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Robert Norden, Rev 
... unknown Norden
... ...Christopher Norton .17148 England
... ... 1st wife Anne unknown
... ... ... John Norton b. 1738 New Kent, VA
... ... .... Mary unknown
... ... ... ... children:
... ... ... ... Sarah Norton b.1758
... ... ... ... John Norton b. 1759
... ... ... ... James Norton b. 1761
... ... ... ... unknown Norton b. abt 1762
... ... ... ... .David Norton b. 1763 Fluvanna, VA
... ... ... ... .Thomas Norton b. 1765
... ... ... ... .Elizabeth Norton b.1769, VA
... ... ... ... .Milly Norton b.1774 Fluvanna, VA

... ...Christopher Norton .17148 England
... ... 2nd wife Mary Emmerson b.1735 VA
... ... ... Thomas Norton b1753 Goochand, VA
... ... ... William Norton b1754 Goochland, VA
... ... ... Martha Norton b1756 Goochland, VA
>
We have established a DNA signature confirming the relationship of this family

David Norton, son of Christopher Norton of Fluvanna, VA.
Sophia Fancher b. abt.1764 d. 1823, Grant, KY
Married abt.1763 Washington, VA
SamuelNorton b. 1785 Sevier, TN m. Nancy Jones, Bourbon, KY, 1808 d.1819 Family stayed in Bourbon, KY
John N. Norton b. 1785, Sevier, TN m.Mary (Polly) Benefield 1805 Ohio Moved to Henry, IN
Mary Norton b. 1788 Sevier, TN
Sophia Norton b. 1790Sevier, TN
Henry Norton b. 1791 Bourbon, KY m.Betsy Ann Wright, Pendleton,KY 1812. Henry died in 1831
Sally Norton b.1793; Ohio, m. Jacob Ashcraft in Pendleton 1817. This family stayed in Grant, KY
Rachel Norton b. 1795
David Norton Jr. b. 29 Oct 1796 Pendleton, KY married Elizabeth Benefield 1820 in Fayette, IN. Moved to Henry, IN
Girl Norton b. 1799 Ohio, This child shows in 1810 census.
Girl Norton b. 1801 Ohio, This child shows in 1810 census.
Hiram Norton b. 1803 Ohio, married Lydia Ashcraft in Pendleton 1833. Hiram purchased land just north of David Sr.
James Norton b.8 Oct, 1808 Pendleton, KY, This child shows in 1810 census.

10 Generations in America

Sources
1763 May

David Norton was born in 1763 in Fluvanna, VA according the his Revolutionary War record recently discovered.

David Norton aged 17 was 5 foot 4 and 1/2 inches tall. He had dark hair, Blue eyes and a Fair completion. He had a scar on the left side of his jaw. His occupation was given as a "Planter" from Virginia, Fluvana County. He was born in Virginia, Fluvana County and was a substitute for a man in Amherst County. He entered the service on the 18th of May 1780 and served 1 Year and 6 months.

The Norton family seems to have been living in Fluvanna since 1763. We have numerous records of their activity in this area.

1780

All of the original sources for David's family mention that there were 5 brothers that served in the Revolution. We have records for John, James and David. In addition one brother was captured in SC and died on a prison ship in Charleston Harbor. Another brother we believe to be Thomas moved to SC. James and David both joined when they turned 17. It is known that James and John Norton were at the battle of Yorktown.

1782
December

David Norton is on the tax rolls of Washington, VA for 1782 with just himself 5 horses and 4 cattle. (he would be 19) Also in his precinct is Jospeh Slaughter. The land owners around him have a lot of property and slaves. A number of men from Rockingham are said to have come to washington in 1782. There is a George Norton on the 1810 census for Washington, VA. He has a mature family and is not the same family.

This land is situated at the opening of the Cumberland Gap, the only route into Kentucky. David has a lot of horses and it suggests that he was engaged in transporting emigrants into Kentucky since the trail would not allow wagons. This same year James (brother of David) is at the Battle of Blue Licks in Kentucky which indicates the Norton family was involved with Kentucky from an early time. Given James close relationship with Daniel Boone and that Boonseville is situated 2 miles from Nortonsville in Virginia, we might surmise that the Nortons were instrumental to development of KY. Another brother, Thomas also had land in this area before he died and it was sold.

David Norton land in Washington, VA
The Washington County Surveyors Records
http://www.rootsweb.com/~varussel/landgrants/washcosurvbk.html
See http://www.ls.net/~newriver/va/washsurv.htm “The Washington County
Surveyors Record 1781-1797”, pg. 411

Page 144 - David Norton, assignee of Robert Preston...50 ac...Treasury Warrant...in the Elk Valley on the waters of the north fork of Holston River...December 6, 1782 - This plat is taken into Joseph Slaughters survey and void -treasury warrant #6965

Thomas Norton, assigned to Sebens Main [Sibius/Sibens elsewhere]- 42 ac - treasury warrant #8175 dated February 2, 1782 - on a branch of the south fork of Holstein River - in a valley on an old waggon road - in flatwoods - in Zackens Cole's survey - to Eleazer Cole's land - March 28, 1794

Page 428 - Sibens Main - 280 ac - treasury warrant #8176 dated February 2, 1782 - on the waters of Cove Creek and red stone on the north side of the Iron Mountain - supposed to be joining Timothy Parker's entry - April 9, 1795

John Shannon that James Norton substituted for had treasury warrant #8129

Page 409 - Nancy, Margret & Mary Fugate - 350 ac- treasury warrants - on the head waters of Cack? Creek the waters of Holstein River - corner to Thomas Elliott's land - corner to Davie's land - 200 ac by warrant #20476 and 100 ac by warrant #8473 and 50
ac by warrant #6965 - August 11, 1793

Page 414 - Chesley Lee - 30 ac - treasury warrant #6965 - on the waters of the north fork of Holstein River - on Berry Keywood's line - corner to John Lee's land - February 14, 1794
http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/va/washington/deeds/surv1005.txt

1783

David Norton marries Sophia Fancher. David is 21 years old. We get the name of David's wife from David Norton Jr. who filled out several family history records. This date is calculated from the birth dates of Samuel and John H Norton.

*Melissa Orsevi is on several family group sheets as a wife of David Norton. This is not a wife of David Norton. We have tracked down the source to an erroroneous family group sheet submitted. In addition we have proved it with DNA testing.

David moves with the Fancher family to Fancher, Sevier, TN.
Fancher, TN was later renamed Pigeon Forge in Sevier county, TN. There is a Norton Branch of the river in this valley that connects where the Fanchers lived. David's surviving brothers emigrated to Bourbon, KY at this time. Later John Fancher would move move to Bourbon, KY with David and Sophia in 1791.

1785 Samuel Norton is born in Sevier, TN
1788 John H. Norton is born in Sevier, TN from 1850 census.
1788 Mary Norton is born in Sevier, TN. This date is calculated from the indenture record of David and Sophia's oldest daughter Mary in Bourbon, KY 1798.
1789 Sophia Norton is born, in Sevier, TN. Birth date is calculated.
1790

The Census of 1790 shows David Norton in Claremont, SC. Claremont is a county that has since been lost in boundary changes. It existed for just a short time and is about 40 miles east of Horry County, SC. We have determined that none of this Nortonfamily actually lived in SC. The Sellers History is in error.

David Norton 1 free white male over 16 and 3 free white females including heads of households.

1791

David locates to Kentucky March of 1791 he is on the tax rolls of Bourbon, KY.

In July of 1791 he signs as a bondsman for his brother John to buy land southeast of Paris, KY.

Henry Norton is born 1791 in Bourbon, KY.

1792 Tax rolls of Bourbon, KY show David with 1 horse 2 cattle. The date of the tax record indicates David James and John Norton are living close together.
1793
May 24

David Norton sells land in Washington, VA

Page 408 - Joseph Frost, assignee of David Norton - 50 ac - at the foot of the big knob Elk Valley branch the waters of the north fork of Holstein River - beginning on the north side of said knob near the head of the branch -treasury warrant #6965 - May 24, 1793

Tax rolls of Bourbon, KY show John w/ 6 horses 12 cattle; James w/ 1 horse 3 cattle and David just on the roll.

1794
November

David Norton is named as one of two securities for Margaret Fousher (Fancher?) to settle the estate of John Fousher (Fancher?) deceased. November Court for 1794 on page 92

John Norton is also ordered as an appraiser of the personal estate of John Fousher (Fancher?). November Court for 1794 on page 92

This appears to be the brother of David's wife Sophia Fancher. It also explains how David Norton went from nothing to tax in 1793 to 1 harse and 11 cattle in 1795. The estate of his wife's parents may have also fueled David's move to Pendleton, KY in 1796.

David Frashur (Fancher?) is listed on the Bourbon Co. Tax Rolls 6/1791 the same time as David and John show up there.

1795 Tax rolls of Bourbon, KY show John w/ 6 horses 11 cattle 140 acres; James w/ 2 horse 2 cattle and David w/ 1 horse 11 cattle.
1796

David Norton Jr. is born in Campbell/Pendleton, KY October 29, 1796.

David Norton moves to Pendleton, Kentucky from Bourbon, KY. Pendleton is just north from the Norton homestead in Bourbon, Kentucky following the Stoney river as it flows north.

John Norton of Grant county, KY and David Norton not brothers
It has been accepted that the John and David Norton mentioned in the records of Pendleton and Grant counties were brothers or perhaps father and son.  However a letter surfaced written by George H. Norton, the grandson of John Norton of Grant county, that lists the children of John and mentions that he had only one brother Nathaniel.  David Norton is no where included in this letter. David's brother, John Norton remains in Bourbon, KY until he dies in 1814. 

Since the author of the letter was personally acquainted with all of the people he mentions, we are left to give his information great credence.  However, John and David moved and worked together in this area of Kentucky and so it is assumed at this time they were cousins.  The letter mentions that John's father probably came from England and David's father also came from England.

In addition we have DNA tests from decendants of both of these families proving they are not related.

Changes in Campbell, Pendleton and Grant Co., KY 
First it needs to be noted that the area that David Norton lived in began as Campbell county until Pendleton was formed in 1798.  Pendleton was divided and the Norton land ended up in Grant county in 1820, so we are dealing with records from 3 counties.
3 Map 2 shows how Campbell-Pendleton-Grant counties intersect.
cmbl_2_grant.jpg (16783 bytes)

David Norton first appeared in Campbell county in 1796.  David Sr. has a son born in 1796 here.  note 3 Map 2 shows how these counties intersect.

Campbell County, KY formed in 1795


Pendleton County, KY created in 1799

 

1798

In October 1798 he indentures his oldest daughter ,Mary Norton abt 10 to Jas. Fulton to learn House wifery in back in Bourbon county.

1798-1809

The only thing we know about David between 1798 and 1810 is that he spent some time in Ohio and possibly Indiana. He has two sons, Hiram born in Ohio 1803, James b.1808 and two daughters in Ohio. We do not yet know the names of the daughters.

1807 David Norton is listed in the Indiana census of 1807.

In 1806 the General Assembly of the Indiana Territory passes a resolution: to enable the Governor of this territory, for equal representation to the general assembly. The sheriffs of the counties of Dearborn,Clark, Knox and Randolph (Illinois). Take a list of all the free males 21 years and older, and return to list to the secretary of the state on or before the June 1st 1807.

Dearborn County included an area from Ft. Recovery, Ohio south west to Madison,Indiana. Currently includes all or part of Wayne, Franklin, Union, Fayette, Dearborn, Ohio, Rush and Switzerland Counties.

 

1810

David aquires 3000 Acres in Pendleton, Kentucky

In 1810 David Norton shows up in Pendleton County paying taxes on 3000 acres of land. This land is situated just southeast of present day Williamstown in Grant county. David began improving the land, pushing through a road to Paris and selling off peices.

The records from here will show John/Grant and David Norton. John/Grant is John Norton of Grant County. this is a separate Norton family that came out of Loudon, VA.

- John/Grant 200 acres, no slaves         
-
David 3,000 acres 3 horses
               

This is a busy year for John and David Norton.  David probably bought land late 1809, but certainly was in Pendleton by February.  How did David acquire 3000 acres?  From the location of the property and David's circumstances it is probable that he bought them with a bond.  This type of transaction was often not recorded.  Since his loss of the land coincides with the death of his brother in Bourbon, it is possible that his brother, with much more property, signed on the bond.

February court, William Norton, son of John Norton is appointed a hand on Burton road.  John Norton is appointed along with Lewis Buskirk and Jedidiah Ashcraft, a commissioner to lay out a road from the county line as far as David Norton’s on the east side of the Dry Ridge road.               

May court, John Norton along with William Mountjoy, Denis Conyers, and Thomas Hawkins are appointed to lay out a road from William Arnold’s to Bourbon Road near Denis Conyers property.  This road will also run through David Norton’s property.               

June 16, 1810 the road from William Arnold’s to Bourbon Road is laid out.  It will go from “Arnold’s lane and taking a ridge to Fork Lick thence crossing and taking a point and following into an old trace and following the same to another creek, thence taking a point and following a marked way to Conyers and through his lane striking the Bourbon trace near Jacob Wingate’s fence going through the lands of Denis Conyers, David Norton and William Arnold.” David Norton signed off on this road which seems to put his land south of Falmouth on the way to Paris?               

August court record, John is again surveyor on the Dry Ridge road from Lewis Buskirk’s to James Theobald’s.               

September court record, David Norton is assigned to work on the new road to Bourbon road.               

November court record, John posts bond of $1400 as administrator of John Doty’s estate sale.  Also a mill is authorized along with a dam on the Big Eagle Creek. for John Norton.               

The land that David had in Pendleton/Grant 1810-1813.

The survey he had was granted to William Meriweather very early. It is in
the very south east portion of Grant County today. His neighbor was Denis Conyers. Hmmm sound familiar? Conyers is the name that Norton came from in England.

Of course Meriweather is of the famous Meriweathers of Ablemarle, VA. This family was a charter member of the Loyal Adventure that began mapping Kentucky around 1759. This survey had many problems and was challenged (and lost) to just about everybody. But in 1810 there was just David, Wiliam Arnold and Denis Conyers. This land was almost certainly aquired by bond. If the terms of the bond were never fulfilled no land was conveyed and most often the bond was not recorded, thus no record.

The other survey that relates to this property is Bernard Todd of Charolotte, VA. Bernard was highly political; a delegate of the Democratic (Jefferson) party in 1800 held in Charlottesville. A son? John Todd was killed at Blue Licks, so there may be an association there with James Norton. The Todd's show up in Fayette in 1787 Tax rolls with John Norton.

This land is connected to Ablemarle directly. David aquired it to develope and sell based on family connections in Ablemarle, not Kentucky. The Meriweathers that claimed this survey were centered in Ablemarle and Montgomery County, TN (borders Todd County, KY) Possibly Todd family connections played a role in this. The Todd family is well placed also. I think this is Mary Todd Lincoln's family. They were out of Lexington at that time.

The names associated with David's land are just what you would expect from an important Norton family in Fluvanna/Ablemarle. David certainly had to have pull to get 3000 acres.

His son Henry purchased land in the middle of Grant and very near the county line with Pendleton. He built a mill there and is connected to the Dry Ridge Rd by the Norton Mill Road. It only goes to Norton's Mill. Henry is situated next to Ashcrafts and Billiters. His sister Sally married an Ashcraft.

Hiram bought 100 acres about 5 miles north of Henry's Mill next to John Baker's 200 acrer and lives amoung more Ashcrafts and Buskirks. I wonder how John Baker is related to Adam Baker/Sarah Norton? Baker's also were in Fayette 1787.

Both John/Grant and David Norton show up near Falmouth in Pendleton, KY in 1796. Actually there was no Pendleton until 1798, it was Campbell county. John/Grant loses his wife and remarries a widow Glaves. He leaves Pendleton for Campbell and further north in 1806 and returns to Pendleton/Grant in 1809. Rather closely correlating with David Norton who leaves from Falmouth sometime after 1796 going north and returns to Pendleton/Grant in 1810. Taking up the 3000 acres 15 miles south of John/Grant.

1811

- John/Grant 200 acres, 2 slaves     
-
David 3000 acres               

January court, John Norton is appointed on a commission to settle the estate of Anthony Kindle who is deceased.               

March court, John is the clerk of the estate sale for Moses Doty. David Norton appears before the court.  “At the motion of David Norton, who represented to this court, that he had through a mistake, given to the commissioners of the taxable property, more land than he was entitled to pay taxes for.  Therefore it is ordered he be exempt from paying for more land than he has a title for which he represents I to be 3000 acres.”

August court, John loses an appeal from David Cooper and pays $15 plus expenses.  This suit is related to the estate of John Doty.

September 11, 1811 Mary Norton (daughter of John Norton) marries Lawrence Buskirk.

November court, John is paid $2 for his two days as clerk of the election.  The other clerk is Michael Glaves.

1812

- John/Grant 200 acres, 2 slaves.      
- David 2282 acres)

No court records for John or David.

David Norton sells off 178 acres. 

August 16, Henry Norton marries Betsy Ann Wright.

August 29, David Norton Jr., Henry Norton sons of David Norton, and William Norton, son of John Norton, sign on in the Kentucky Mounted Volunteer Militia commanded by Col. William Mountjoy.  David is 16, Henry 22, William 20. November 5, Muster out of the Mounted Volunteers.  They traveled all the way to Canada and back.

1813

- John/Grant 200 acres, 2 slaves  
- David 2404 acres 
Henry Norton on tax rolls (David Norton's son)   
            

August court, David is assigned a hand on the new road to Bourbon.

David sells another 418 acres.               

October  John/Grant Norton marries for a 3rd time. Nancy Hemmingway.

1814

David Norton and John Norton of Bourbon, KY die.

In March of 1814 there was a spotted fever epidemic in Lexington that probably killed David's brother, John in April of 1814 Bourbon KY. Possibly the same plague killed David. There is no estate sale and no record of David's death. One ancestor suggested in the Barton papers that he is buried near Lexington, KY. The death of the two brothers must have been devastating The land that David is developing reverts to the owner and his family has no place to live.

David's Family at his death.

Samuel Norton - d.1819 in Bourbon, KY Family stayed in Bourbon, KY
John N. Norton
- married.Mary (Polly) Benefield 1805 Ohio Moved to Henry, IN in 1819
Mary Norton
- probably married - no info
Sophia Norton
- probably married - no info
Henry Norton
- married Betsy Ann Wright in Pendleton, 1812. He was 22 at David's death and married only 2 years.
Sally Norton - 14 years old, married Jacob Ashcraft in Pendleton 1817. this family all stayed in Grant county.
Rachel Norton - 19 years old
David Norton Jr.
- 18 years old
Girl Norton
- 15 years old
Girl Norton
- 13 years old
Hiram Norton
- 11 years old, married Lydia Ashcraft in Pendleton 1833. Hiram purchased land just north of David Sr. and lived in Grant county his whole life.
James Norton - is just 6 years old.

 

Census:
===========================
-- 1790 Census - Clermont, SC (David Norton 1 free white male over 16 and 3 free white females including heads of households.)
-- 1791 March reconstructed KY census - David Norton
-- 1800 David not listed in Kentucky
-- 1807 David Norton is listed in the Indiana census of 1807. Military district included a little part of Ohio by Cincinatti. "In 1806 the General Assembly of the Indiana Territory passes a resolution: to enable the Governor of this territory, for equal representation to the general assembly. The sheriffs of the counties of Dearborn,Clark, Knox and Randolph (Illinois). Take a list of all the free males 21 years and older, and return to list to the secretary of the state on or before the June 1st 1807. There are no known copy of the Clark County census taken in 1806, there are copies of the voters list for this county for the same year. Dearborn County included an area from Ft. Recovery, Ohio south west to Madison,Indiana. Currently includes all or part of Wayne, Franklin, Union, Fayette, Dearborn, Ohio, Rush and Switzerland Counties.

-- 1810 US Census for Pendleton Co., KY
David Norton and his wife at 45+,
16-26 ------------- b.1784-1794
2 boys Henry-19 b.1791, John-17 b.1793
2 girls Mary-21 b.1789, Sophia-20 b.1790
10-16 ------------ b.1795-1800
2 girls Rachel-12 b.1798, Sally-11 b.1797
(No room for David 14 b.1796)
1-10 ------------- 1800-1810
2 boys (missing boy possibly David), Hiram 7 b.1803
2 girls (missing girl) and (missing girl)
-- 1820

Tax Records
====================
1782 - Washington, VA David 5 horses and 4 cattle
1791 - Bourbon, KY March
1792 - Bourbon, KY David with 1 horse 2 cattle.
1793 - Bourbon, KY David no cattle or horse.
1794 - Bourbon, KY David no cattle or horse.
1795 - Bourbon, KY David 1 horse and 11 cattle
1796 - Campbell, KY David
1797 - Campbell, KY
1798 - OH (I think there is a tax record for David in Campbell saying he left the county)
1799 - OH
1800 - OH
1801 - OH
1802 - OH
1803 - OH
1804 - OH
1805 - OH
1806 - OH
1807 - OH
1808 - OH
1809 - OH
1810 - Pendleton, KY David 3000 acres 3 horses
1811 - Pendleton, KY David 3000 acres 3 horses
1812 - Pendleton, KY David 2822 acres 3 horses
1813 - Pendleton, KY David 2404 acres 3 horses
1814 - no record for David. William Norton is delinquent in Pendleton and gone to OH.
1815 - Pendleton, KY John Norton 1-0-0, 230 acres, Forklick, McMullin, Capt. Smith. (This John Norton is probably the son of David Norton)

Court Record
=====================
1794 Bourbon, KY - David Norton is named as one of two securities for Margaret Fousher (Fancher?) to settle the estate of John Fousher (Fancher?) deceased. November Court for 1794 on page 92. John Norton is also ordered as an appraiser of the personal estate of John Fousher (Fancher?). November Court for 1794 on page 92

1798 Bourbon - October 1798 he indentures his oldest daughter ,Mary Norton abt 10 to Jas. Fulton to learn House wifery in back in Bourbon county. (James Fulton, married Mary Reese, 29 Jan 1798 Kentucky, Bourbon County. It looks like James just got married. If his first child was due in November, he might have been looking for some help. (At the same time that William Farneys' estate in Rockingham was proved, John Fulton's estate was proved suggesting the Nortons and Fultons traveled to Bourbon, KY together. James Fulton is listed on the 1788 Fayette, KY tax census. (1781--November 26th, Sarah, daughter of Thomas Norton, to be bound. Thomas Hewit qualifies Sheriff. Daniel Smith's will proved. John Fulton's estate granted widow Gennet. William Farney's estate granted Jno. Norton, brother to widow.)

1810 Pendleton -
-- February court, William Norton, son of John Norton is appointed a hand on Burton road. John Norton is appointed along with Lewis Buskirk and Jedidiah Ashcraft, a commissioner to lay out a road from the county line as far as David Norton's on the east side of the Dry Ridge road.

-- May court, John Norton along with William Mountjoy, Denis Conyers, and Thomas Hawkins are appointed to lay out a road from William Arnold's to Bourbon Road near Denis Conyers property. This road will also run through David Norton's property.

-- June 16, 1810 the road from William Arnold's to Bourbon Road is laid out. It will go from "Arnold's lane and taking a ridge to Fork Lick thence crossing and taking a point and following into an old trace and following the same to another creek, thence taking a point and following a marked way to Conyers and through his lane striking the Bourbon trace near Jacob Wingate's fence going through the lands of Denis Conyers, David Norton and William Arnold." David Norton signed off on this road which seems to put his land south of Falmouth on the way to Paris?

-- September court record, David Norton is assigned to work on the new road to Bourbon.

1811 Pendleton, KY
-- March court, John is the clerk of the estate sale for Moses Doty. David Norton appears before the court. "At the motion of David Norton, who represented to this court, that he had through a mistake, given to the commissioners of the taxable property, more land than he was entitled to pay taxes for. Therefore it is ordered he be exempt from paying for more land than he has a title for which he represents I to be 3000 acres."