William Norris (abt. 1775 - 1867)

Born about 1775 in Province of Massachusetts Bay

Husband of Elizabeth B. Austin — married 27 Mar 1808 in Farmington, Franklin, Maine, USA

Descendants

Died 8 May 1867 at about age 92 in East Livermore, Androscoggin, Maine, United States

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Biography

Birth

No record has been found of the birth of William Norris, and his ancestry is unknown (but see the Research Note below). In the 1850 census, he is shown as age 74, born in Massachusetts.^[1] Based on his age at his death from his gravestone, he was born about 1775.^[2]

Marriages

1. William Norris married Betsey Lombard. Their first known child was born on 18 Apr 1799.^[3]
2. On 15 Mar 1808, the town clerk of Livermore, Maine (then in Massachusetts) certified "that an intention of Marriage between Mr. William Norris of Livermore and Miss Betsy Austin of Farmington hath been entered with me fourteen Days prior of the Date hereof and has been published in Livermore as the Law Directs."^[4]

Military Service

During the War of 1812, William Norris served as a private in a militia company from Livermore, Maine, commanded by Captain Wlliam Morison.^[5]

Children

William and Betsey (Austin) Norris recorded two children at Livermore, Maine (then in Massachusetts).^[6] There is a gap in the Livermore vital records in the lists of births for many families starting in early 1812. For the other claimed children of William Norris, see the Research Note below.

1. Betsey Lamburd Norris, born on 24 Dec 1808
2. Polly Norris, born on 5 Oct 1810

Death

No record has been found of the death of William Norris. A gravestone at the Strickland Cemetery in Livermore Falls, Maine, says that he died on 8 May 1867 at the age if 92 years, (illegible) months, 25 days.^[2][7]

Research Note

William Norris' FindAGrave memorial^[8] includes this text, with no sources cited:

William was likely the son of Samuel Norris 1751-1838, who is buried in this same plot. Samuel's wife was was Jedidah Swift. William was married first to Betsey. They had five children born in Wayne from 1799 to 1805: Buler, Samuel, Gideon, Millie, and Millie's unnamed twin who died in infancy. William remarried to Elizabeth Austin in 1808. Aside from the children linked below, he was likely the father of Greenwood Norris 1823-1844, buried in this plot.

The memorial lists his children as follows (Polly, born in 1810, is not listed):

• Buler Norris
• Samuel Norris, 1800–1885
• Gideon Norris, 1803–1861
• Millie Norris
• unnamed twin of Millie Norris
• Betsey Lamburd Norris Beckler, 1808–1885
• William Norris, 1813–1892
• Alden Winfield Norris, 1815–1893
• Grafton Norris, 1817–1897
• Greenwood Norris, 1823–1844
• Sidney Gideon Norris, 1823–1865
• Sarah J. Norris Beckler, 1829–1916

The death record of Sarah says that she was born at Farmington, Maine, on 10 Oct 1829.^[9]

Sources

1. ↑ United States Census, 1850, database with images, FamilySearch, Maine > Kennebec > East Livermore > image 23 of 25 > William Norris household, family #182; citing NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Photo of gravestone of William Norris (Find A Grave: Memorial #130738326)
3. ↑ Maine Births and Christenings, 1739-1900, database, FamilySearch, Buler Norris, 1799
4. ↑ Vital Records of Livermore, Maine; "Livermore Vital Records, 1762-1810," unpaginated; FHL Microfilm 11332, image 300 of 718
5. ↑ Israel Washburn, Notes, Historical, Descriptive, and Personal of Livermore, in Androscoggin (Formerly in Oxford) County, Maine (Portland, Me., 1874), page 159
6. ↑ Vital Records of Livermore, Maine; Vital and town records, 1797-1910; "Livermore Vital Records, 1786-1840," page 11; FHL Microfilm 11332, Image 34 of 718
7. ↑ Maine, Faylene Hutton Cemetery Collection, ca. 1780-1990, database with images, FamilySearch, Nason - Norton > image 3335 of 3481; Maine State Library, Augusta.
8. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #130738326
9. ↑ Death record of Sarah J. (Norris) Beckler, in Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1920,, database with images, FamilySearch > Deaths > Deaths 1916 vol 1 no 1-6006 Boston > image 7 of 463; State Archives, Boston.