Matthew Thornton

Matthew Thornton (* 1714 in Ireland; † June 24, 1803 in Newburyport, Massachusetts, USA ) was an Irish- British- American physician, lawyer and politician. He signed for New Hampshire Declaration of Independence of the United States, making it one of the founding fathers of the United States.

When Thornton was three years old, his family emigrated to the Thirteen Colonies of America. There they settled first in Wiscasset (Maine). Soon after, the family moved to Worcester (Massachusetts ). Thornton became a physician, and was appointed surgeon of the New Hampshire militia for the campaign against the Fortress of Louisbourg. He was appointed by the British Crown to the justice of the peace and colonel of militia. Thornton was City Council, Representatives of Londonderry (New Hampshire) and President of the Provincial Assembly. As a member of the safety committee, he designed the New Hampshire plan for the management of the dissolution of the royal government, which was the first state constitution adopted after the start of hostilities with the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Thornton was the first President of the House of Representatives from New Hampshire and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of New Hampshire. He was elected to the Continental Congress, after debates had arisen over independence, and met just a right, to actually sign the Declaration of Independence.

He became a political essayist. In 1780 he retired from medical practice and moved to Merrimack (New Hampshire), where he pursued farming and with his family maintained a ferry. Thornton died in Newburyport (Massachusetts ) during a visit with his daughter and was buried in the Thornton Cemetery in Merrimack (New Hampshire).

Others

His grave inscription reads " An Honest Man. " ( An honest man. )

The City of Thornton (New Hampshire) and an elementary school in Londonderry (New Hampshire) were named after him.