William Thornton Research Papers, 1673-1963

FHL staff

2000


Descriptive Summary
	Creator	Harriet Frorer Durham (d. 1991)
	Title	William Thornton Research Papers,
	Dates:	1673-1963
	Abstract:	This group of papers relating to the Thornton family, all copies, were made available to Harriet Frorer Durham, a Quaker writer who was working on a biography of Dr. William Thornton (1759-1828) of Philadelphia. William Thornton of England, Dr. Thorton's descendent, provided the papers. The collection contains genealogical material compiled for Dr. William Thornton and photocopies of business and legal papers (1673-1802).
	Extent:	1 box; 0.25 linear ft.
	Identification:	RG 5/150

BIOGRAPHICAL/HISTORICAL

William Thornton (1759-1828), physician, architect, and government official, was born in Tortola and practiced medicine there briefly before moving to the United States. He was a birthright Quaker and strongly antislavery, concerned primarily with colonizing efforts for freed slaves. He was disowned after his 1790 marriage in Philadelphia. His best known buildings are the United States Capitol and Woodlawn Plantation in Mount Vernon, Virginia.

Return to the Table of Contents

SCOPE AND CONTENT

This group of papers relating to the Thornton family, copies and transcripts, were made available by William Thornton of England to Quaker writer, Harriet Frorer Durham, who was working on a biography Dr. William Thornton (1759-1828) of Tortola and the United States. William Thornton was a descendent of the Doctor. Durham was a graduate of Swarthmore College, Class 1945, active in social concerns, and wrote the book Caribbean Quakers (Dukane Press, 1972)..

Return to the Table of Contents