William Norris (judge)
Sir William Norris (6 July 1795 – 7 September 1859) was the seventh Chief Justice of Ceylon and seventh Advocate Fiscal of Ceylon.
Sir William Norris | |
|---|---|
| 7th Chief Justice of Ceylon | |
| In office 27 April 1836 – 1837 | |
| Appointed by | Robert Wilmot-Horton |
| Preceded by | Charles Marshall |
| Succeeded by | Anthony Oliphant |
| Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Ceylon | |
| In office 1834 – 27 April 1836 | |
| 7th Advocate Fiscal of Ceylon | |
| In office 28 February 1829 – 1833 | |
| Preceded by | Henry Matthews |
| Succeeded by | William Ogle Carr |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 7 July 1795[1] London, England[2] |
| Died | 7 September 1859 (aged 64)[3] Ashurst Lodge, Sunningdale, Berkshire, England |
| Spouse(s) | Fearne Kinnear (m. 1829) |
| Children | 2, including William Edward Norris |
He was born in London, the son of William Norris, who was President of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1824, and his wife, Hannah Phillips. He was baptised in Bray, Berkshire at two weeks old.[1] He studied law at the Middle Temple and was called to the bar in 1827. He moved to India in 1829 to practice there.
He was knighted by letters patent in 1835 and appointed a puisne judge in Ceylon.[4] He was promoted to Chief Justice of Ceylon on 27 April 1836, succeeding Charles Marshall, holding the post until 1837. He was succeeded by Anthony Oliphant.[5][6] Norris was appointed despite William Rough having served on the bench since 1831, as acting puisne justice, senior puisne justice and as acting chief justice.[7]
His son was the author William Edward Norris. His daughter Anne Grace Norris married the future Governor Arthur Havelock.[7]
References
- England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
- 1851 England Census
- "Deaths". The Times. The Times Digital Archive. 9 September 1859. p. 1.
- Dod, Charles. The Peerage, Baronetage, and Knightage of Great Britain and Ireland. p. 418.
- "Overview". Judicial Service Commission Secretariat. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- John Ferguson (1996) [1887]. Ceylon in the Jubilee Year (Repr. ed.). Asian Educational Services. p. 254. ISBN 978-81-206-0963-1. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
- Amerasinghe, A. Ranjit B. (1986). The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka : the first 185 years. Ratmalana: Sarvodaya Book Pub. Services. ISBN 955599000X.
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Charles Marshall |
Chief Justice of Ceylon 1836-1837 |
Succeeded by Anthony Oliphant |
| Preceded by Henry Matthews |
Advocate Fiscal of Ceylon 1829-1833 |
Succeeded by William Ogle Carr |
