Thomas, the father of Fletcher and William, died 22 February 1719. 

Birth Edward Norton brother

Promoted Commander 1755, Nov 4

On board ship HMS Prince

Command of HMS Cruizer

Promoted Captain 1756, Nov 15 Captain William Norton appointed in command of HMS Amazon 15 Nov 1756.

Start of the 7 Years War with France

1757
June 9

HMS Amazon began victualling 9 Jun 1757.

Capt William Norton in command of the HMS Amazon captured 26 pirate ships while on station in the Carribean. Click here for a list of ships Captured by Capt William Norton on the "Amazon"

The AMAZON under Captain William Norton is noted as among the ships on the
Leeward Islands station under Moore and Sir James Douglas from 1757 to 1760
but her activities are not singled out for special mention in Beatson's "Naval and Military Memoirs"; this is not remarkable as there were six frigates on the station and a large number of captures were made by the cruisers.

Captain of the "Assistance" ,
Left Portsmouth April 17, 1761 to escort 100 merchant ships to Virginia.

Returned to England Dec 1761 in escort of 100 merchant ships from Virginia.

Fletcher - constituted -- December 1761 solicitor general to the king.

Knighted

1761 elected to represent the borough of Wigan in the county palatine of Lancaster.

Captain "William & Mary" yacht 

According to David Lyon, the WILLIAM AND MARY was under great repair 1764/5 at Deptford.

William, son of Fletcher, posted February 1765 his majesty's minister plenipotentiary to the Swiss cantons

resigned as attorney general, July 1765

"William & Mary" yacht  The only voyage was from the Thames via Harwich to Rotterdam in Sept 1776.

Elizabeth (mother of Fletcher and William) died 10 September 1774

Re-elected in the year 1774 as Speaker of the house of Commons.

Elected to represent represent the borough of Guildford in the county of Surrey

Fletcher - Removed as Speaker March 20, 1780.

Elected to represent the borough of Guildford in the county of Surrey.

... why was not the Great Seal given to Sir Fletcher Norton, who had become a favourite with the Rockingham Whigs, and was most eager for judicial elevation? The King, no doubt, was desirous that Thurlow should still be the "Keeper of his conscience," so that he might have a "friend" in the Cabinet; but his wishes at that moment might easily have been controlled. I suspect that the Shelburne and Rockingham sections continued distinct even at the formation of the government, Dunning belonging to the former, and Norton to the latter, and that neither would agree to the appointment of the other's lawyer to the woolsack. This jealousy was openly manifested in a few days, for, although it be the province of the prime minister to "take the King's pleasure" with respect to the creation of peers, Dunning was made Baron Ashburton on the advice of Lord Shelburne, without the knowledge of Lord Rockingham; whereupon Lord Rockingham immediately insisted that Norton should be made Baron Grantley. Thus the Great Seal remained in the clutch of Thurlow, who hated all Whigs of all degrees with a most perfect hatred, and could not possibly be expected cordially to act in a Government founded on principles which he had uniformly and vehemently opposed.