Matthew_Thornton_homestead_memorial_Maine

Matthew Thornton (March 3, 1714 – June 24, 1803) was an Irish-born

Founding Father of the United States The Founding Fathers of the United States, often simply referred to as the Founding Fathers or the Founders, were a group of late-18th-century American Revolution, American revolutionary leaders who United Colonies, united the Thirteen Colon ...

who signed the

United States Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America in the original printing, is the founding document of the United States. On July 4, 1776, it was adopted unanimously by the Second Continen ...

as a representative of

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

Background and early life

Thornton was born in Ireland in 1714 to James and Elizabeth (''née'' Jenkins) Thornton, James Thornton lived on a farm within a mile of

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...

, and this is where Matthew was probably born, although

Lisburn Lisburn ( ; ) is a city in Northern Ireland. It is southwest of Belfast city centre, on the River Lagan, which forms the boundary between County Antrim and County Down. First laid out in the 17th century by English and Welsh settlers, with t ...

and

Limerick Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...

have also been suggested as birthplaces. In 1716, Thornton's family immigrated to North America when he was three years old, settling first in Wiscasset, Maine.Reynolds, Alistair
"Matthew Thornton"
Maine Ulsterscots Project, retrieved October 8, 2014 On July 11, 1722, the community was attacked by Native Americans. James and Elizabeth Thornton fled from their burning home with Matthew, moving shortly thereafter to

Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Massachusetts, second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the list of United States cities by population, 113th most populous city in the United States. Named after Worcester ...

.Ferris, Robert, and Morris, Richard, ''Signers of the Declaration of Independence'', Interpretive Publications Inc., Flagstaff, Arizona, 1982; , p. 139 Thornton completed studies in medicine at

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...

. He became a physician and established a medical practice in Londonderry, New Hampshire. He was appointed as a surgeon for the

New Hampshire Militia The New Hampshire Militia was a militia of what is now the U.S. state of New Hampshire. First organized in 1631, it was redesignated as the New Hampshire National Guard in 1879. History The Militia was first organized within the Province of Ne ...

troops in an expedition against Fortress Louisbourg in 1745."Glimpses of the Past"
''St. Croix Courier'', St. Stephen, New Brunswick, April 26, 1894, retrieved 12-03-11 He served in the New Hampshire Provincial Assembly from 1758-1762, had royal commissions as justice of the peace, and served as colonel in the militia from 1775 until his resignation in 1779. In 1760, Thornton married Hannah Jack, and the couple had five children. Thornton became a Londonderry selectman, a representative to and president of the Provincial Assembly, and a member of the Committee of Safety, drafting New Hampshire's plan of government after dissolution of the royal government, which was the first state constitution adopted after the start of hostilities with England.

Continental Congress

Thornton served as the president of the New Hampshire Provincial Congress in 1775, and from January to September 1776, as speaker of the

New Hampshire House of Representatives The New Hampshire House of Representatives is the lower house in the New Hampshire General Court, the bicameral State legislature (United States), legislature of the state of New Hampshire. The House of Representatives consists of 400 members com ...

. He was elected to the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislature, legislative bodies, with some executive function, for the Thirteen Colonies of British America, Great Britain in North America, and the newly declared United States before, during, and after ...

after the debates on independence had occurred, but as he did not arrive in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

until November 1776, he was granted permission to actually sign the Declaration of Independence four months after the formal signing in July.Ferris and Morris, p. 140

Later life

He became a political essayist. He retired from his medical practice, and in 1780, moved to Merrimack, New Hampshire, where he farmed and operated Thornton's ferry with his family. Although he did not attend law school, he served as a judge on the New Hampshire Superior Court from 1776 to 1782. In 1783, Thornton represented the towns of Merrimack and

Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population was 106,940. Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford local government district. Bedford was founded at a ford (crossin ...

in the New Hampshire House of Representatives, and then Hillsborough County in the New Hampshire Senate from 1784 to 1787, while simultaneously serving as a state counselor from 1785 to 1786 and as a state representative again for Merrimack in 1786. His wife Hannah died in 1786.''Wives of the Signers: The Women Behind the Declaration of Independence'', by Harry Clinton Green and Mary Wolcott Green, A.B. Aledo, TX: Wallbuilder Press, 1997

Death and legacy

Thornton died in

Newburyport, Massachusetts Newburyport is a coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, northeast of Boston. The population was 18,289 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. A historic seaport with a vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes p ...

, while visiting his daughter. He was 89 years old. The town of Thornton, New Hampshire, is named in his honor, as is a Londonderry elementary school, and Thorntons Ferry School in Merrimack. Thornton's residence in Derry, which was part of Londonderry at the time, is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. He is featured on a New Hampshire historical marker ( number 79) along U.S. Route 3 in Merrimack. Thornton was the uncle of Capt. Matthew Thornton, a suspected Loyalist who was charged with

treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state (polity), state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to Coup d'état, overthrow its government, spy ...

related to actions just before the Battle of Bennington in 1777. Ebenezer Webster, father of Daniel Webster, was enlisted to investigate the allegation. At his trial Capt. Thornton pleaded not guilty. Evidence was presented both for and against and the jury found him not guilty, whereupon he was discharged.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Thornton, Matthew 1714 births 1803 deaths 18th-century American physicians 19th-century American Episcopalians American people of English descent Continental Congressmen from New Hampshire Date of birth unknown Founding Fathers of the United States Justices of the New Hampshire Supreme Court Members of the New Hampshire House of Representatives New Hampshire state court judges People from colonial New Hampshire People from Derry, New Hampshire People from Merrimack, New Hampshire People of New Hampshire in the American Revolution Place of death missing Politicians from Newburyport, Massachusetts Signers of the United States Declaration of Independence Speakers of the New Hampshire House of Assembly