A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Norman, Masters
NORMAN. (Lieut., 1814. f-p., 17; h-p., 31.)
Masters Norman was born 30 March, 1784, at Portsea, co. Hants. His eldest brother, James, died First-Lieutenant of the Prince George 98; the second, William, after having fought as Second-Lieutenant of the Thunderer 74, at Trafalgar, was killed (before he had received a Commander’s commission which had been made out for him) while leading, as Senior of the Sirius 36, Capt. Sam. Pym, the party which stormed and took the Ile de la Passe, in the Isle of France, 13 Aug. 1810; and the third, Chas. Rice, a Lieutenant of the Rota 38, Capt. Philip Somerville, was killed in the boats in a sanguinary attack on the General Armstrong American privateer, in Fayal Roads, 26 Sept. 1814. His uncle, Capt. Jas. Norman, R.N., died in 1807.
This officer entered the Navy, 3 Sept. 1799, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Cormorant 24, Capt. Hon. Courtenay Boyle; in which ship, after having assisted at the capture of 'El Batador' Spanish privateer of 14 guns, he was wrecked, while in the conveyance of despatches from Lord Keith to Sir Wm. Sidney Smith, off Damietta, 20 May, 1800. On being exchanged after a few months of cruel captivity, he joined in succession the Mercury 28, Tigre 74, Capt. Sir W. S. Smith, King George transport, and Penelope and Diane frigates. In the latter ship, commanded by Capt. Stevenson, he shared as Midshipman in the operations of 1801 in Egypt, whence, at the peace, he returned to England. In March, 1803, he re-embarked on board the Alcmène 32, Capt. John Stiles, attached to the force in the Channel, on which station he cruized with much activity until transferred, in June, 1805, to the Zealous 74, Capts. John Okes Hardy and John Giffard, employed for some time off Cadiz, where, in March, 1807, he joined the Queen 98, Capt. Fras. Pender. Removing, in July following, to the San Juan 74, guard-ship at Gibraltar, Lieut.Commander Thos. Spence, he was there for some months engaged on gun-boat service. On his arrival home in April, 1808, he was received as a Supernumerary on board the Royal William, Capt. Hon. Courtenay Boyle, guard-ship at Spithead. In the summer of the same year he sailed for the West Indies in the Flying Fish schooner, Lieut.-Commander Jas. Glassford Gooding, under whom he continued until the ensuing Nov., when a fall from the rigging obliged him to invalid. So serious was the injury he sustained on the occasion, that it was not until March, 1811, that he was again enabled to go afloat. He then joined the Aquilon and Saldanha frigates, Capts. Wm. Bowles and Hon. Wm. Pakenham; from the latter of which vessels, stationed on the coast of Ireland, he was sent in the following Oct. to England for the purpose of passing his examination, a short time only before she was lost with nearly the whole of her officers and crew. Proceeding next, in Feb. 1812, to the Mediterranean, on board the Gorgon 44, armée en flûte, Capt. Alex. Milner, he was nominated, in May of that year, Master’s Mate of the Royal George 100, Capt. Thos. Fras. Chas. Mainwaring, stationed off Toulon, where he witnessed the partial actions of 5 Nov. 1813 and 13 Feb. 1814 with the French fleet. On 6 March, 1814, he became Acting-Lieutenant of the Barfleur 98, Capt. John Maitland; he was confirmed, while again in the Royal George, 5 April following; and in the next July he returned to England, in the Barfleur, and was paid off. His last appointment was, 1 Nov. 1820, to the Coast Guard, in which service he continued a period of five years and three months.
Lieut. Norman married in April, 1817, and has issue five sons and one daughter. One of the former, Wm. Henry, Purser and Paymaster, R.N. (1841), is at present serving at the Cape of Good Hope in the Rosamond steam-sloop, of 287 horsepower. Agent – J. Hinxman.