BURTON (John), D. D. a late worthy and learned divine, was born in 1696, at Wembworth, in Devonshire, his father being rector of that parish; and was educated at Corpus Christi college, Oxford. In 1725, being then pro-proctor and master of the schools, he spoke a Latin oration before the determining bachelor, which is entitled "Helis or, An instance of a magistrate's erring through unreasonable lenity;" written and published with a view to encourage the salutary exercise of academical discipline; and afterwards treated the same subject still more fully in four Latin sermons before the university, and published them with appendixes. He also introduced into the schools, Locke, and other eminent modern philosophers, as suitable companions to Aristotle; and printed a double series of philosophical questions, for the use of the younger students; from which Mr Johnson of Magdalene college, Cambridge, took the hint of his larger work of the same kind, which has gone through several editions.
When the settling of Georgia was in agitation, Dr Bray, justly revered for his institution of parochial libraries, Dr Stephen Hales, Dr Berriman, and other learned divines, intreated Mr Burton's pious assistance in that undertaking. This he readily gave, by preaching before the society in 1732, and publishing his sermon, with an appendix on the state of that colony; and he afterwards published an account of the designs of the associates of the late Dr Bray, with an account of their proceedings.
About the same time, on the death of Dr Edward Littleton, he was presented by Eton college to the vicarage of Maple-Derham, in Oxfordshire. Here a melancholy scene, which too often appears in the mansions of the clergy, presented itself to his view; a widow, with three infant daughters, without a home, without a fortune: from his compassion arose love, the consequence of which was marriage; for Mrs Littleton was handsome, elegant, accomplished, ingenious, and had great sweetness of temper. In 1760, he exchanged his vicarage of Maple-Derham, for the rectory of Worplesdon in Surrey. In his advanced age, finding his eyes begin to fail him, he collected and published, in one volume, all his scattered pieces, under the title of Opuscula miscellanea; and soon after died, February 11th, 1771.