About William Burton (governor)
William Burton (October 16, 1789 – August 5, 1866) was an American medical doctor and politician from Milford, in Kent County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party, who served as Governor of Delaware during the first two years of the American Civil War. == Early life and family == Burton was born near Milford, Kent County, Delaware, the son of John Burton and Mary Vaughan. After his first wife Eliza Sorden's death in 1829, he married Ann C. Hill and had one child, Rhoda. The family lived in the Parson Thorne Mansion at 501 NW Front Street in Milford, and were members of Christ Episcopal Church. He also lived at the "Towers," now a contributing property in the North Milford Historic District. == Professional and political career == After receiving his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania's Medical School, Burton had a practice in Lewes, Delaware for a time, and then relocated to Milford. He was first elected as the Sheriff of Kent County, and was initially a Whig before moving to the more "states rights" Democratic Party in 1848. He was his party's candidate in the 1854 Delaware gubernatorial election, but lost to Peter F. Causey, a former Democrat who had joined the anti-immigration Know-Nothing Party. Burton was successful in the subsequent 1858 election, and became governor of Delaware on January 18, 1859.
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