BURTON, Francis (?1744-1832), of Edworth, Beds.

Burton was connected with the Duke of Marlborough, on whose interest he was returned at Heytesbury, Woodstock, and Oxford. His only recorded speech before 1790 was on 10 May 1781, when ‘in sound, manly language’ he defended the reports of North’s commissioners on public accounts.Debrett, iii. 393. Marlborough supported North’s Administration, but Burton’s voting 1780-2 was erratic. On 12 Dec. 1781, on Lowther’s motion against continuing the war, he voted with the court. But in the divisions of 20 and 22 Feb. 1782 he voted with Opposition; on 27 Feb. with the court (the division was on Conway’s motion against the war—a repetition of that of 22 Feb.); and on 8 and 15 Mar. did not vote.

Burton voted for Shelburne’s peace preliminaries, 18 Feb. 1783, and against Fox’s East India bill, 27 Nov. 1783; and Robinson in January 1784 expected him to support Pitt. In Stockdale’s list of March 1784 he is marked as absent. He accepted from Pitt judicial office tenable with a seat in the House, and voted with him on the Regency.

Burton died 28 Nov. 1832.