1140 |  | William de St Barbara the duly elected bishop had been consecrated in Winchester Cathedral came north to occupy his bishopric |
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1461 | | Andrew Trollop was killed at the Battle of Towton where he had held a principal command |
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1476 | | John Trollop’s will bears the date at Hartlepole, 30th October 1476 |
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1536 | | Lawrence and Roger Trollop took part in The Pilgrimage of Grace marching south to Doncaster in Sir John’s Company |
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1569 | | John Trollop, the leader of the House of Thornley, became actively engaged in the ill-starred Rising of the North |
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1586 | | Thomas Trollop, of Thornley, was arraigned at Durham for “conveying” Catholic Priests and especially for conducting Bernard Patterson a Jesuit from Thornley to other houses in Durham |
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1589 | | Holtby was smuggled from Rheims to Thornley in 1589. He was a first-class organiser and using Thornley as his base travelled between the North Riding and Northumberland |
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1593 | | Earl of Huntingdon instituted a search of the hall. Holtby accompanied by John Trollop’s eldest son had been on a distant journey to baptise an infant child |
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1611 | | 14th Feb – at a very great age, John Trollop survivor of so many storms died in his house at Thornley. His grandson, John Trollop, succeeded as heir |
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1621 | | The mill fields were granted away to the mortgagees |
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1625 | | The Gore, the best lands and the very heart of the estate were similarly granted away |
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1636 | | John Trollop the younger, heir to the estates, attended a horse race meeting at White Hall Dyke Neuk, near Chester-le-Street |
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1668 | | Worn out by his constant misfortunes the older John Trollop died in 1668. The once numerous clan of the Trollops was now reduced to two members. John Trollop the former outlaw and his unmarried son, also named John |
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1678 | | These two survivors of the once great family clung to the ruins of the estate until the death of the younger Trollop, without issue |
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1682 | | John Trollop died. John Spearman, at his own expense, brought the last of the Trollops, back to his rightful resting place, the family vault at Kelloe Church |
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1815 | | Lieutenant John Spearman, of Thornley was killed in action at Waterloo. Their name is commemorated by the oldest public house in the village, The Spearman’s Arms |
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1834 | | 29th Jan – first sod cut to sink Thornley Colliery |
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1834 | | 26th April – For a consideration of �23.18s.4d H J Spearman sold to John Brown (the first licensee) a piece of ground with the erections thereon. First pub in Thornley |
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1837 | | 31 Jan – Coal hewing match. “Cock of the Walk” in every pit village was the crack hewer and on this day at Thornley two pitmen, Surtees and Storey |
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1838 | | 16th April – The start date for the lease for the Colliery Inn |
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1838 | | The Wesleyans, who were always first in the religious field, opened their chapel and schoolroom |
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1839 | | A massive meeting was held on Good Friday, on Pittington Hill. The Thornley men led by their delegates, Thomas Reeves and John Watson, marched there in a body carrying banners and placards |
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1839 | | 6th July – Chartist riot in Thornley |
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1839 | | 18th July – Thornley’s worst ever riot led by the Chartist Movement |
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1841 | | 21st March – the Harvey seam proved |
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1841 | | 5th August – 10 killed in pit explosion at Thornley |
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1842 | | 2nd June – The foundations of the Parish Church was laid with due ceremony. It was dedicated to St Bartholomew. Mr H S Spearman, the Thornley landowner |
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1843 | | 24 Nov – with the power of the Union behind them, the men went on strike |
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1850 | | The Catholic Church and school dedicated to St Godric. They were opened in Hartlepool Street |
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1869 | | 25th Sept - The first Big Meeting, the forerunner of the Durham Miner’s Gala took place in Thornley |
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1871 | | 12th Aug – Thornley lodge banner bearing the inscription “A fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work was selected to drape the number one platform at the first Durham Miner’s Gala held in Wharton Park, Durham |
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1874 | | 1st June – Thornley striking miners evicted out of their homes |
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1875 | | 8th May – A great fire broke out which completely engulfed the colliery yard, destroying all its buildings and machinery |
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1877 | | 9th Feb – First put pay, Hartlepool Coal Company bankrupt |
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1878 | | 18th Jan - Boiler explosion in which William Duffy (35), Edward Miller (45), Robert Wilson (17) and John Oloman were killed instantly |
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1878 | | 22nd Jan – Jude Lamb lost his life in a pit fall of stone at Thornley Colliery |
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1884 | | 4th Apr – second put pay |
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1905 | | A completely new shaft was sunk by the Johnson Brothers of Durham. It reached to the Busty Seam |
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1912 | | Thornley’s first cinema, The Hippodrome, opened |
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1918 | | Jack Youll received the Victoria Cross |
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1918 | | 15th Jun – Jack Youll V.C. 11th NF, killed in action |
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1921 | | Coal Strike |
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1924 | | New reservoir built at Thornley |
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1925 | | Miners Hall built |
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1926 | | 23rd April – New road to Ludworth was opened |
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1933 | | Opening of pithead baths |
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1944 | | 12th Nov – Miners Hall burned down |
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1949 | | 6th May – 3 men killed in mining disaster at Thornley |
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1970 | | 31st Jan – Thornley Pit official closure |