Biography

In Frances Worden Chesboro's Fugitive Slaves: Recollection of the Underground Railroad, she discusses Lawrence Thornton, " At present Sam [a contraband slave presented to Frances Chesboro by an Army General] domiciles with Lawrence Thornton one of Harriet Tubmans three hundred passengers on “The Underground Railroad” He owns a little house and lot in Canandaigua and though infirm and feeble always marches with the Grand Army men in his blue uniform and badges whenever they parade being one of those who served as a soldier after the emancipation. Lawrence supported himself for years house-cleaning and carpet shaking for a regular set of customers. Known to be entirely honest he also had charge of a bank and jewelry store cleaning them at night after business hours. It was when washing windows for me one day that he made the discovery that I originally came from Auburn, that I knew Harriet Tubman – and that Mrs Worden was my mother. Dropping his cleaning utensils he turned face about so suddenly that I started back and exclaimed “You Mrs Wordens daughter and living in this little house – oh my- my” – Then resumed his work in his usual dignified silence. Lawrence is now too broken to work, he is partly supported from the baptist church of which he is a member and partly from his pension and always appears perfectly respectable and salutes his numerous street acquaintances in the most stately manner. It is my last leaf and when he passes away the Grand Army Post of Canandaigua will bury him with the same honors they would one of their white comrades. for though possessed of some of the failings of his race he has been honest and faithful and as such a respected citizen. "