About
Thorntons Limited is a British chocolate manufacturer owned by the Italian confectionery company, Ferrero. It was established in 1911 by William Joseph Thornton and Joseph Thornton, his father, in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England.
When Cadbury became part of the Mondelez International predecessor Kraft Foods, Thorntons had become the largest confectionery-only parent company in Britain. The company was purchased by the Italian firm Ferrero in June 2015 for £112m.
Until and during the Second World War, the company was an established toffee and fudge maker. With post war rationing ending, the group's primary focus shifted to Belgian and Swiss-style chocolate in sets.
From Wikipedia’s article on Joseph William Thornton, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2
Companies
Career
Occupation: chocolatier.4
Personal life
The Thornton family
Thorntons began in Sheffield in 1911, the business being started by William Joseph Thornton (1870–1919), who co opened the company's first shop, at 159 Norfolk Street. William Norman Hinsby Thornton (1896–1984), his son, became the manager, at the age of just 15. Later in the company's history, Peter Thornton (grandson of the founder) served as chairman, but was dismissed from the role in June 1987.
From Wikipedia’s article on Joseph William Thornton (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sources
The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.
- 1
- 2WikipediaJoseph William Thornton on Wikipedia
- 3
- 4
- 5WikidataThorntons, Founder