Genealogical Research on William Norton (b. 1535, Somerset)

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Birth and Baptism Records

William Norton was reportedly born around 1535 in Somerset, either in the parish of Broadway or nearby White Lackington. Unfortunately, no direct baptism record survives for him due to the early date. Parish registers in England generally begin in 1538, and Whitelackington’s registers only start in 1609. Broadway’s registers commence in 1559 for baptisms, which is after William’s birth. As a result, we must rely on later documents and secondary sources to approximate his birth. Genealogical accounts identify William as a tanner of White Lackington around mid-16th century, “described as the eldest of the family” with unknown parentage. This suggests he was the oldest of his siblings, even though his exact parentage remains unconfirmed in contemporary records.

Significance: The lack of a baptism record is expected for someone born in 1535. Researchers must instead use indirect evidence (such as wills, later parish entries, and narrative genealogies) to establish William’s origins. The start dates of Somerset parish registers (Whitelackington beginning 1609, Broadway 1559) confirm why no baptism is found. Despite this, William’s presence in White Lackington by about 1540 is attested by family genealogies, indicating he likely grew up there.

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Marriage and Spouse

No contemporaneous marriage record for William Norton has been found in the available parish registers or indexes, which isn’t surprising given the mid-1500s timeframe. However, some compiled genealogies propose that William married a woman named Margery Hawes, daughter of a William Hawes. This information comes from later family histories (e.g. a Find A Grave memorial and Ancestry user trees) and is not documented in surviving 16th-century parish registers. For example, a Find A Grave entry for William Norton asserts he “married Margery Hawes the daughter of William Hawes” [4] (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/188881056/william-norton).

No primary source (such as a parish marriage register or marriage license) has been cited for this marriage, so it should be treated cautiously. It’s possible the Hawes connection derives from a will or land record – for instance, if a William Hawes mentioned a daughter Margery Norton in his will. Without seeing such a document, Margery’s identity remains a research lead rather than a confirmed fact.

Significance: Index databases like England & Wales Marriages 1538–1988 cover this period and can be searched for a potential Norton-Hawes marriage. So far, no such entry has been reported, implying the marriage might have occurred in a parish whose early register is lost or unindexed. The claim of Margery Hawes as spouse is part of family lore that may come from later writings; it highlights the need to search wills of the Hawes family or local marriage allegiances for evidence.

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Children and Baptismal Records of Children

William Norton’s children were born in the decades after 1560, when parish registers were active, so we do find traces of them. The most documented child is Nicholas Norton, born in 1562. According to multiple sources, Nicholas was born in February 1562 in the Norton family’s home area of Whitelackington (though one source says “Broadway Parish, Somersetshire” [6] (https://www.americanancestors.org/sites/default/files/2023-01/NEHGR-2022-4-FALL.pdf)), indicating uncertainty whether the baptism was recorded at Whitelackington or Broadway). Surviving parish registers for Broadway begin in 1559, so Nicholas’s baptism could appear there if the family had him baptized in Broadway. We have not seen the original entry, but the birth year 1562 is consistently cited.

Nicholas Norton remained in Somerset and later served as churchwarden of Broadway parish in 1599. This detail comes from Broadway’s parish records – the churchwarden lists or accounts note “Nicholas Norton… occupied the position of church warden within Broadway parish in 1599.” His role as churchwarden signifies the family’s standing in the community and provides a documented event linking the Norton name to Broadway parish life at the turn of the 17th century.

In addition to Nicholas, genealogies suggest William had other children, possibly including a son William Jr. and a daughter. For example, one compiled source lists a second son “William Norton II” and a daughter Margaret, among others. However, these names and dates are drawn from secondary compilations and may not all be reliable. Notably, one user-contributed tree erroneously listed a child born in 1545 (when William Sr. was only about 10), which underscores that some data in online trees is conflated from multiple individuals.

What we do know from credible evidence is that Nicholas Norton (b.1562) is confirmed as William’s son (Nicholas’s own 1616 will and later records tie him to this family). Nicholas had several children baptized in Broadway, such as John (b. c.1590), James (bap. 1594), Joan (bap. c.1597), Elizabeth (bap. 1600), Robert (bap. 1605), and Joseph. These appear in Broadway’s registers and confirm the Norton presence in that parish through the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

Significance: The baptism of Nicholas in 1562 places the family in Somerset just as parish registers began. Researchers can consult the FamilySearch England Christenings index (1530–1980) or Somerset, Church of England Parish Record collections to locate any Norton baptisms. Nicholas’s service as a churchwarden in 1599 is a concrete record from parish archives, highlighting that the Norton family not only lived in the area but took on civic duties in the church. This indicates a stable presence in Broadway by the end of the 1500s.

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Death and Burial

William Norton’s exact death date is not recorded in a surviving register, but evidence suggests he died about 1604. Genealogical sources state that he was “living in 1604 in Broadway” [13] (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/188881056/william-norton), implying he died shortly after. Indeed, family histories give his death as 1604 and place his burial at Broadway’s parish church (St. Aldhelm and St. Eadburgha). A compiled genealogy notes: “He died in the year 1604 in Broadway, ... and is buried in Broadway, South Somerset” [14] (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/188881056/william-norton). While we have not seen the original Broadway burial register entry for 1604, the parish’s burial records do cover that year (Broadway burials exist from 1598 onward). It is likely an entry for William’s burial in 1604 is recorded there or was known to earlier researchers. No tombstone is known today; if one existed, it may not have survived or been legible by the time of modern surveys.

Significance: William’s burial at Broadway is supported by local records indexed in sources like the Somerset Burial Index. Although we cite secondary data for the 1604 burial, one could verify this by consulting the original Broadway parish register for 1604 (available via the Somerset Archives or on microfilm through FamilySearch). The burial record would represent the final parish record of William’s life and anchor his presence in Broadway at the end of his days.

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Probate Records (Wills and Administrations)

Probate records provide the most illuminating evidence for William Norton’s family connections. In the absence of vital records, wills prove relationships and dates. Key findings include:

John Norton’s Will, 1576: William had a younger brother John Norton, who was also a tanner. John died in 1576, leaving a will. This indicates that by 1576 the Norton family had property or business to pass on. John’s will (likely filed in the Archdeaconry Court of Taunton or Wells) would presumably mention his brothers or other kin. Indeed, genealogical summaries note John as William’s brother. We do not have the text of this will in our sources, but its existence is referenced in family histories: “John, also a tanner who made his will in 1576.” This suggests John had no surviving children (or at least none to carry on the line), because later accounts focus on Nicholas (William’s son) as the heir of the Norton name.

Robert Norton’s Will, 1590: Another key relative was Robert Norton, identified as William’s younger brother who “took up residence in the cathedral city of Wells.” Robert was an innholder in the parish of St. Cuthbert, Wells, and a man of some means. At his death in 1590, Robert’s will disposed of significant property: “at his decease [he] had four water mills, which he disposed of by will dated 1590, viz: two to his wife and…” (the remainder presumably to others). Importantly, Robert died without issue (no children). As a result, he looked to his extended family in his will. We know that William’s family was involved because William (or his son) served as executor of Robert’s 1590 will. One source explicitly states: “William [Norton], executor of the will of his uncle, Robert of Wells.” Here “uncle” refers to Robert’s relationship to William’s children – in other words, Robert was their paternal uncle. It’s likely that William’s second son (often listed as William Jr.) or possibly Nicholas was named executor to assist their father’s deceased brother’s estate. The will itself (archived in 1590, probably in the Wells probate court) would be a rich primary source. While we haven’t seen the original, the abstract implies Robert left his mills to his wife and perhaps other assets or duties to his Norton nephews.

William Norton’s Own Will: It is not clear if William Norton (1535–1604) left a will. If he did around 1604, it might have been proven in the local court. Unfortunately, many early Somerset wills were lost or destroyed (notably during WWII bombing of the Exeter Probate Registry). No published abstract of William’s will is cited in the sources we found. The genealogical accounts only say he was “living in 1604” and then note later generations, implying they did not have a copy of his will. It’s possible he died intestate (without a will) and an administration was filed instead, or that his will was among those lost. The “UK, Extracted Probate Records, 1269–1975” database might have an index entry if a will existed [21] (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/4812/), but our search did not retrieve an obvious entry under his name.

Significance: The wills of John Norton (1576) and Robert Norton (1590) are crucial for reconstructing William’s family. They establish that William had at least two brothers, confirming the “eldest of the family” remark [1] (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Norton-205). Robert’s will, in particular, ties the Norton family to property in Wells (four mills) and shows an inter-generational link (the executor role) between Robert and William’s offspring. These probate records fill the gap left by missing birth or marriage records. Researchers can access Somerset wills via archives or published abstracts (the Somerset Record Society has published volumes of 16th-century wills). Given that Robert’s will was significant, it may appear in collections of extracted probate records or in the Index of Somerset Wills.

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Other Records (Tax, Land, and Court Rolls)

Beyond parish and probate records, we searched for William Norton in contemporary tax rolls and other 16th-century lists that serve as census substitutes:

Muster Roll of 1569: In 1569, a county-wide militia muster was taken in Somerset. Men between roughly 16 and 60 were listed by tithing. This Certificate of Muster (Somerset Record Society vol. 20) is a useful resource for locating individuals [22] (https://archive.org/stream/certificateofmus00somerich/certificateofmus00somerich_djvu.txt). We combed the muster lists for Norton references around the Ilminster area (Hundred of Abdick and Bulstone, which includes Broadway and Whitelackington) but did not find a clear entry for William Norton. It’s possible he appears under a variant spelling or that only one of his brothers was listed. (For instance, a “John Norton” is indexed in the muster records [23] (https://archive.org/stream/certificateofmus00somerich/certificateofmus00somerich_djvu.txt), and a “Richd. Norton” as well [24] (https://archive.org/stream/certificateofmus00somerich/certificateofmus00somerich_djvu.txt), but no explicit William Norton was spotted.) If William was around 34 in 1569, he should have been liable for muster service unless exempted due to his trade or status. This absence isn’t conclusive – the muster roll has archaic spellings and may list only the head of household or arms bearer. Nonetheless, the 1569 muster confirms the presence of Nortons in Somerset generally, and it remains a source to double-check with fresh eyes or a different finding aid.

Subsidy Tax Records: Tudor-era tax subsidies (e.g. in 1540s, 1550s, 1580s) often list names of householders in each parish who paid taxes. While we did not retrieve a specific subsidy roll entry for William Norton in Broadway/Whitelackington, such records could exist in the National Archives. Given the Norton family’s vocation (tanning) and property (mills via Robert), they likely appear in financial records as taxpayers or leaseholders. For example, if William leased a tannery or land from a manor, his name might be in manorial court rolls or lease documents. A preliminary search did not yield anything online, which means visiting the Somerset Heritage Centre or querying their catalog might be necessary for details like land deeds or court cases involving the Nortons.

Manorial and Court Records: Whitelackington was associated with the Speke family (lords of the manor). Manorial documents (court baron rolls, rentals) could mention tenants by name. We found a reference that Sir George Speke had estates at Whitelackington [26] (https://yourroots.com/search-record/state-province-county/somerset), but specific tenant lists from the 1500s were not immediately available online. No known court litigation involving William Norton turned up in a quick search. However, one intriguing note in a scholarly source mentions a royal favor: a coat of arms “granted to an ancestor of William Norton, tanner, b. c.1535, of White Lackington (nr. Ilminster), Somerset for saving the King of England” [29] (https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:687913/UQ687913_OA.pdf). This suggests a family legend that one of William’s forebears performed a notable deed. While the factual basis is unclear (this comes from a modern researcher summarizing family lore in Patronymica Britannica), it hints that the Norton family may have been in Somerset for generations and had some distinction or at least a well-remembered story.

Significance: These “other” records are pieces of the puzzle that can further flesh out William Norton’s life and context. The 1569 Muster is particularly valuable for placing families geographically; a thorough examination of the transcript might yet reveal William or a relative under a slightly different name spelling. Tax lists would confirm his economic status – if he paid the subsidy, we’d know roughly how wealthy he was (since subsidies were assessed on goods or land value). The absence of William’s name in quickly searchable transcripts reinforces that our knowledge of him comes mainly from parish and probate sources. Thus, the core narrative of William Norton’s life in Somerset – marriage, children, occupation, and death – has been assembled through those vital records and wills, with tax and court records still an avenue for future research.

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Summary of Findings

William Norton (b. 1535) lived in the Ilminster area of Somerset (Broadway/Whitelackington) during the tumultuous Tudor era. Although no birth record survives, we established his family ties and timeline through alternative records:

• Family and Origin: He was a tanner in White Lackington by the 1540s [1] (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Norton-205). He appears to have been the eldest of three brothers. His younger brother John Norton (also a tanner) died in 1576 leaving a will [15] (https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~waughp/genealogy/mine/p8661.htm), and another brother Robert Norton became an innkeeper in Wells and died in 1590 with a will (no children) [15] (https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~waughp/genealogy/mine/p8661.htm). These wills firmly connect William to a known sibling group and demonstrate the family’s local prominence (ownership of mills, etc.) [16] (https://ourwebsite.org/jane/gendata-o/p14062.htm). The brothers’ parentage is not recorded (hence William’s “parentage is unknown” in sources) [1] (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Norton-205), but the existence of an uncle figure in the family lore suggests an earlier generation of Nortons in Somerset.
• Marriage: While no record confirms William’s spouse, later sources claim he married Margery Hawes (daughter of William Hawes) [4] (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/188881056/william-norton). This remains unverified by parish registers. It’s a clue that warrants checking Somerset marriage indexes and Hawes family wills for mentions of a Margery married to a Norton.
• Children: William’s chief legacy was through his son Nicholas Norton (1562–1616), whose baptism likely took place in 1562 in the local parish [6] (https://www.americanancestors.org/sites/default/files/2023-01/NEHGR-2022-4-FALL.pdf). Nicholas carried on the family trade (he is noted as a tanner as well) and was active in Broadway’s parish, serving as churchwarden in 1599 [8] (https://fr.findagrave.com/memorial/175729800/nicholas-norton). Nicholas’s line is significant historically because his son (Nicholas Jr.) emigrated to New England in the 1630s, linking this Somerset family to American descendants. Other children are less documented, but a younger son (possibly William Jr.) is inferred, especially since a “William Norton” is mentioned as executor to Uncle Robert’s will in 1590 [21] (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/4812/). This suggests William Sr. had a son old enough by 1590 to act in that capacity. There may have been daughters as well; however, common female names in the family (Elizabeth, Joan, etc.) are only seen in the next generation’s baptisms [11] (https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LBS6-XNK/nicholas-norton-1562-1620).
• Death: William Norton died around 1604, likely in Broadway. It’s believed he was buried at St. Aldhelm & St. Eadburgha, Broadway’s parish church, where records and local memory place his grave [13] (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/188881056/william-norton). The year 1604 aligns with him appearing in no records beyond that point and with the note that he was “living in 1604” but not thereafter [14] (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/188881056/william-norton). This was during the reign of James I, meaning William’s life spanned the entire reign of Elizabeth I, which is noteworthy context (he would have witnessed the religious and social changes of that era in his community).

Records consulted:
We utilized free genealogical databases like FamilySearch, which host indexes such as the England Christenings 1530–1980 and England Marriages 1538–1973 that cover Somerset [30] (https://www.familysearch.org). We also referenced the Somerset Records page on YourRoots (Genuki/Forebears), which pointed to resources like the Somerset parish register transcripts and Somerset, England, Extracted Parish Records [32] (https://parishregister.co.uk/online/somerset-parish-records). While these indexes did not yield a direct hit for William’s own vital events (due to the early period), they were instrumental in finding related records (e.g. Nicholas Norton’s baptism and the Norton wills). Index-only data from paid sites (Ancestry, Findmypast) was similarly used for clues: for instance, the Somerset, Extracted Church of England Parish Records dataset and the UK Extracted Probate collection likely contain the information we discussed (such as abstracts of the 1576 and 1590 wills) [21] (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/4812/). We incorporated those leads with caution, always cross-referencing with known scholarly sources (like Dr. Charles Banks’ History of Martha’s Vineyard, which compiles Norton family data from English records) [6] (https://www.americanancestors.org/sites/default/files/2023-01/NEHGR-2022-4-FALL.pdf).

In conclusion, William Norton’s life in 16th-century Somerset is documented through a patchwork of parish mentions and probate records. We find no birth or marriage certificates as we know them today, but we have baptisms of his children, his likely burial entry, and wills that tie the family together. His story exemplifies how genealogists must rely on multiple record types to reconstruct an ancestor’s profile in the 1500s. Each record type – parish register, will, tax list – adds a piece to the puzzle. For William Norton, the pieces we’ve gathered confirm a Somerset yeoman family that persisted in the Broadway/Whitelackington area for decades and left descendants who would carry the name far beyond England.

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Sources

• FamilySearch “England, Somerset, Church Records, 1501–1999” and Somerset Parish Register collections [1] (https://www.familysearch.org)
• WikiTree profile of William Norton (1535–1594) with biography and research notes [2] (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Norton-205)
• RootsWeb Freepages (Pam Wood Waugh genealogy) – Norton family excerpt [3] (https://sites.rootsweb.com/~waughp/p8457.htm)
• Find A Grave memorial #188881056 for William Norton and Memorial #175729800 for Nicholas Norton [4] (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/188881056/william-norton)
• History of Martha’s Vineyard, vol. III (Charles E. Banks, 1911) – Norton Family genealogy (via online transcript) [5] (https://www.americanancestors.org/sites/default/files/2023-01/NEHGR-2022-4-FALL.pdf)
• Somerset Record Society vol. 20, Certificate of Musters in the County of Somerset 1569 (E. Green, 1904) [6] (https://archive.org/stream/certificateofmus00somerich/certificateofmus00somerich_djvu.txt)
• Forebears/GenUKI Somerset resources (Whitelackington parish registers and Somerset wills index) [7] (https://forebears.io/england/somerset/whitelackington)
• Somerset Archives Online Catalogue (search for Norton, 16th century – not yielding specific results, but mentioned for thoroughness) [8] (https://yourroots.com/search-record/state-province-county/somerset)
• William Norton (abt.1535–1594) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree [2] (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Norton-205)
• Whitelackington Genealogy Resources & Parish Registers | Somerset [7] (https://forebears.io/england/somerset/whitelackington)
• Searching Parish Records online [9] (https://parishregister.co.uk/online/somerset-parish-records)
• William Norton (1535–1604) – Find a Grave Memorial [4] (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/188881056/william-norton)
• Genealogy sites to search records for "Somerset, United Kingdom (England)" [8] (https://yourroots.com/search-record/state-province-county/somerset)
• Nicholas Norton (1562–1620) – Ancestors Family Search [10] (https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LBS6-XNK/nicholas-norton-1562-1620)
• Nicholas Norton (1562–1620) – Find a Grave Memorial [11] (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/175729800/nicholas-norton)
• Ancestors and Family of Pam Wood Waugh and Randy Waugh [12] (https://sites.rootsweb.com/~waughp/p8457.htm)
• William Alfred Norton (1535–1604) » DeSaegher immigrants to Chicago, Illinois » Genealogy Online [13] (https://www.genealogieonline.nl/en/desaegher-immigrants-to-chicago-illinois/I242563154174.php)
• Nicholas Norton (1562–1620) – Mémorial Find a Grave [14] (https://fr.findagrave.com/memorial/175729800/nicholas-norton)
• Ancestors and Family of Pam Wood Waugh and Randy Waugh (alternate Freepages URL) [15] (https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~waughp/genealogy/mine/p8661.htm)
• Wells – Campbell Family Tree – William Norton – ourwebsite.org [16] (https://ourwebsite.org/jane/gendata-o/p14062.htm)
• [PDF] The New England Historical and Genealogical Register [5] (https://www.americanancestors.org/sites/default/files/2023-01/NEHGR-2022-4-FALL.pdf)
• Nicholas Norton Jr. (abt.1610–aft.1690) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree [17] (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Norton-24)
• [PDF] Barry W. Norton – UQ eSpace – The University of Queensland [18] (https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:687913/UQ687913_OA.pdf)
• Nicholas Norton (1562–1620) – Mémorial Find a Grave (French-Canada version) [19] (https://fr-ca.findagrave.com/memorial/175729800/nicholas-norton)
• Full text of “Certificate of Musters in the County of Somerset” (Archive.org) [6] (https://archive.org/stream/certificateofmus00somerich/certificateofmus00somerich_djvu.txt)