William Burlton was born in 1793, baptised at Fonthill-Gifford, Wiltshire on 13 Aug 1793. He was the son of William Burlton of Wykin Hall, Leicestershire. He trained a a cadet in 1807 and arrived in India on 21 Mar 1809. He was a cornet on 13 Aug 1811 and posted to the 4th BNC. He was Adjutant of the 4th from 1817 to 1820 and fought with them in the Third Maharatta War with the rank of lieutenant as from 1 Sep 1818. He was appointed Sub-Assistant Commissary General on 18 Sep 1820 and fought in the First Burma War of 1824-6 as Deputy ACG. He was promoted to captain on 7 Mar 1823 and appointed ACG from 3 Oct 1828, and Commissary General on 12 April 1837.
He was promoted to major on 26 Mar 1838 and lieutenant-colonel on 13 Jan 1842. He was given command of the 10th BLC and then appointed Member of the Military Board on 17 Nov 1843, taking part in the Gwalior Campaign, at Maharajpur. He transferred to the 7th BLC on 20 April 1844. He retired on 10 Aug 1850 with the honorary rank of Colonel on 28 Nov, living at Oaklands, Middlesex where he died on 10 Nov 1870. He was married twice, first to Anna Maria Knipe on 23 Mar 1819 but she died a year later, aged 19. He married again to Jane Eliza Comyn, at Cawnpore on 28 Dec 1829.
