supervised the building of new fortifications. In 1593, when the town was believed to be seriously menaced, Elizabeth sent him an encouraging letter in her own hand, addressing him as ‘Ned’ (Motley, iii. 267–8). But the danger passed away, and he was at court again in December 1593. The visit was repeated four years later, when he and Sir Francis Vere were ‘gallantly followed by such as profess arms’ (cf. Birch, i. 146; Sydney Papers, ii. 66, 78). In September 1599 the queen recalled him to comfort his parents for the recent loss of three of their sons, and he does not seem to have resumed his post abroad (ib. ii. 120).
On settling again in England Norris was granted by his mother some small property at Englefield, Berkshire, with the manor of Shinfield and much neighbouring land. Norris resided at Englefield in a house which must be distinguished from the chief mansion there, which was in the occupation of the Paulet family. He married on 17 July 1600, and in October 1600 he presented himself to the queen after his marriage. Dudley Carleton [q. v.], who had been in his service as private secretary at Ostend, remained for a time a member of his household, and many references to his domestic affairs appear in the letters of Carleton's gossiping correspondent, John Chamberlain [q. v.] On 27 May 1601 Chamberlain wrote that Norris was dangerously sick. He was noted ‘of late,’ he added, ‘to make money by all means possible, as though he had some great enterprise or purchase in his head’ (Chamberlain, Letters, p. 109). In September 1601 Norris entertained the queen at dinner at Englefield, and Elizabeth was well pleased with the entertainment (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1601–3, p. 113).
The Christmas of 1602 Norris kept in great state in London, and was ‘much visited by cavaliers’ (ib. p. 285). He died in October 1603, and was buried on the 15th at Englefield. A statue of him adorns the Norris monument in Westminster Abbey. His nephew Francis [q. v.] succeeded to his estates. His wife Elizabeth, by whom he had no issue, was the rich widow of one Webb of Salisbury. She was a distant cousin of his own, being daughter of Sir John Norris of Fyfield, Berkshire [see under Norris, Henry, Baron Norris of Rycote, ad fin.]. Lady Norris, after Sir Edward's death, married in 1604 Thomas Erskine, first viscount Fenton and earl of Kellie [q. v.], and, dying on 28 April 1621, was buried at Englefield.
[Kerry's Hist. of Bray, 1861, p. 120 sq.; Lee's Hist. of Thame; O'Byrne's Representative Hist. of Great Britain, pt. ii., Berkshire, 1848; Dugdale's Baronage; Lysons's Berkshire in Magna Britannia, vol. i. pt. ii. p. 275; Motley's Hist. of the Dutch Republic, and of the United Netherlands; Churchyard's Discourse of the Netherlands, 1602; cf. Winwood's Memorials, iii. 45; authorities cited.]
NORRIS, EDWARD (1584–1659), New England divine, born in 1584, was son of Edward Norris, vicar of Tetbury, Gloucestershire. He matriculated at Oxford from Balliol College on 30 March 1599, and graduated B.A. from Magdalen Hall on 23 Jan. 1606–7 and M.A. on 25 Oct. 1609. At Tetbury and Horsley, Gloucestershire, where he lived successively as a schoolmaster as well as a clergyman, his puritanism subjected him to much persecution. At length his persistence in shipping off to New England those of his parishioners who declined to conform, brought him under the unfavourable notice of Laud, and in 1639 he had himself to seek refuge in America. On 18 March 1640 he was chosen pastor of Salem Church, Massachusetts. He was tolerant, declined to join in the persecution of the Gortonists or anabaptists, and, when a severe code of church discipline was adopted by the assembly of ministers in 1648, persevered in his own rules of conduct for the Salem church. During the witchcraft delusion of 1651–4, he used his influence to resist the persecutions. He wrote, however, in favour of making war against the Dutch settlers (letter dated 3 May 1653 in Hazard, Hist. Coll. ii. 256).
Norris died in 1659. By his wife Eleanor he had a son Edward (1615–1684), schoolmaster at Salem 1640–76, and a daughter Mary (Savage, Genealog. Dict. iii. 288).
While he remained in England Norris distinguished himself as an uncompromising opponent of John Traske [q. v.] and his followers. He published:
- ‘Prosopopœia,’ 4to, 1634; answered by Rice Boye in ‘The Importunate Begger,’ 4to, 1635.
- ‘That Temporal Blessings are to be asked with submission to the Will of God,’ 8vo, London, 1636.
- ‘The New Gospel not the True Gospel; or, a Discovery of the Life and Death, doctrine, and doings of Mr. John Traske … as also a confutation of the uncomfortable error of Mr. Boye concerning the Plague,’ 4to, London, 1638.
He often spelled his name ‘Norice’ or ‘Norrice.’
[Felt's Eccl. Hist. of New England; Felt's Annals of Salem; Winthrop's Hist. of New England (ed. Savage).]
NORRIS, EDWARD (1663–1726), physician, born in 1663, fifth son of Thomas Norris of Speke, Lancashire, and younger brother of Sir William Norris [q. v.], graduated B.A.
