Page:A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Colonial Gentry Vol 1.djvu/401

 BURKE'S COLONIAL GENTRY. 369 dangliter of the Rev. William Stephens, incumbent of Levens, Miluthorpe, Westmorland, England, and by her has issue, II. William Henry, of Eoclesboume, h. 'J5th October, 1863 ; unm. IV. Alice Eliza, b. 18th November, 1865 ; unm. Mr. Norton is one of the oldest solicitors on the rolls of the Supreme Court. On 2nd May, 1884, he joined the Stuart ministry, and was sworn in as post- master-general of the colony, which ofSce he held till the resignation of the Stuart Government in October, 1885. Htncnac. The Nortons hare been seated in Sussex from a very early period, and there possessed considerable landed property. James Norton, Esq. of Hurstpierpoint, Sussex, England, 'was b. in the early part of last century, and resided at Northend (one of his estates). He m. Miss Rebecca Steel, of Newtiniber, by whom he had one sou and three daughters, viz., I. John, of whom presently. I. Elizabeth, m.. James Farringdon, Esq. of Batnors Hall, Lingfleld, Surrey. II. Ann, in. William Holmer, Esq., J.P. for Surrey. III. Amy, m. and d. young, s.p. John Norton, Esq. of Leatherhead, and afterwards of Ore Place, near Hastings^ Sussex, b. about 1772 ; emigrated to Aus- tralia in 18] 9, and acquired some property at Mulgoa, on the River Nepean, which he called Fairlight, and afterwards a much larger property at Kanimbla, in tlie heart of the Blue Mountains, at which places he and his family carried on agriculture and stock breeding for many years; m. about 1794, Miss Mary Masters Bradford, and by her had ten children, viz., I. John, lieutenant R.N., d. unm., being lost at sea in the " Hero," which foundered with all hands in the Baltic Sea, in 1811. II. Nathaniel, b. at Leatherhead, co. Surrey, July, 1787 ; entered the Royal Navy 6th January, 1798, on board the "Busy," 18, in which vessel he assisted, in August, 1799, in taking possession of a fleet of merchantmen under the convoy of a Swedish frigate, off the island of Groree. He after- wards joined in the expedition against the Helder ; and contributed to the capture of the French lugger privateer " Le Dragon," 16, on the 16th September, 1799. He removed to the " Unite " frigate in July, 1800, and in March, 1801, was present, as midship- man, at the reduction of the Danish and Swedish islands. He was after- wards employed off Harwich and on the Irish station, from June, 1803, until October, 1807, in the " Romulus," 36, and " Helena," 18, in which latter ship he aided in effecting the capture, 5th June, 1805, of the " Santa Leo- cadia," Spanish pi-ivateer. After TOL. I. serving nearly three months as acting lieutenant in the " Dryad," 36, he was nominated, in January, 1808, master's mate of " La Virginie," of 46 guns and 281 men, and on 19th May fol- lowing he shared in that ship, and was mentioned for his conduct, in an obstinate conflict of an hoiu' and a half, which terminated in the surrender of the Dutch frigate " Guelderland," of 36 guns and 253 men, 25 of whom were killed and 50 wounded, whilst of the British, not more than one man was killed and two woimded. Mr. Norton, as a reward for his conduct, eight days after this exploit, was ap- pointed lieutenant in the " Brisk " sloop, which promotion was sanctioned by the Admiralty on the 3rd June in the same year, and on the 29th July ensuing, having obtained an appoint- ment to the " Illustrious," 74, he witnessed, in April, 1809, the famous attack made by Lord Cochrane on the enemy's shipping in Basque Roads, and subsequently sailed for the East Indies, where he assisted at the con- quest of the Mauritius and of the Island of Java. He was appointed to the command of the " Procris " sloop, 6th February, 1812. His last appointment was, 30th May, 1815, to the "Tigre," in which he cruized in the Channel. He ultimately accepted the rank of retired commander 9th March, 1846. He m. 4th March, 1841, Miss Ellen Barker, and d. s.jj., 17th August, 1851, having resided tor many years at Sydney, New South Wales. Mrs. Norton d. 16th October, 1852. III. James, of whom presently. IV. William, d. unm., under age. I. Mary Masters, d. unm., aged about 30 years. II. Rebecca, 6. July, 1787 ; now living in England. III. Naney, d. unm., aged 16 years. IV. Elizabeth, d. unm., in Sydney, aged 30 years. V. Emma, J. 4th October, 1797; m. John Joseph Wilham Henry Moles- worth Oxley, Esq. (more generally known as John Oxley), lieutenant R.N., and first surveyor-general of the