William Walton

William Walton (1731-1796) was a merchant from a wealthy family of ship builders and traders with South America. He was the son of Jacob Walton, whose brother William was among the original trustees of the New York Society Library. After his uncle's death, the younger William went into business with his brother, forming William and Jacob Walton & Co., which owned several tracts of land. He married Mary Walton, the daughter of Lieutenant-Governor De Lancey, in 1757 and had three children. He was one of the original founders of the Marine Society of New York and the Chamber of Commerce of New York, serving as its treasurer from 1771 to 1772, as vice-president from 1772 to 1774 and from 1783 to 1784, and as president from 1774 to 1783.