William Thornton

Dr. William Thornton (May 20, 1759 – March 28, 1828) was a British-American physician, inventor, painter and architect who designed the United States Capitol, an authentic polymath. He also served as the first Architect of the Capitol and first Superintendent of the United States Patent Office.

Early life

From an early age William Thornton displayed interest and discernible talent in "the arts of design," to employ an 18th-century term that is particularly useful in assessing his career. Thornton was born on Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands, West Indies, in a Quaker community. where he was heir to sugar plantations. He was sent to England at age five to be educated.Frary Thornton was brought up strictly by his father's relations, Quakers and merchants, in and near the ancient castle town of Lancaster, in northern Lancashire, England. There was never any question of his pursuing the fine arts professionally—he was to be trained for a useful life, according to the Quaker ways. Thus, despite the fact that he had a sizeable income, young Thornton was apprenticed for a term of four years (1777–1781), to a practical physician and apothecary in Ulverston, Lancashire (now Cumbria).

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.

Life

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.

William Thornton (Queensland politician)

William Thornton (15 June 1817 – 27 June 1884) was a member of the Queensland Legislative Council.

Early life

Thornton was born in Grenville, County Cavan, Ireland in 1817 to Perrott Mee Thornton and his wife Ellen (née Cochrane). After doing his schooling in Dungannon he attended Trinity College, Dublin but left after a short time. Having a boyish passion for the sea, he found work as a Mercantile Marine with the East India Company, which disappointed his father, who had wanted him to become a solicitor.

While working for the company he made a trip to Sydney and back on board a merchantman before the company's charter expired. Thornton returned to Ireland for a short time before once again setting out for Sydney. After working as a public servant for the New South Wales Government, he joined his cousin who was taking stock to South Australia with the journey taking four months. After returning to New South Wales, Thornton became a squatter in the Wellington area.

William Thornton (politician)

William Thornton is an American politician from Kansas who is the Kansas Secretary of Commerce. He was appointed by Governor Mark Parkinson when David Kerr resigned to serve as Director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development. As Secretary, Thornton oversees the operations of Kansas Department of Commerce.

Thornton received a bachelor’s degree from Benedictine College and a Juris Doctor from Washburn University’s School of Law. Thornton worked with Hallmark Cards and also as an attorney with Duncan-Senecal Law Offices, Chartered, in Atchison.

Thornton was appointed to the Kansas Board of Regents by former Governor Kathleen Sebelius in 2007, as well as the Kansas Mentor’s Leadership Council and the Kansas Health Care Information Exchange Commission. He was appointed to the Advisory Committee of the Kansas Long Range Transportation Plan by Secretary of Transportation Deb Miller.

On October 30, 2009, Thornton was appointed as Kansas Secretary of Commerce by Governor Mark Parkinson.

William Thornton (disambiguation)

William Thornton (1759-1828) was an American physician, inventor, painter and architect.

William Thornton may also refer to:

William Thornton (British Army officer)

Lieutenant General Sir William Thornton KCB (1779–1840) was a British Army officer who served as Lieutenant Governor of Jersey.

Military career

Thornton was commissioned as an ensign in the 89th (The Princess Victoria's) Regiment of Foot on 31 March 1796. After serving with his regiment in Ireland, he was promoted to lieutenant in the 46th (South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot on 1 March 1797. He became aide-de-camp to Lieutenant-General Sir James Craig early in 1803 and was promoted to captain on 25 June 1803. He accompanied Craig to Malta in July 1805 and to Naples in November 1805 and took part in operations to protect the borders of Naples. He took part in operations to protect the fortress at Messina in February 1806.

Thornton became aide-de-camp to Lieutenant-General Earl Ludlow, commander of the Kent military district in Spring 1806. Promoted to major on 13 November 1806, he transferred to the Royal York Rangers. He served as acting commanding officer of the regiment in Guernsey in Spring 1807 and then became aide-de-camp to Craig in his capacity as Governor General of British North America later in the year. Promoted to be brevet lieutenant-colonel on 28 January 1808, he became inspecting field-officer of militia in Canada in Spring 1808.