Fletcher Norton, 1st Baron Grantley, PC (23 June 1716 – 1 January 1789) was an English lawyer and

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

from 1756 to 1782 when he was raised to the

peerage A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes Life peer, non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted Imperial, royal and noble ranks, noble ranks. Peerages include: A ...

as Baron Grantley.

Life and career

Norton was the eldest son of Thomas Norton of Grantley, Yorkshire. He was educated at

St John's College, Cambridge St John's College, formally the College of St John the Evangelist in the University of Cambridge, is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge, founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch L ...

and the Middle Temple, being

called to the bar The call to the bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received "call to ...

in 1739. After a period of inactivity, he built up a profitable practice, becoming a

King's Counsel A King's Counsel (Post-nominal letters, post-nominal initials KC) is a senior lawyer appointed by the monarch (or their Viceroy, viceregal representative) of some Commonwealth realms as a "Counsel learned in the law". When the reigning monarc ...

in 1754, and later attorney-general for the county palatine of Lancaster. With his father he ordered the building in the mid-1700s of Grantley Hall, near Ripon in North Yorkshire. In 1756, Norton was elected Member of Parliament for Appleby; he represented

Wigan Wigan ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. It is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its ad ...

from 1761 to 1768, and was appointed solicitor-general for England and

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

in 1762. He took part in the proceedings against

John Wilkes John Wilkes (17 October 1725 – 26 December 1797) was an English Radicalism (historical), radical journalist and politician, as well as a magistrate, essayist and soldier. He was first elected a Member of Parliament in 1757. In the Middlese ...

, and, having become

Attorney General for England and Wales His Majesty's Attorney General for England and Wales is the chief legal adviser to the sovereign and Government in affairs pertaining to England and Wales as well as the highest ranking amongst the law officers of the Crown. The attorney gener ...

in 1763, prosecuted

William Byron, 5th Baron Byron William Byron, 5th Baron Byron (5 November 1722 – 19 May 1798), was a British nobleman, peer, politician, and great-uncle of the poet George Gordon Byron who succeeded him in the title. As a result of a number of stories that arose after a ...

, for the murder of William Chaworth. However, he lost his office when the Marquess of Rockingham came to power in July 1765. In 1769, as MP for

Guildford Guildford () is a town in west Surrey, England, around south-west of central London. As of the 2011 census, the town has a population of about 77,000 and is the seat of the wider Borough of Guildford, which had around inhabitants in . The nam ...

, Norton became a privy councillor and chief Justice in Eyre of the forests south of the Trent, and in 1770 was elected

Speaker of the House of Commons Speaker of the House of Commons is a political leadership position found in countries that have a House of Commons, where the membership of the body elects a speaker to lead its proceedings. Systems that have such a position include: * Speaker of ...

. In 1777, when presenting the bill for the increase of the civil list to the king, he told

George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...

that "parliament has not only granted to your majesty a large present supply, but also a very great additional revenue; great beyond example; great beyond your majesty's highest expense." This speech aroused general attention and caused some irritation; but the Speaker was supported by

Charles James Fox Charles James Fox (24 January 1749 – 13 September 1806), styled ''The Honourable'' from 1762, was a British British Whig Party, Whig politician and statesman whose parliamentary career spanned 38 years of the late 18th and early 19th centurie ...

and by the city of London, and received the thanks of the House of Commons. The king did not forget these plain words, and after the general election of 1780, the prime minister,

Lord North Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford (13 April 17325 August 1792), better known by his courtesy title Lord North, which he used from 1752 to 1790, was Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1770 to 1782. He led Great Britain through most of the ...

, and his followers declined to support the re-election of the retiring Speaker, alleging that his health was not equal to the duties of the office, and he was defeated when the voting took place. In 1782 he was made a peer as Baron Grantley of Markenfield in the County of York. He was elected a

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the Fellows of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...

in 1776.

Death

He died in 1789 at his London home in Lincoln's Inn Fields and was buried at Wonersh, Surrey. In 1741 he had married Grace, the daughter and heiress of Sir William Chapple, Justice of the King's Bench, 1737–1745. They had 5 sons and 2 daughters. He was succeeded as Baron Grantley by his eldest son William (1742–1822).

Nathaniel William Wraxall Sir Nathaniel William Wraxall, 1st Baronet (8 April 1751 – 7 November 1831) was an England, English author and politician. Life He was born in Queen Square, Bristol, the son of a Bristol merchant, Nathaniel Wraxall, and his wife Anne, great-n ...

described Norton as a bold, able and eloquent, but not a popular pleader, and as Speaker he was aggressive and indiscreet. Derided by satirists as "Sir Bullface Doublefee," and described by

Horace Walpole Horatio Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford (; 24 September 1717 – 2 March 1797), better known as Horace Walpole, was an English Whig politician, writer, historian and antiquarian. He had Strawberry Hill House built in Twickenham, southwest London ...

as one who rose from obscure infamy to that infamous fame which will long stick to him, his character was also assailed by " Junius".

Family

Grantley married Grace Chapple, daughter and heir of Sir William Chapple, Justice of the King's bench, on 21 May 1741. They had four sons and a daughter: * William Norton, 2nd Baron Grantley (1742–1822) *Hon.

Fletcher Norton Fletcher Norton, 1st Baron Grantley, Privy Council of Great Britain, PC (23 June 1716 – 1 January 1789) was an England, English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1756 to 1782 when he was raised to the peerage as Baron ...

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 Literature, letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". ...

(1744–1820); father of Hon. Charles Francis Norton and Hon.

George Chapple Norton George Chapple Norton (31 August 1800 – 24 February 1875) was a Tory Member of Parliament for Guildford from 1826 to 1830. He was educated at Winchester College. He died on 24 February 1875 at Wonersh. Family He was born in Wakefield the son ...

*Hon. Chapple Norton (1746–1818) *Hon.

Edward Norton Edward Harrison Norton (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor, producer, director, and screenwriter. After graduating from Yale College in 1991 with a degree in history, he worked for a few months in Japan before moving to New York City ...

(1750–1786) *Hon. Grace Norton (1752–1813), married John Wallop, 3rd Earl of Portsmouth

Arms

References

*Horace Walpole, ''Memoirs of the Reign of George III.'', edited by G. F. R. Barker (1894); *Sir N. W. Wraxall, ''Historical and Posthumous Memoirs'', edited by H. B. Wheatley (1884); *J. A. Manning, ''Lives of the Speakers'' (1850); *Hammond Innes, ''The Last Voyage: Captain Cook's Lost Diary'', (N.Y.: Knopf, 1978). Attribution: * {{DEFAULTSORT:Grantley, Fletcher Norton, 1st Baron 1716 births 1789 deaths People from the Borough of Harrogate Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge Members of the Middle Temple Attorneys general for England and Wales Peers of Great Britain created by George III Knights Bachelor Solicitors general for England and Wales Norton, Fletcher Norton, Fletcher Norton, Fletcher Norton, Fletcher Norton, Fletcher Norton, Fletcher Norton, Fletcher Politics of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan Fellows of the Royal Society Fletcher 1

Life and career

Death

Family

Arms

See also

References