George Thornton, of Spotsylvania County, one of Charles Washington’s brothers-in-law, married Mary Alexander in 1773. A prominent businessman in Fredericksburg for many years, he was a partner about 1772–74 with William Triplett of King George County in two stores, one in Fredericksburg and one in nearby Falmouth. After 1777 he was a partner with other gentlemen in a Fredericksburg brewery (crozier [2] description begins William Armstrong Crozier, ed. Spotsylvania County, 1721–1800: Being Transcriptions, from the Original Files at the County Court House, of Wills, Deeds, Administrators’ and Guardians’ Bonds, Marriage Licenses, and Lists of Revolutionary Pensioners. New York, 1905. description ends , 330, 344, 381). Appointed a major in the Spotsylvania County militia 16 Nov. 1780, he died soon afterwards, reportedly “from drinking cold water on a forced march” (wilson description begins George Wilson. “Historical and Genealogical Notes: Gen. Posey-Thornton-Adams, etc.” William and Mary Quarterly, 1st ser., 6 (1897–98): 65–68. description ends , 66).