Francis Nathaniel Burton

Sir Francis Nathaniel Pierpoint Burton (26 December 1766 – 27 January 1832) was a British colonial administrator in Lower Canada and Irish politician.[1]

Burton was the younger of twin sons born to Francis Conyngham, 2nd Baron Conyngham (born Burton), and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Nathaniel Clements. Henry Conyngham, 1st Marquess Conyngham, was his elder twin brother. In 1781, his father changed his surname to Conyngham upon the death of his maternal uncle, the Earl Conyngham, upon inheriting the Conyngham barony upon special remainder.[2]

Burton sat as Member of Parliament (MP) in the Irish House of Commons for Killybegs in 1790 and 1798 and Clare from 1790 to the Act of Union in 1801. He sat then for Clare in the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1808.[2]

Burton was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Lower Canada on 29 November 1808, but did not travel to Lower Canada until 1822, under threat of removal of his salary. During the absence of Governor George Ramsay, Burton acted as administrator of Lower Canada from 7 June 1824 – September 1825. Although he left Quebec City in October 1825 on a permanent "leave of absence", he remained the official Lieutenant Governor until his death in 1832.[3]

He married the Hon. Valentina Alicia Lawless, daughter of Nicholas Lawless, 1st Baron Cloncurry and Margaret Browne, and had four children.[2]

• Francis Pierpont Burton (1806–1825)
• Henry Stuart Burton DL JP (1808–1867)
• Capt. William Burton (born 1809) of the Scots Fusiliers

See also

Sir Francis N. Burton (ship) - one of three vessels by that name

References

1. "BURTON, Hon. Francis Nathaniel (1766-1832), of Buncraggy, co. Clare. | History of Parliament Online". The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1790-1820. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
2. Mosley, Charles, ed. (2003). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knighthood (107 ed.). Burke's Peerage & Gentry. p. 879. ISBN 0-9711966-2-1.
3. "Burton, Sir Francis Nathaniel". Dictionary of Canadian Biography. 6. Retrieved 19 February 2018.

External links

• (in French)
• Biography from the National Assembly of Quebec

Parliament of Ireland
Preceded by William Colvill William Burton Conyngham	Member of Parliament for Killybegs 1790 With: John Wolfe	Succeeded by John Wolfe Sir Henry Cavendish, 2nd Bt
Preceded by Edward FitzGerald Sir Hugh Massy, 1st Bt	Member of Parliament for Clare 1790–1801 With: Francis McNamara 1790–1797 Hugh Dillon Massy 1797–1800	Succeeded by Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by John Wolfe Sir Henry Cavendish, 2nd Bt	Member of Parliament for Killybegs 1798 With: Richard Archdall	Succeeded by Francis McNamara Richard Archdall
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Parliament of Ireland	Member of Parliament for Clare 1801–1808 With: Hugh Dillon Massy 1801–1802 Sir Edward O'Brien 1802–1808	Succeeded by Augustine FitzGerald Sir Edward O'Brien