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 same,’ s.l. 1624, 4to, pp. 63. This was published by way of reply to ‘The Sum of a Disputation between Mr. [George] Walker, Rector of St. John Evangelist, &c. and a Popish Priest calling himself Mr. Smith, but indeed Norris,’ 1623 (, Repertorium, i. 375).

 NORRIS, THOMAS (1556–1599), president of Munster, fifth son of Henry, baron Norris of Rycote [q. v.], matriculated from Magdalen College, Oxford, in 1571, aged 15, and graduated B.A. on 6 April 1576 (foster, Alumni Oxon. 1500-1714). Sir John Norris (1547?-1597) [q. v.], and Sir Edward Norris [q. v.] were his brothers. In December 1579 he became, through the death of his eldest brother William and the influence of Sir William Pelham [q. v.], captain of a troop of horse in Ireland. He took an active part in the following year in the campaign against Gerald Fitzgerald, fifteenth earl of Desmond [q. v.]; but during the absence of Sir Nicholas Malby [q. v.], president of Connaught, in the winter of 1580-1, he acted as governor of that province, and gave great satisfaction by the energetic way in which he prosecuted the Burkes and other disturbers of the peace. In 1581-2 he was occupied, apparently between Clonmel and Kilmallock, in watching the movements of the Earl of Desmond, and on the retirement of Captain John Zouche [q. v.] in August 1582, on account of ill-health, he became colonel of the forces in Munster. He compelled the Earl of Desmond to abandon the siege of Dingle, but, owing to insufficient means, he was unable to accomplish anything of importance. In consequence of the appointment of the Earl of Ormonde as governor of Munster, Norris was able, early in 1583, to pay a brief visit to England. On his return he found employment in Ulster in settling a dispute between Hugh Oge O'Neill and Shane MacBrian O'Neill as to the possession of the castle of Edendougher (Shane's Castle), which he handed over to the latter as captain of Lower Clandeboye. He was warmly commended by Lords-justices Loftus and Wallop for his' valour, courtesy, and discretion.' In the autumn of 1584 he took part in Perrot's expedition against the Scots in Antrim, and in scouring the woods of Glenconkein in search of Sorley Boy MacDonnell [q. v.] he was wounded in the knee with an arrow.

He returned to Munster, and in 1585-6 represented Limerick in parliament. In December 1585 he was appointed vice-president of Munster during the absence in the Low Countries of his brother John. It was not an enviable post. His soldiers were ill clad and badly paid, and took every opportunity to desert. The plantation of Munster progressed at best very slowly, and every day brought fresh rumours of invasion. The defences of the province were weak in the extreme, and, though the general appearance of things was tranquil, the embers of the rebellion still smouldered; and in consequence of instructions from England, Norris, in March 1587, arrested John Fitzedmund Fitzgerald [a. v.], seneschal of Imokilly; Patrick Condon, and others, whose loyalty was at least doubtful. The marriage of Ellen, daughter and sole heiress of t he Earl of Clancar, was, from the extent of the property and interests involved, a subject which at this time much occupied the attention of government. Norris himself had been suggested as a suitable husband for the lady, but, 'after some pains taken he in the end misliked of it, being, as it seemed, otherwise disposed to bestow himself.' In June 1588 the matter became serious, when Florence MacCarthy [see Maccarthy Reagh, FloRence], seizing the opportunity to marry the lady, who was also his cousin, succeeded in uniting in himself the two main branches of the clan Carthy, and in accomplishing the very object it had been the intention of government to obviate. Norris at once arrested Florence, but was easily induced to believe that he had acted without evil intention, and was ' very penitent for his fault/ In December he was knighted by Sir William Fitzwilliam(1526-1599)[q.v.]; and Sir John Popham [q. v.] having consented to resign his seignory in the plantation of Munster, Norris obtained a grant of six thousand acres in and about Mallow. The Spanish Armada had failed in its object, but the air was still full of rumours of invasion, and in 1589-90 Norris wasengaged with Edmund Yorke, an engineer who had been sent over from England expressly for the purpose, in strengthening the fortifications of Limerick, Waterford, and Duncannon. His chief, and indeed perennial, difficulty was the want of money. He was constantly in arrears with his soldiers, and a detachment of them stationed at Limerick, taking advantage of his absence in May 1590, mutinied, and marched to Dublin, with the intention of insisting on the payment of their arrears, but were promptly reduced to 