Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/102

 N ORRIS

NORRIS

Proprietors to the crown, and was succeeded by Benjamin Franklin, who signed the petition, but in the election of the same year, Franklin failing re-election, Norris was elected, and made speaker, but resigned Oct. 24, 1764. He was a man of liberal education, and possessed a library, 1500 volumes of which became the proi>erty of Dick- inson college, by gift from John Dickinson. His daughter Mary, wlio inherited his estates, married John Dickinson (q.v.). He died at Fair Hill, Pa., July i:^. 1766.

NORRIS, Mary Harriott, author, was born in Boonton, N.J., March 16, 1848; daughter of Charles Bryan and Mary Lyon (Kerr) Norris ; graiKldaughter of Luther and Hannali (Stout) Norris ; great-granddaugliter of Capt. James Stout of the Revolutionary army, and a descen- deiit from Ricluird and Penelope (Van Francis) Stout, from William Joseph Kerr, from Richard and Elizabeth (Hawley) Booth, from Thomas Trowbridge and from Maj.-Gen. Humphrey and Mary ("Wales) Atherton, all immigrants. She was graduated from Vassar college, Poughkeep- esi, N.Y.. in 1870; founded a private school in New York city, serving as its principal, 1879-91, and was dean of women at Nortliwestern univer- sity, 1898-99. She is the author of: Friiulein Minci (1872); Ben and Bentie Series (1873-76); Dorothy Delafiehl (1886) ; TJiose Good-for-Xaughts, a serial (1877); A Damsel of the Eighteenth Cen- tury (1889); Phehe (1890); Aftericard (1893); Tlie Nine Blessings (1893); John Aj^jylegate, Surgeon (1894); Lakeicood (189.5); The Gray House of the Quarries (1898); The Grapes of Wrath (1901). She edited Silas Marner in 1890 ; Marniion in 1891 ; Evangeline in 1897 ; Kenil- worth in 1898, and Quentin Durward in 1899. She also wrote a number of short stories, letters from Europe and educational articles, as well as contributions to the Methodist Quarterly Review and The Christian Advocate.

NORRIS, Moses, senator, was born in Pitts- field, N.ll.. Sept. 16, 1799 ; son of Moses and Com- fort (Leavett) Norris; grandson of Moses and Susannah L. (Gordon) Norris, and of Benjamin and Esther (Towle) Leavett, and a descendant of Nicholas and Sarah (Coxe) Norris. Nicholas Norris, of English extraction, born in Ireland in 1640, came to America as a stowaway about 1604, and settl!'(l in Hampton and subsocpipntly Exeter, N.H. Mosfs was graduated at Dartnioutli col- lege in 1828 ; was admitted to the bar in 1832, and settled in practice in Barnstead, N.H. He removed to Pittsfield and from there to Manches- ter, N.H., in 1849, where he continued liis prac- tice. He represented Pittsfield in the New Hampshire legislature, 1837-40 and 1842, and was speaker in 1840. He was a member of the gov- ernor's council in 1841, and was state solicitor for

Merrimack county in 1843. He was a Democratic representative from New Hampshire in the 28th and 29th congresses, 1843-47, was again a repre- sentative in the state legislature, 1847-48, and speaker in 1847. He was elected to the U.S. senate as successor to C. G. Atherton, whose term expired, March 3, 1849, and he served until his death, J. S. Wells completing the term. He was married to Abigail Brown, daughter of Atkins and Rhoda (Choate) Todd of Portsmouth, N.H. He died in Washington, D.C., Jan. 11,1855. NORRIS, William Fisher, ophthalmologist, was born in Pliiladelphia, Pa., Jan. 6, 1839; son of Dr. George Washington and ^lary Pleasants (Fisher) Norris ; grandson of Joseph Parker and Elizabeth Hill (Fox) Norris, and of William Wharton and Mary Pleasants (Fox) Fisher. He was a descendant of Isaac (1671-1735), the immi- grant (1693), and Mary (Lloyd) Norris, and of Thomas and Mary (Jones) Lloyd. He was grad- uated at the University of Pennsylvania, A.B., 1857, A.M., 1860, and M. D., 1861 ; was resident physician of the Pennsylvania hospital, 1861-63 ; assistant surgeon in the U.S. army, 1863-65 ; was for over a year surgeon in charge of Douglas General hospital, Washington, D.C., and was brevetted captain for meritorious service during the war. He was an eye specialist in Philadel- phia, 1865-73 ; clinical professor of the diseases of the eye in the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania, 1873-91 ; honorary professor of ophthalmology, 1888-91, and in 1891 became professor of ophtlialmology. He was a surgeon to the Wills eye liospital, 1872-91 ; a fel- low of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, and president of its oplithalmic section in 1894 ; a member of the Pathological Society of Philadel- phia, and its vice-pre.sident in 1877 ; a mem- ber of the Academy of Natural Science ; of the American Philosophical society, and of the American Ophtlialmological society, of which he was vice-president in 1879 and president, 1885-89. He was married, July 4, 1873, to Rosa C, daughter of Hieronymus Buchmann, and after the death of his first wife lie married, June 12, 1899, Annetta Culp, daughter of George A. Earn- shaw of Gettysburg, lieutenant-colonel of the 138th Pennsylvania volunteers. He is the author of various papers on intraocular tumors, heredi- tary atrophy of the optic nerves, association of graj' degeneration of the optic nerves with ab- normal patellar tenden reflexes, ivory exostoses of the orlnt, administration of ether in Bright's disease of the kidneys, etc., and of : Medical Oph- thalmology in Pepper's System of Medicine ; Ver- such iiber Hornhaut Entzi"indung, with Prof. S. Strieker, Vienna (1869); A Contribution to the Anatomy of the Human Retina 08d^); A Te.rt- Boolc of Ophthalmology, with Dr. C. A. Oliver