William Buxton, the eldest in the family
of Jeremiah and Jane G. (Drinkwater) Buxton,
was born at North Yarmouth, Me., Oct. 28,
1796. He spent his boyhood at home on the
farm till he was seventeen, when he formed
a copartnership with his father as a ship-
builder, in which business the latter had
been engaged for several years at North
Yarmouth. He early interested himself in
the affairs of the town, beginning his
career as a town officer some time before
he was thirty years of age. He filled
every office of importance in the town;
was selectman seventeen years, and was
its representative to the Legislature
thirteen years. He was also for two years
one of the Governor's council. For many
years he was one of the trustees of the
school fund of the town, and a trustee
of North Yarmouth Academy. He was also a
director of the Androscoggin and Kennebec
Railroad for one year. He always regarded
the town as one of his special trusts,
guarding its interests with a watchful
eye, never losing his devotion to its
affairs, until failing energies and wast-
ing disease began to make their sad in-
roads upon a formerly strong constitution
and well balanced mind. His method and
accuracy in business was early imbibed,
and fastened by many years of intimacy
with Gen. Edward Russell, one of the
former worthies of North Yarmouth, whose
systematic and careful business method
he took great pride in alluding to as a
model for town officers to imitate. On
Oct. 27, 1836, he married Jane, daughter
of Samuel and Jane Chadbourn, of North
Yarmouth. Of this union were born two
children: Abbie A., born May 16, 1838,
died July 19, 1860; and William M., born
April 19, 1848, and died Sept. 4, 1878.
About twenty years previous to his death,
which occurred July 27, 1873, Mr. Buxton
discontinued his business of ship-building
and settled upon a farm, and at the time
of his death was one of the largest real-
estate owners in the town. He was original-
ly a Whig, but latterly a Democrat.
In his death his family lost a kind and
tender husband, a loving and indulgent
father, and the entire county one of its
most prominent and honored citizens.

Source:
History of Cumberland County Maine
between pages 340 and 341
published 1880