William Thornton (immigrant)

William Thornton (1620 - 1708) was a prominent planter and Colonist in 17th–century Virginia. He was one of approximately thirty early Virginia colonists to progenerate descendants that through intermarriage would establish themselves as a political and social ‘aristocracy’ in America. Among his most notable descendants are U.S. Presidents James Madison and Zachary Taylor.

William Thornton arrived in Virginia before 1646. Historical accounts and family tradition indicate he was from Yorkshire and descendants from the 17th century onward bore the arms of a powerful Yorkshire Thornton family that intermarried with other powerful landholding families of Aldborough, Bulmer, Foljambe, Plumpton, Norton, Reresby, Savage, Scrope, Stanley, Stapleton and Westby. Thornton settled in Petsworth Parish of Gloucester County, Virginia and quickly pursued in the acquisition of land. The first recorded document he appears on in Virginia was in May 11, 1646, when he was recorded in York county court to ‘oblige himself’ to care for the cattle of John Liptrot until the Liptrot came of age. Thornton appeared some twenty years later on February 16, 1666 in Gloucester County court records having patented 164 acres within Petsworth Parish “adjoining the land where he lived, and that of Mr. Richard Barnard." In September 1673, he appointed James Kay to oversee 2,000 acres of land in Richmond County, Virginia. On July 16, 1675 he gave his sons Francis and Rowland Thornton his 2,000 acres of land he acquired in Richmond County. He served on the vestry of Petsworth Parish from 1677 to 1700. Thornton was last recorded in Stafford County, Virginia in 1708 where his son Francis had removed to sometime before 1700.

Thornton is known to have been married to Elizabeth, whose surname is believed to be Rowland by some genealogists. He is known to be definitively the father of at least three sons, William (1649–1727), Francis (1651–1726) and Rowland (? – 1701). His son William was the father of 16 known children and his son Francis was the father of 7 known children many of whom have descendants.

The following historic places are communities, estates, houses directly associated with Thornton descendants.

Ash Lawn–Highland, Avery Island, Louisiana, Belle Grove (Port Conway, Virginia), Bellair (Stafford County, Virginia), Ben Lomond Manor (Manassas, Virginia), Blandair, Blenheim (Albemarle, Virginia), Camden (Port Royal, Virginia), Castle Hill (Virginia), Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park, Churchill Downs, Dodona Manor, Dr. Richard Thornton House, Fall Hill, Farley (Culpeper County, Virginia), Flagler Museum, Fredericksburg, Virginia, General George Patton Museum of Leadership, General George S. Patton Memorial Museum, Gloucester County, Virginia, Kenmore (Fredericksburg, Virginia), Locust Hill (Albemarle County, Virginia), Montpelier (Orange, Virginia), Montpelier (Sperryville, Virginia), Nanzatico (King George, Virginia), Northumberland House (Virginia), Norwood (Powhatan County), Orange, California, Oaken Brow (King George, Virginia), Ormsby (Caroline County, Virginia), Ravenwood (Blackstone, Virginia), Rippon Lodge, Rolling Hill (Charlotte County, Virginia), Rokeby (King George, Virginia), Smith Tower, St. Julien (Spotsylvania County, Virginia), Thornhill (Forkland, Alabama), Thornton Gap, University of Virginia, Woodlawn (King George, Virginia).

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Wikipedia