Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Norris (1670 or 167113 June 1749) was a

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

officer and Whig politician. After serving as a junior officer during the Nine Years' War and the Williamite War in Ireland, he was given command of a squadron sent to North America to protect British settlements on the banks of Hudson Bay in 1697. Although he developed a plan to recapture some territories in Newfoundland and Labrador taken by French forces the previous winter, he was prevented from implementing that plan when the local council overruled him. Norris served under Admiral Sir George Rooke at the Battle of Cádiz at an early stage of the War of the Spanish Succession. He went on to command the vanguard at the Battle of Malaga in August 1704 and then served under Admiral the

Earl of Peterborough Earl of Peterborough was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1628 for John Mordaunt, 5th Baron Mordaunt (see Baron Mordaunt for earlier history of the family). He was succeeded by his eldest son, Henry, the second Earl. He was ...

at the capture of Barcelona in October 1705. As a flag officer, Norris was sent with a fleet to the Baltic Sea to support a coalition of naval forces from

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eight ...

, Denmark and Hanover taking in the Great Northern War. Tsar

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a s ...

took personal command of the coalition fleet and appointed Norris as his deputy in 1716: together they protected British and other allied merchant vessels from attack by warships of the Swedish Empire. In November 1718, following the death of

Charles XII of Sweden Charles XII, sometimes Carl XII ( sv, Karl XII) or Carolus Rex (17 June 1682 – 30 November 1718 O.S.), was King of Sweden (including current Finland) from 1697 to 1718. He belonged to the House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, a branch line of ...

, Britain switched sides and Norris returned to the region to protect British merchant shipping from attack by Russian raiders. Norris also acted as a commissioner in the negotiations leading to the

Treaty of Nystad The Treaty of Nystad (russian: Ништадтский мир; fi, Uudenkaupungin rauha; sv, Freden i Nystad; et, Uusikaupunki rahu) was the last peace treaty of the Great Northern War of 1700–1721. It was concluded between the Tsardom of ...

which ended the War in September 1721. Norris went on to be commander-in-Chief of the

Channel Fleet The Channel Fleet and originally known as the Channel Squadron was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1854 to 1909 and 1914 to 1915. History Throughout the course of Royal Navy's history th ...

at the outset of the War of Jenkins' Ear in 1739. In 1744 he was asked to defend Britain from an imminent French Invasion: he was preparing for battle against the French fleet, when storms intervened scattering the invasion transports, with heavy loss of life, thereby ending the immediate threat of invasion.

Early career

Born of uncertain Irish parentage, Norris joined the Royal Navy as a captain's servant in 1680. Promoted to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

in August 1689, he joined the

third-rate In the rating system of the Royal Navy, a third rate was a ship of the line which from the 1720s mounted between 64 and 80 guns, typically built with two gun decks (thus the related term two-decker). Years of experience proved that the third r ...

HMS ''Edgar'' commanded by

Cloudesley Shovell Admiral of the Fleet Sir Cloudesley Shovell (c. November 1650 – 22 or 23 October 1707) was an English naval officer. As a junior officer he saw action at the Battle of Solebay and then at the Battle of Texel during the Third Anglo-Dutch Wa ...

during the Nine Years' War.Heathcote, p. 195 He transferred to the third-rate HMS ''Monck'' early in 1690 and served off the Coast of Ireland during the Williamite War in Ireland. Promoted to commander on 8 July 1690, he was given command of the fire ship HMS ''Pelican'' and took part in the Battle of Beachy Head in July 1690 in another action of the Nine Years' War. He transferred to the command of the fire ship HMS ''Spy'' in December 1691 and saw action again at the

Battles of Barfleur and La Hogue The Battles of Barfleur and La Hougue took place during the Nine Years' War, between 19 May O.S. (29 May N.S.) and 4 June O.S. (14 June N.S.) 1692. The first was fought near Barfleur on 19 May O.S. (29 May N.S.), with later actions occurring ...

in May 1692. Promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

on 13 January 1693, Norris was given command of the fifth-rate HMS ''Sheerness'' and fought at the

Battle of Lagos The naval Battle of Lagos took place between a British fleet commanded by Sir Edward Boscawen and a French fleet under Jean-François de La Clue-Sabran over two days in 1759 during the Seven Years' War. They fought south west of the Gulf of C� ...

in June 1693. He transferred to the command of the third-rate HMS ''Royal Oak'', then to the command of the third-rate HMS ''Sussex'' and then to the command of the second-rate HMS ''Russell'' and was deployed to the Mediterranean early in 1694. He transferred to the command of the fourth-rate HMS ''Carlisle'' and then to the command of the third-rate HMS ''Content'' in Spring 1695. Norris was given command of a squadron sent to North America to protect British settlements on the banks of Hudson Bay in 1697.Heathcote, p. 196 Although he developed a plan to recapture some territories in Newfoundland and Labrador taken by French forces the previous winter, he was prevented from implementing that plan when the local council overruled him and he received some criticism when he returned to England for his inaction. However he was defended by the

Earl of Orford Earl of Orford is a title that has been created three times. The first creation came in the Peerage of England in 1697 when the naval commander Admiral of the Fleet Edward Russell was made Earl of Orford, in the County of Suffolk. He was c ...

from potential dismissal,Aldridge, p. 47 his successful career continued and he was given command of the fourth-rate HMS ''Winchester'' later in 1697. Investigations were restarted into his conduct in Newfoundland in early 1699 he was suspended from the navy in April 1699. Norris was given command of the third-rate HMS ''Orford'' early in 1702 and served under Admiral Sir George Rooke at the Battle of Cádiz in August 1702 at an early stage of the War of the Spanish Succession. He went on to command the vanguard at the Battle of Malaga in August 1704. He was given command of the first-rate HMS ''Britannia'', flagship of Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell, in 1703 and then served under Admiral the

at the capture of Barcelona in October 1705. Following his return to England he was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of 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. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

on 5 November 1705.

Senior command

Promoted to

rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regard ...

on 10 March 1707, Norris became second-in-command of the

Mediterranean Fleet The British Mediterranean Fleet, also known as the Mediterranean Station, was a formation of the Royal Navy. The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vital sea link between ...

, with his flag in the third rate HMS ''Torbay''. After taking part in the British defeat at the Battle of Toulon in July 1707 and, while sailing aboard his flagship HMS ''Torbay'', Norris was present during the great naval disaster off the Isles of Scilly in October 1707 when Shovell and four of his ships were lost, claiming the lives of nearly 2,000 sailors. Promoted to vice admiral on 26 January 1708, Norris transferred his flag to the third-rate HMS ''Ranelagh''. At the

1708 British general election The 1708 British general election was the first general election to be held after the Acts of Union had united the Parliaments of England and Scotland. The election saw the Whigs finally gain a majority in the House of Commons, and by Novembe ...

, Norris was returned as Member of Parliament for

Rye Rye (''Secale cereale'') is a grass grown extensively as a grain, a cover crop and a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe (Triticeae) and is closely related to both wheat (''Triticum'') and barley (genus ''Hordeum''). Rye grain is u ...

. He was a supporter of the

Whig Junto The Whig Junto is the name given to a group of leading Whigs who were seen to direct the management of the Whig Party and often the government, during the reigns of William III and Anne. The Whig Junto proper consisted of John Somers, later ...

, but while on active service, made little contribution in Parliament. While still serving as second-in-command of the Mediterranean Fleet, he took personal charge a squadron deployed to the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...

to prevent Swedish grain arriving in France in 1709. Promoted to full

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

on 21 December 1709, he became Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet early in 1710. Norris was returned again as MP for Rye at the

1710 British general election The 1710 British general election produced a landslide victory for the Tories. The election came in the wake of the prosecution of Henry Sacheverell, which had led to the collapse of the previous government led by Godolphin and the Whig Junto. ...

. The new Tory Administration relieved him of the Mediterranean command in October 1711 which allowed him to devote more time to Parliamentary business. He followed the progress of the war and took an interest in naval matters. He voted with the Whigs for the motion ‘

No Peace Without Spain No Peace Without Spain was a popular British political slogan of the early eighteenth century. It referred to the ongoing War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714) in which Britain was a leading participant. It implied that no peace treaty co ...

’ on 7 December 1711 and against the French commerce bill on 18 June 1713. At the

1713 British general election The 1713 British general election produced further gains for the governing Tory party. Since 1710 Robert Harley had led a government appointed after the downfall of the Whig Junto, attempting to pursue a moderate and non-controversial policy, ...

, he was returned again as Whig MP for Rye, and voted against the expulsion of Richard Steele on 18 March 1714. Norris was returned again for Rye at the

1715 British general election The 1715 British general election returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 5th Parliament of Great Britain to be held, after the 1707 merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland. In October 1714, soon afte ...

. With the new Whig Administration, he returned to active service. He was sent with a fleet to the Baltic Sea to support a coalition of naval forces from

, Denmark and Hanover taking in the Great Northern War. Tsar

Board of Admiralty The Board of Admiralty (1628–1964) was established in 1628 when Charles I put the office of Lord High Admiral into commission. As that position was not always occupied, the purpose was to enable management of the day-to-day operational requi ...

led by the Earl of Berkeley in March 1718. In November 1718, following the death of

, Britain switched sides and Norris returned to the region to protect British merchant shipping from attack by Russian raiders.Heathcote, p. 197 Norris also acted as a commissioner in the negotiations leading to the

which ended the War in September 1721. At the

1722 British general election The 1722 British general election elected members to serve in the House of Commons of the 6th Parliament of Great Britain. This was the fifth such election since the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707. Tha ...

, he was returned unopposed as Member of Parliament for Portsmouth. and was advanced to Senior Naval Lord on the Admiralty Board in June 1727 but stood down as a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty when the

Walpole–Townshend Ministry The government of Great Britain was under the joint leadership of Prime Minister Robert Walpole (in the House of Commons) and Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend (in the House of Lords), from 1721 until Townshend's departure from the gove ...

fell in May 1730. The main building at Benenden School - geograph

Norris lost his post as Lord on the Admiralty in 1730, and lost his command to Sir Charles Wager in 1731. In Parliament he joined the opposition and voted against the Government on the army in 1732 and on the Excise Bill in 1733. At the beginning of 1734, the government came to terms and he was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet on 20 February 1734 and, with his flag in HMS ''Britannia'', he became commander-in-chief of a fleet sent to the Iberian Peninsula to protect Portugal from

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

attack. He was returned as Member of Parliament for Rye again at the

1734 British general election The 1734 British general election returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 8th Parliament of Great Britain to be summoned, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707. Robert Walpole's incr ...

. and was appointed Vice-Admiral of Great Britain in April 1739 and went on to be Commander-in-Chief of the

at the outset of the War of Jenkins' Ear in Autumn 1739. In 1744 Norris was asked to defend Britain from an imminent French Invasion and in 1745 made Captain of Deal Castle. He was preparing for battle against the French fleet, when storms intervened scattering the invasion transports, with heavy loss of life, thereby ending the immediate threat of invasion. Norris retired from the navy later in the year. Norris died at his country home,

Hemsted Park Hemsted Park, historically sometimes known as Hempsted Park,
Benenden, Kent Archaeological Socie ...

in Kent, on 13 June 1749 and was buried at St George's Church in

Benenden Benenden is a village and civil parish in the borough of Tunbridge Wells in Kent, England. The parish is located on the Weald, to the west of Tenterden. In addition to the main village, Iden Green, East End, Dingleden and Standen Street settl ...

. His tomb was sculpted by

Peter Scheemakers Peter Scheemakers or Pieter Scheemaeckers II or the Younger (10 January 1691 – 12 September 1781) was a Flemish sculptor who worked for most of his life in London. His public and church sculptures in a classicist style had an important influenc ...

Family

In May 1699 Norris married Elizabeth Aylmer, daughter of Admiral Matthew Aylmer; they had five children (including Vice Admiral Henry Norris and Captain Richard Norris). His granddaughter was the art collector and amateur artist John Norris Hewett.

References

Sources

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External links