Background
He was born on November 28, 1844 in Brooklyn.
He was born on November 28, 1844 in Brooklyn.
He attended Monticello Academy. Then he studied law with Archibald C. Niven, was admitted to the bar in 1865, and practiced law in Monticello.
The family removed to Monticello, Sullivan County, New York, when William was still a child. In November 1878, he was elected on the Greenback ticket as Judge of Sullivan County, telling the voters that he would accept only $1,200 as annual salary, the salary for the county judge at that time being fixed at $2,500. He remained in office in 1879 and 1880, but was removed from office on January 5, 1881, by a decision of the New York Supreme Court.
This view was accepted by Supreme Court Justice Osborne, who declared the office vacant.
Alpheus Potts was appointed to the office, to fill the vacancy. In November 1881, Thornton was re-elected as County Judge, and served two terms until the end of 1893.
Thornton was again County Judge from 1911 until the end of 1914, when he reached the constitutional age limit. He died on December 29, 1915, in front of his home in Monticello, New York, from "heart disease" or "apoplexy".
And was buried at the Rock Ridge Cemetery there.
Thornton was a member of the New York State Senate (26th Doctorate) from 1899 to 1902, sitting in the 122nd, 123rd, 124th and 125th New York State Legislatures.
