Ralph Burton (d. 1768 in Scarborough, Yorkshire, England) was a British soldier and Canadian settler.

Burton's military career began in the 2nd Troop of Horse Grenadier Guards, where he rose to the rank of major, serving under George Augustus Eliott, the defender of Gibraltar. In 1754, Burton was appointed lieutenant-colonel of the 48th Foot, which was involved in the captures of Quebec in 1759 and Martinique and Havanna in 1762. In 1760, General Jeffery Amherst, Governor General of British North America, appointed him lieutenant governor of the Trois-Rivières district while New France remained under British military rule. Following the return of civilian rule under the newly-appointed Governor, General James Murray, Burton was made brigadier (commander) of the army in the new British province of Quebec. He was also made colonel of the 3rd Foot (the Buffs). After continual conflict with Governor Murray, both he and Burton were recalled to Britain in 1766.

Despite being an influential figure in Canadian military and geopolitical history, little is known about Burton's life outside of the Army. A 1767 will mentions an estate in Yorkshire, England and a townhouse in London. He was twice married: in 1750 to Elizabeth St Leger (died 1753), sister of Anthony St Leger after whom the famous horse race is named, then around 1763 to Marguerite Lydius; he had a son and a daughter by this second marriage. He appears to have been a close friend of John Calcraft, and was elected to Parliament a few months before his death as Member for Wareham, a pocket borough that Calcraft controlled.

A memorial to Ralph Burton is in St. Mary's church, Cottingham, East Riding of Yorkshire

  References

• Lewis Namier & John Brooke, The History of Parliament: The House of Commons 1754-1790 (London: HMSO, 1964)

  External links

• Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online

Governors of Montreal Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve • Louis d'Ailleboust de Coulonge (acting) • Charles-Joseph d'Ailleboust des Musseaux (acting) • Raphaël-Lambert Closse (acting) • Zacharie Dupuis de Verdun (acting) • Étienne Pézard de LaTouche (acting) • Zacharie Dupuis de Verdun (acting) • Annibal-Alexis ou Balthazar de Flotte de La Frédière (acting) • Zacharie Dupuy de Verdun (acting) • Pierre de Lamotte de Saint-Paul • Michel-Sidrac Dugué de Boisbriand • François-Marie Perrot • Thomas Tarieu de LaNouguère (acting) • Louis-Hector de Callière • François Provost • Philippe de Rigaud de Vaudreuil (acting) • Philippe de Rigaud de Vaudreuil • Claude de Ramezay • Charles Le Moine, 1st Baron de Longueuil • Jean Bouillet, sieur de la Chassaigne • J.-M.-Josué Berthelot, sieur de Beaucourt • Charles Le Moine, 2nd Baron de Longueuil • François-Pierre Rigaud de Vaudreuil • Thomas Gage • Ralph Burton

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