Author: Norris, Henry
Biography:
NORRIS, Henry (1752-1823: ancestry.co.uk)
He was born on 30 May 1752 at Taunton, Somerset, the son of William Norris and his wife Betty Brown, who had married in 1746. He was educated at the Grammar School, Taunton, from 1764. He does not appear to have gone to Oxford or Cambridge. He married Catherine Baker on 26 Dec. 1785 at Martock, Somerset. They had a daughter, Catherine Agnes, in 1786. His wife died the following year and he then married her sister Charlotte Baker on 13 July 1788 at Saint Sidwell, Exeter, Devon. They had at least three sons, one of whom, Hugh (1790-1840), became a surgeon and another, George Baker (1792-1829), entered the Established Church. He died at the home of another son, Henry, at South Petherton on 6 Apr. 1823 and was buried at St. James’s, Taunton. His former pupils subscribed to a marble monument in the church, which honoured his teaching abilities and knowledge of twenty-four languages. Two newspaper death notices state that he was Master of the Grammar School at Taunton for nearly forty years. His poetry listed here appears not to have made much of an impression and he was mostly known for his teaching, linguistic ability, and antiquarian interests. (ancestry.co.uk 8 Jun. 2022; Bath Chronicle 17 Apr. 1823; H. St. George Gray, “The ‘Norris Collection’ in Taunton Castle Museum” at sanhs.org; N&Q 15 Mar. 1913; “List of Memorials” [no. 35] at stjamestaunton.org) AA