Fletcher Norton

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...

(1744–1820) was a Scottish barrister and member of parliament. He was a joint founder of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...

in 1783.

Life

He was born on 16 November 1744 the second son of Fletcher Norton, 1st Baron Grantley and his wife, Grace Chapple. He was admitted to the Middle Temple on 6 November 1755 and educated at

Harrow School (The Faithful Dispensation of the Gifts of God) , established = (Royal Charter) , closed = , type = Public schoolIndependent schoolBoarding school , religion = Church of E ...

and Eton College 1756 to 1762. He studied law at University College, Oxford, from 1762 and at the Middle Temple in London from 1765 and was Called to the Bar on 9 June 1769. He was appointed to the Bench on 23 January 1795. He was MP for Appleby-in-Westmorland 1773/74 and MP for

Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern England, Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers River Eden, Cumbria, Eden, River C ...

1774/75. From 1776 until death he was

Baron of the Exchequer The Barons of the Exchequer, or ''barones scaccarii'', were the judges of the English court known as the Exchequer of Pleas. The Barons consisted of a Chief Baron of the Exchequer and several puisne (''inferior'') barons. When Robert Shute was a ...

in Scotland, under the title "Baron Norton", one of the longest ever in this office. He died on 19 June 1820 at

Abbeyhill Abbeyhill is an area of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Abbeyhill is one of the oldest parts of the city, taking its name from Holyrood Abbey, a major historic religious site. The main east-west thoroughfare through the area is London Roa ...

in Edinburgh. His body was returned to England for burial in the family vault at Wonersh. His house was demolished to make room for Abbeyhill Station. His name is remembered in the local street names of "Norton Place" and "Norton Park".

Family

In 1793 he married Caroline Elizabeth Balmain, daughter of James Balmain. Their eight children included George Chapple Norton and

Charles Francis Norton Charles Francis Norton (1807 – 1835) was a 19th-century Member of Parliament for Guildford (UK Parliament constituency), Guildford. Norton was also a Captain of 52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot, 52nd Light Infantry. Through his wife Maria L ...

and

Fletcher Norton, 3rd Baron Grantley Baron Grantley, of Markenfield, in the County of York is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created on 9 April 1782 for Sir Fletcher Norton, Attorney General from 1763 to 1765 and Speaker of the House of Commons from 1770 to 1780 ...

References

1744 births 1820 deaths People educated at Eton College People educated at Harrow School Alumni of University College, Oxford English politicians Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh British MPs 1768–1774 British MPs 1774–1780 Younger sons of barons Barons of the Exchequer 19th-century English judges 18th-century English judges {{England-GreatBritain-MP-stub