 1950, after which he trained in hospitality at Switzerland's Hotel School (Ecole Hoteliere) in Lausanne where he met his future wife, Odile.
He returned to St Albans after completing his studies and began work with the family business, which also operated a Café in Market Place and shops at The Quadrant in London Road and in Potters Bar.
Mr Thrale contributed enormously to the city's community and the environment and in 1971 a group was formed under his chairmanship to fight the Luton Airport expansion.
He also became chairman and later president of the Ver Valley Society during which time he campaigned against companies abstracting water from the River Ver.
Mr Thrale played rugby with the Old Albanians in his earlier years and later became president of the Old Albanian Club. He was also appointed to the Board of Governors at St Albans School and became chairman.
He worked as the chairman of trustees at Glenalmond elderly care home in King Harry Lane, where he was committed to improving facilities. He carried out further charity work through his membership of the Rotary Club.
Another interest was history and he wrote three books entitled Historic Sandridge [3], A New Thraliana [4] and A Newer Thraliana [5].
With his wife, Mr Thrale bought a run-down farmhouse in rural France in 1963 which he worked to restore.
He is survived by Odile, two sons, a daughter and six grandchildren.
Links
[1] https://thrale.com/user/login?destination=comment/reply/225%23comment-form
[2] https://thrale.com/user/register?destination=comment/reply/225%23comment-form
[3] https://thrale.com/historic_sandridge_story_a_hertfordshire_parish
[4] https://thrale.com/a_new_thraliana_a_chronicle_thrale_family_hertfordshire
[5] https://thrale.com/newer_thraliana
[6] https://thrale.com/sandridgebury
[7] https://thrale.com/image/richard_william_thrale_obituary_herts_advertiser
[8] https://thrale.com/image/enthralling_tales_thrales_part_1
[9] http://www.thrale.com/sites/default/files/pictures/herts_advertiser_8_nov_2007_page_4_rw_thrale_obit.png
[10] http://www.thrale.com/sites/all/libraries/tng/documents/enthralling_tales_of_the%20thrales_pt1_st_albans_herts_review_28_nov_2007.jpg
[11] http://www.thrale.com/sites/all/libraries/tng/documents/enthralling_tales_of_the%20thrales_pt2_st_albans_herts_review_28_nov_2007.jpg
[12] https://thrale.com/category/help_wanted
[13] https://thrale.com/category/tags_1
[14] https://thrale.com/category/tags_9
[15] https://thrale.com/user/login?destination=comment/reply/697%23comment-form
[16] https://thrale.com/user/register?destination=comment/reply/697%23comment-form
[17] https://thrale.com/../richard_william_thrale
[18] https://thrale.com/../newer_thraliana
[19] https://thrale.com/../thrales_end
[20] https://thrale.com/../thrales_wheathampstead
[21] https://thrale.com/../thrales_sandridge
[22] https://thrale.com/../robert_thrale_elder
[23] https://thrale.com/../nomansland
[24] https://thrale.com/../broad_arrow
[25] https://thrale.com/../hannah_and_norman_thrale_shop
[26] https://thrale.com/../norman_thrale_cafe
[27] https://thrale.com/../waterend_barn
[28] https://thrale.com/../sandridgebury
[29] https://thrale.com/../david_thrale
[30] http://www.thrale.com
[31] http://www.stalbansreview.co.uk/news/1866168.enthralling_tales_of_the_thrales/
[32] https://thrale.com/user/login?destination=comment/reply/699%23comment-form
[33] https://thrale.com/user/register?destination=comment/reply/699%23comment-form
[34] http://www.thrale.com/sites/all/libraries/tng/documents/herts_advertiser_8_nov_2007_page_4_rw_thrale_obit.png