| Note* | | The History of Martha's Vineyard by Dr. Charles Banks: Volume III Family Genealogies: pp. 341 - 382 THE NORTON FAMILY Documents of the 16th century show that a Norton family, tanners, livedat White Lackington, an adjoining hamlet of Broadway, and the fact thatNicholas Norton of Edgartown was a tanner is quite significant. WilliamNorton churchwarden of Ilminster in 1543, a still earlier record of thefamily in that vicinity. In those days occupations were continued infamilies from generation to generation. The first known ancestor of Nicholas Norton was WILLIAM NORTON, tanner,of White Lackington about 1540 described as the eldest of the family, buthis parentage is unknown. He had two younger brothers, JOHN, also atanner who made his will in 1576, and ROBERT NORTON, who took up hisresidence in the cathedral city of Wells where he followed the occupationof innholder and was at the date of his death (1590) without issue. Heleft considerable property to his nephews. WILLIAM NORTON of White Lackington was born abt. 1535 and was living in1604 in Broadway. He had among other children two sons, namely: I. NICHOLAS, b. 1562. II. WILLIAM, executor of the will of his uncle, Robert of Wells.1 |