Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

John Oscar Norton was born in Montrose Scotland on 26th March 1838 the son of John Norton a Revenue Officer and Ann Norton(nee Binns). He joined the Royal Navy in 1853. He was present at the bombardment of Sveaburg in the Baltic in 1855-56 during the Crimean war and in 1857-60 was aboard the flagship Vesuvias during a punitive expedition up the river Scarcis on the west coast of Africa. Later he went to the Artic regions in search of Sir John Franklin with the expedition under Sir Leopold McClintock. 

On the 3rd October 1861 he married Emma Miller and they had eight children being John Leopold Norton Born 22nd November 1862 Died 16th August 1927, Charles Edward Norton Born 6th May 1866 Died ?, Lena Blanche Norton Born 4th April 1873 Died 4th April 1963, Ernest Claude Norton Born 6th January 1871 Died 18th June 1918, Frank Edgar Norton Born 31st December 1876 Died 5th December 1947, Emmy Marion Laura Norton Born 9th June 1864 Died 25th August 1875, Eliza Francis Norton 10th March 1868 Died 8th February 1870 and George Montem Norton Born 12th November 1878 Died 26th January 1884.

In 1861 he served as a clerk on board HMS Bulldog which was then engaged in surveying the northern route for the Atlantic cable. From 1862-1867 he was on board the Royal Yacht Osborne, and from 1867-1871 he occupied a post on the troopship Himalaya which conveyed the last English regiment from Australian shores in March 1868. In 1872 he was on board HMS Lord Clyde an ironclad that was wrecked at Pantaleria in the Mediterranean, while proceeding to the wreck of another vessel. From 1872-1874 he served as storekeeper on HMS Agincourt of the Channel Squadron and from 1875-1879 he was in the flagship Devonport. John Norton was present at the bombardment of Alexandria on the 11th July 1882 aboard Admiral Seymores Flagship HMS Alexandra and on returning to England he joined the school of gunners at Devonport until he served his connection with the Royal Navy and joined HMCS Protector travelling with his family on the ship to South Australia in 1884.

Upon arriving in Sth Australia he was given the position of Assistant  Paymaster on the Protector until 7th August 1900 when his son Ernest Claude Norton took over the role of paymaster. John Norton continued to stay in the Navy until 1906.

On the 18th June 1898 Johns wife Emma Norton died and was buried in the family plot at  Cheltenham Cemetery Adelaide. A few years later John Norton remarried Mary Ann. On the 22nd April 1915 John Oscar Norton passed away at the age of 77 years. He was given a Naval funeral with full honours. The service was conducted by Rev Canon Swan and had six pall bearers from the Naval Instructional Staff, with a number of the Royal Australian Navy Reserve as a guard of honour. Other attendees at the funeral were Warrant Officer Cameron, Capt Slane RAGA, Mr WJ Giddings SA Corp of Veterans Chairman. He was buried in the family plot a Cheltenham Cemetery Adelaide with his first wife (Row B, Path 27). His second wife Mary Norton died on the 28th September 1933 and was also buried in the family plot, his son John Leopold Norton is also buried in the family grave.

John Oscar Norton was awarded the Baltic Medal, Egypt Medal Alexandria Clasp, Khedives Star and Naval Long Service Good Conduct Medal.