Paul Thorndike

On December 22/23, 1905, 22 and 24 Marlborough were acquired from the estate of William Minot by Rachel Ewing (Sherman) Thorndike, the wife of Dr. Paul Thorndike. They previously had lived at 244 Marlborough.

Paul Thorndike was a physician and later also a professor at Harvard Medical School. Rachel Thorndike was the daughter of General William Tecumseh Sherman. Their three children — William Tecumseh Sherman Thorndike, Martha Thorndike, and Anna Thorndike — lived with them at 22 Marlborough, and he maintained his office at 24 Marlborough, where he also rented office space and lodgings to other physicians.

In 1910 and 1911, they were joined at 22 Marlborough by Mrs. Rose (Lee) Gray, the widow of attorney Reginald Gray. In 1909, she had lived at 108 Beacon. She continued to live at 22 Marlborough with the Thorndikes in 1911, but had moved to 19 Marlborough by 1912.

Paul and Rachel Thorndike spent the winter of 1916-1917 in Brookline, and 22 Marlborough was temporarily the home of noted author Winston Churchill and his wife, Mabel Harlakenden (Hall) Churchill.

Martha Thorndike married in May of 1918 to Joseph Rochemont Hamlen; after their marriage, they lived in Washington DC.

Rachel Thorndike died in October of 1919. Paul Thorndike continued to live at 22 Marlborough with their unmarried children, William and Anna. William Thorndike was a physician and maintained his office at 24 Marlborough with his father. By the 1919-1920 winter season, they had been joined at 22 Marlborough by Paul Thorndike’s sister-in-law, Miss Mary E. Sherman.

William Thorndike married in October of 1920 to Katherine Hunt. After their marriage, they lived in Brookline.

By the 1920-1921 winter season, Paul Thorndike, his daughter, Anna, and his sister-in-law, Mary Sherman, had moved to an apartment at The Austerfield at 7-9 Massachusetts Avenue (504 Beacon). He and his son continued to maintain their offices at 24 Marlborough.

https://backbayhouses.org/22-marlborough/ I.S. 1/9/2018