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Richard NORRIS (1821–1876)
His wife Mrs Selina NORRIS, née Brazier (1832–1924)
His sister Miss Mary Oatridge NORRIS (1826–1878)
St Mary Magdalen section: Row 6, Grave D71

Richard Norris was born in Oxford in 1821 and baptised at St Mary-the-Virgin Church on 31 August. He was the eldest son of Richard Norris senior (born c.1785) and his wife Anne. His father started work at Oriel College in c.1815 and on 21 November 1821 was matriculated as a “serviens et virgefer”, because as well as a college servant, he was now also the Verger of the University of Oxford); and by 1823 he was described as the common room man of Oriel College. Richard’s grandfather was probably John Norris, the butler of Lincoln College, who was matriculated as a privileged person on 27 January 1762.

Richard’s parents lived in Magpie Lane in St John-the-Baptist parish, but had all their children baptised at St Mary-the-Virgin Church, where presumably Richard’s father undertook most of his duties as Verger. Richard’s younger siblings were Elizabeth Mary (bap. 13 February 1823); William Francis (born 16 March, bap. 11 April 1824; died age five months, buried at St John-the-Baptist Church on 15 August); Selina Maria (born 27 December 1825, bap. 30 January 1826); Mary Oatridge (born 25 December 1826, bap. 22 January 1827); and George Edward (born 23 February, bap. 20 March 1828; died aged four months and buried at St John-the-Baptist Church on 26 June).

At the time of the 1841 census, when Richard was 19, he was lodging at St Aldate’s Street and probably already working as a servant at Christ Church. On 28 December that year he was a witness at the wedding of his sister Anne, who was married by John Henry Newman at St John-the-Baptist Church (Merton College Chapel).

Richard’s father died at the age of 64 on 8 October 1849, and Jackson’s Oxford Journal reported his death on 13 October, stating that he had been a servant of Oriel College for 34 years as well as the Verger of the University, and that the resident fellows of Oriel followed the funeral to the outskirts of Oxford, on its way to Shrivenham for burial.

By 1851 Richard Norris (29) was the Manciple of Christ Church, living in St John Street with his three sisters, who were all still unmarried: Elizabeth Mary (27), Selina Maria (25), and Mary Oatridge (24), plus one house servant.

Selina Brazier was born at 15 Pembroke Street, St Aldate’s, Oxford on 8 May 1832. She was the daughter of James Brazier of Holywell parish and Anne Baker of St Peter-in-the East parish who were married at the latter parish church on 16 January 1820, with the marriage announced in Jackson’s Oxford Journal. Her father was appointed Manciple of Christ Church by 1822. He originally lived with his wife at the east end of the High Street, and their first five children were born there and baptised at St Peter-in-the-East Church on the dates shown: James (13 November 1822, died); Emily (7 July 1824, died 1842); Henry (7 October 1825, died 1850); Robert (15 August 1827); and Ann (17 December 1828). The family then moved to 15 Pembroke Street in St Aldate’s, where the next three children were born, but their parents continued to have them baptised at St Peter-in-the-East Church: Frank (10 February 1836, died 1855); Selina herself (24 June 1832); and another James (5 April 1837). Gardner’s Directory for 1852 lists James Brazier as a private resident at 15 Pembroke Street, and his future son-in-law Richard Norris as the new Manciple of Christ Church.

On 25 March 1856 at St Aldate’s Church, Richard Norris (34) married Selina Brazier (23), with Selina’s father now described as a gentleman. They had four children:

• Richard Norris junior (born at St John Street, Oxford on 5 July 1857 and baptised at St Mary Magdalen Church on 12 August)
• Ann Selina Norris (born at St John Street, Oxford in 1860 and baptised at St Mary Magdalen Church on 16 April)
• Emily Norris (born at St John Street, Oxford in 1864 and baptised at St Mary Magdalen Church on 31 December);
  died there aged nine months in August 1865 and buried on 12 August.
• Frank Baker Norris (born in Oxford on 5 November 1865 and baptised at St Mary Magdalen Church on 27 December).

At the time of the 1861 census Richard (39), described as a Manciple, was living at 60 St John Street with wife Selina (28) and their first two children children Richard (3) and Ann Selina (1), and his niece Ann Lucas (13). They had two servants.

Their daughter Emily was born at St John Street in late 1895 but only lived five months. Her burial is recorded in the St Giles's parish register, which suggests that she was buried in their section of St Sepulchre's Cemetery.

Selina’s mother Anne Brazier died in Southampton at the age of 76 on 30 July 1869, and her father at 15 Pembroke Street at the age of 80 on 5 January 1878, with their deaths announced in Jackson’s Oxford Journal.

Richard (49) had already retired by the time of the 1871 census. He and his wife were still living at 60 St John Street with their youngest son Frank (5) and Richard’s unmarried sister Mary Oatridge Norris (5), plus a cook and a housemaid. Richard (13) was boarding at Surrey House prep school in Littlehampton, but Ann (11) is hard to find.

Richard Norris died in Portsmouth in 1876:

† Richard Norris died at Portsmouth at the age of 54 on 12 April 1876 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 20 April (burial recorded in the parish register of St Mary Magdalen Church).

His death notice in Jackson’s Oxford Journal on 22 April 1876 read: “April 12, suddenly at the Sussex Hotel, Portsmouth, Mr. Richard Norris, of St. John-street, Oxford, aged 54.” His effects came to nearly £20,000, and his widow, who was still at 60 St John Street, and Thomas Forder the Elder of Southampton (who had married his sister Mary in 1846) were his executors.

Norris’s sons had attended Dover College in Kent, and they both went up to the University of Cambridge after their father’s death:

• On 9 October 1876 Richard Morris junior, aged 19, was matriculated at Christ’s College on 9 October 1876. He obtained his B.A. in 1884, and was admitted as a solicitor in 1885.
• On 21 January 1884 Frank Baker Morris, aged 18, was matriculated as a Pensioner by Christ’s College, Cambridge He obtained his MA in 1892, his MB and B.Chir. in 1895, and his M.D. in 1896.

Richard Morris’s sister appears to have moved to Tring, where she died in 1878:

† Miss Mary Oatridge Norris died at Tring at the age of 51 on 4 February 1878 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 7 February (burial recorded in the parish register of St Mary Magdalen Church).

Her death notice in Jackson’s Oxford Journal on 9 February 1878 read: “Feb. 4, at Tring, Mary O. Norris, aged 50, youngest daughter of the late Mr. Richard Norris, of Grove-street, Oxford.”

By the time of the 1881 census Mrs Norris (48) had moved to 30 Beaumont Street and was living off the income from houses and dividends. Her daughter Ann (21) and her niece Mary Forder (25) lived with her, as well as a cook and a housemaid.

In 1891 Mrs Norris was still living at 30 Beaumont Street with her daughter Ann, and her two sons were now back with her: Richard (33) was a solicitor, and Frank (25) was a medical student. Florence Forder (33) was visiting them: she was doubtless related to the Thomas Forder who had married Richard Norris’s sister. On 26 January 1892 Frank Norris married Florence Emily Forder, and the following announcement appeared in Jackson’s Oxford Journal on 30 January:

Jan. 26, at St. John’s, Stamford, Lincolnshire, Frank Baker Norris, M.A., of Christ’s College, Cambridge, younger son of the late Richard Norris of Oxford, to Florence Emily, only daughter of the late William Forder, of Cranbury-place, Southampton.

By 1901 Mrs Norris had moved to Ealing with Richard (43) and Anne (41), and they were living at 11 Blakesley Avenue with three servants. She was still there in 1911 with her son Richard (53), now described as a "solicitor not practising", and her granddaughter Violet Florence Norris (15), the daughter of her son Frank, was paying a visit.

Mrs Norris died at that house in 1925:

†Mrs Selina NORRIS, née Brazier died at 11 Blakesley Avenue, Ealing at the age of 91 on 5 March 1924 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 8 March (burial recorded in the parish register of St Mary Magdalen Church).

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Surviving children of Richard and Selina Norris

• Richard Norris junior (born 1857) lived in Queensland from 1888 to 1890, and in Colorado from 1891 to 1893. He then came back to England and was with his mother in Ealing in 1911. He was living at 20 Hillcroft Crescent in Ealing at the time of his death on 8 August 1947, but actually died at 28 Kenilworth Road, Ealing . His effects came to £8,795 15s. 4d., and his bank dealt with his probate.
• Ann Selina Norris (born 1860) of 8 Lonsdale Road married Herbert Augustus Fernée, the son of the gentleman John Fernée, at Summertown on 23 April 1910: she was then 50 years old, and they had no children. At the time of the 1911 census Ann (51) was living with Herbert (49), who was working as a private tutor, at Church Road, Wheatley. They must have moved to Ealing soon afterwards, as Ann died at St Stephen’s Road there at the age of 56 on 29 April 1916. Her effects came to £6,106 16s. 4d., and probate was granted to her husband.
• Frank Baker Norris (born 1865) first worked at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, and was then House Surgeon at Hove and Sussex Throat and Ear Hospital at Brighton, and Clinical Assistant at the East London Hospital for Children in Shadwell. He practised at Surbiton from 1900. He and his wife Florence had two children: Frank Leslie Norris (born in Marylebone in 1894) and Violet Florence Norris (born in Surbiton in 1896). In 1901 Frank (35) and Florence (44) were living at Nutvilla, Ditton Road, Surbiton with there two children, plus a cook and a housemaid. By 1911 they were living at 25 Langley Road, Surbiton. Frank Baker Norris died at Brambltye, The Glade, Kingswood, Surrey on 14 February 1946. His effects came to £2,842 6s. 11d.