A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Norton, Nathaniel
NORTON. (Retired Commander, 1846. f-p., 15; h-p., 34.)
Nathaniel Norton, born in July, 1787, at Leatherhead, co. Surrey, is second son of the late John Norton, Esq., of Hurstperpoint, co. Sussex. His elder brother, John, a Lieutenant R.N., was lost on board the Hero 74, during the disastrous winter of 1811.
This officer entered the Navy, 6 Jan. 1798, as Third.-cl. Boy, on board the Busy 18, Capt. John Acworth Ommanney, in which vessel, when in company with the Speedwell brig, he assisted, in Aug. 1799, in taking possession, off the island of Gorée, of a fleet of merchantmen under the convoy of a Swedish frigate. He afterwards joined in the expedition against the Helder; and on 16 Sept. 1799 he contributed to the capture of Le Dragon, French lugger privateer, of 16 guns. In July, 1800, being at the time in the West Indies, he removed to the Unité frigate, Capt. Thos. Harvey, under whom, in March, 1801, he was present, as Midshipman, at the reduction of the Danish and Swedish islands. The latter ship being paid off in April, 1802, he was next, from June, 1803, until Oct. 1807, employed off Harwich and on the Irish station in the Romulus 36, and Helena 18, Capts. Woodley Losack and Jas. Andrew Worth. In the Helena he aided in effecting the capture, 5 June, 1805, of the Santa Leocadia, Spanish privateer, pierced for 20 guns, mounting 14 nine-pounders, with a complement of 114 men. After serving nearly three months as Acting-Lieutenant in the Dryad 36, Capt. Adam Drummond, he was nominated, in Jan. 1808, Master’s Mate of La Virginie, of 46 guns and 281 men, Capt. Edw. Brace; and on 19 May following he shared in that ship, and was mentioned for his conduct, in an obstinate conflict of an hour and a half, which terminated in the surrender, with a loss to the British of not more than 1 man killed and 2 wounded, of the Dutch frigate Guelderland, of 36 guns and 253 men, 25 of whom were slain and 50 wounded.[1] Eight days after this exploit Mr. Norton, as a reward for his conduct, was again ordered to act as Lieutenant in the Brisk sloop, Capt. John Coode, and on 3 June in the same year his promotion was sanctioned by the Admiralty. Obtaining an appointment, 29 July ensuing, to the Illustrious 74, commanded by the late Commodore Wm. Robt. Broughton, he witnessed, in April, 1809, the famous attack made by Lord Cochrane on the enemy’s shipping in Basque Roads, and, after enacting a part in the proximate operations in the Scheldt, sailed for the East Indies. On 6 Feb. 1812, having previously assisted at the conquest of the Mauritius and of the island of Java, he was appointed by Commodore Broughton to the command of the Procris sloop, of 18 guns. After a servitude of nearly 23 months in that vessel, on the Indian station, he had the mortification, in Dec. 1813, to be superseded, without confirmation, and placed on half-pay. His last appointment was, 30 May, 1815, to the Tigre 74, Capt. John Halliday, with whom he cruized in the Channel until paid off in the following Aug. He accepted his present rank 9 March, 1846.
Commander Norton married, 4 March, 1841, Miss Ellen Barker. He has been residing for many years near Sydney, N.S.W. Agents – Holmes and Folkard.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1808, p. 750.