FAMILY HISTORY: NORRIS

THE LIFE OF HUGH NORRIS:

 

Name: Hugh Norris
Father: John Norris
Mother: Ellen Ryding
Birthdate: 5 February 1794
Birthplace: Croston, Lancashire, England

 

Although Hugh Norris never married, he apparently did have one daughter, Jane Singleton. I believe that Jane was the only daughter of Hugh and his housekeeper Ann Singleton, and that she was born in Wrightington, near Croston, in about 1832/33.

Ann Singleton also had a son, Lawrence, born about 1830 but I have no evidence that this boy was the son of Hugh Norris.

Ann Singleton and her two children were living with Hugh Norris at Mill House End in Croston at the time of the 1841 census. Ann was Hugh's servant and Lawrence was an agricultural labourer. Jane, aged about 8, was probably a scholar.

In his Will, dated 1868, Hugh Norris left a legacy to Jane, who was by then the wife of William Chadwick, a miller. He does not describe her as his daughter in the Will, but she had a plaque erected inside the Croston Parish Church, St. Michael and All Angels, in his memory:

 

Memorial Plaque to Hugh Norris In
Memoriam
HUGH NORRIS ESQ.
Formerly of Mill House End
Croston
Died at Southport Oct. 28th
1868, aged 74 years
Erected as a tribute of affection
by his daughter
JANE CHADWICK
"In the Midst of Life
We are in Death"

 

It is always possible that Jane Singleton was not Hugh's daughter but looked upon him like a father. It is clear that she had a great affection for him - she named two sons Hugh (the first having died in infancy) - and it appears that he felt the same about her, having remembered her in his Will.

There does not appear to have been an Order of Filiation made for her support and this leads me to believe that Hugh always supported her - and perhaps her mother and brother - voluntarily. Another interesting thing is that when Hugh moved to Southport Jane, her husband and her mother remained at Mill House End.

 

THE CHILDREN OF ANN SINGLETON:
Lawrence Singleton Born: 24 Aug 1828 His Family
Jane Singleton Born: 28 Jan 1833 Her Family

 

DEATHS:
Ann Singleton [72 yrs] Buried: 8 Sep 1863
Hugh Norris [74 yrs] Died: 23 Oct 1868
Jane Chadwick (Mrs) [74 yrs] Died: 3 Oct 1906
Lawrence Singleton [77 yrs] Buried: 16 Apr 1906

 

NOTES:
1: I am not sure if Lawrence Singleton was the son of Hugh Norris and can find no Bastardy Bond.
2: The above information is taken from Baptism and Burial records held at the Lancashire Record Office.

Baptism Records Census Returns Burial Records Info. from Wills
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