Charles Inglis Thornton (20 March 1850 – 10 December 1929), nicknamed "Buns", was an English cricketer who played more than 200 first-class matches in the later 19th century, for no fewer than 22 different teams.[1] He was also the founder of the Scarborough Festival.[2]
Thornton was born in Llanwarne, Herefordshire. He was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge.[3] He was considered one of the biggest hitters in cricket, with one shot at Hove in 1876 reputed to have exceeded 160 yards.[4] His own private team — C. I. Thornton's XI — played most of their early games at Fenner's, but after his retirement from playing in 1897 their home became Scarborough, where they continued to play first-class cricket until 1929, the year of Thornton's death. He died aged 79 in Marylebone, London.