This story line follows David Norton 1763-1814
and his son David Jr. 1796-1860

The family of David Norton Sr. Follow the links for children history.
We have established a DNA signature confirming the relationship of this family

Mary Norton b. 1789 SC - no info
Polly Norton b. 1790 SC - no info
John N. Norton b. 1792, Bourbon, KY (new info)
Henry Norton b. 1792 Bourbon, KY married Betsy Ann Wright in Pendleton, 1812. Henry died in 1831 and his wife relocated with the family to Adams, Illinois.
Rachel Norton b. 1794 m. William Cook 1815 in Pendleton, KY (new info)
David Norton Jr. b. 1796 Pendleton, KY married Elizabeth Benefield 1820 in Fayette, IN.
Sally Norton b. 1800; married Jacob Ashcraft in Pendleton 1817. this family all stayed in Grant county.
Hiram Norton b. 1803 Ohio, married Lydia Ashcraft in Pendleton 1833. Hiram purchased land just north of David Sr. and lived in Grant county his whole life.
Girl Norton b. 1805 This child shows in 1810 census.
Girl Norton b. 1805 This child shows in 1810 census.

Children not confirmed: (new info)
Samuel Norton b.1784 Bourbon, KY married Nancy Jones in Bourbon, KY, 1808

David Norton Sr. David Norton was born in 1763 in Fluvanna, VA according the his Revolutionary War record recently discovered.

David Norton aged 17 was 5 foot 4 and 1/2 inches tall. He had dark hair, Blue eyes and a Fair completion. He had a scar on the left side of his jaw. His occupation was given as a "Planter" from Virginia, Fluvana County. He was born in Virginia, Fluvana County and was a substitute for a man in Amherst County. He entered the service on the 18th of May 1780 and served 1 Year and 6 months.

The Norton family seems to have been living in Fluvanna since 1763. We have numerous records of their activity in this area.

David's brothers all served in the Revolution. His oldest brother, Thomas was captured at Charleston Harbor and died on a British prison hulk there. Another brother, James was an orderly sargent in George Washington's honor guard. It seems David's older brothers were Minute Men and joined the Virginia Line from the start of the Revolution. However James and David both joined when they turned 17. It is known that James and John Norton were at the battle of Yorktown and its almost certain David was also since he serve until Novermber of 1782.

Sometime after the end of the Revolution, David must have joined his brother William in Horry, South Carolina. William had married a Widow Miller (Patience Harrelson) in 1778 and established himself on a 3000 acre estate. David would be about 20.

From the History of Marion County, "After the Revolution, the old man and two of his Sons James and John went to Kentucky; two others of then came to South Carolina. William went to Georgetown, and the other went to Beaufort." This history was written in South Carolina almost 100 years after William Jr. had died and the family had forgotten the name of the 2nd brother that came to S. Carolina. A possible reason for losing his name is that he didn't stay very long in South Carolina and left in 1790, just after the census and 16 years before his older brother William died.

The Census of 1790 shows David and Sophia Norton in Claremont, SC.

David Norton 1 free white male over 16 and 3 free white females including heads of households.

Claremont is a county that has since been lost in boundary changes. It existed for just a short time and is about 40 miles east of Horry County, SC where William Norton lived.

David locates to Kentucky
In 1790 David is on the census of South Carolina, but in March of 1791 he is on the tax rolls of Bourbon, KY.

In July of 1791 he signs as a bondsman for his brother John to buy land southeast of Paris, KY.

Samuel Norton, 3rd child is probably born in 1791.

Tax rolls of Bourbon, KY show John w/ 6 horses 12 cattle; James w/ 1 horse 3 cattle and David just on the roll.

Henry Norton is probably born in 1793.

David Norton is named as one of two securities for Margaret Fousher (Fancher?) to settle the estate of John Fousher (Fancher?) deceased. November Court for 1794 on page 92

John Norton is also ordered as an appraiser of the personal estate of John Fousher (Fancher?). November Court for 1794 on page 92

This appears to be the parents of David's wife Sophia Fancher (Fancher?) It also explains how David Norton went from nothing to tax in 1793 to 1 harse and 11 cattle in 1795. The estate of his wife's parents may have also fueled David's move to Pendleton, KY in 1796.

David Frashur (Fancher?) is listed on the Bourbon Co. Tax Rolls 6/1791 the same time as David and John show up there.

David Norton Jr. is born in Campbell/Pendleton, KY October 29, 1796.

David Norton moves to Pendleton, Kentucky from Bourbon, KY. Pendleton is just north from the Norton homestead in Bourbon, Kentucky following the Stoney river as it flows north.

John and David Norton not brothers
It has been accepted that the John and David Norton mentioned in the records of Pendleton and Grant counties were brothers or perhaps father and son.  However a letter surfaced written by George H. Norton, the grandson of John Norton of Grant county, that lists the children of John and mentions that he had only one brother Nathaniel.  David Norton is no where included in this letter. David's brother, John Norton remains in Bourbon, KY until he dies in 1814. 

Since the author of the letter was personally acquainted with all of the people he mentions, we are left to give his information great credence.  However, John and David moved and worked together in this area of Kentucky and so it is assumed at this time they were cousins.  The letter mentions that John's father probably came from England and David's father also came from England.

Changes in Campbell, Pendleton and Grant Co., KY 
First it needs to be noted that the area that John Norton and David Norton lived in began as Campbell county until Pendleton was formed in 1798.  Pendleton was divided and the Norton land ended up in Grant county in 1820, so we are dealing with records from 3 counties.
3 Map 2 shows how Campbell-Pendleton-Grant counties intersect.

John Norton and David Norton first appear in Campbell county in 1796.  David Sr. has a son born in 1796 here and John is on the tax rolls of Campbell county from 1796 to 1797  John paid taxes to Campbell County in 1796 and 1797; Pendleton County from 1799 to 1819; and Grant Co. thereafter as the county boundaries changed.  note 3 Map 2 shows how these counties intersect.

Campbell County, KY formed in 1795

Pendleton County, KY created in 1799

Sophia Fancher Norton dies?

In October 1798 he indentures his oldest daughter ,Mary Norton abt 10 to Jas. Fulton to learn House wifery in back in Bourbon county.

This suggests he may have lost his wife or didn't have the ability to care for his children. His son, David Jr. put the name of Melissa Orsevi on a family group sheet he prepared, perhaps as a second wife of David.

The only thing we know about David between 1798 and 1810 is that he spent some time in Ohio and possibly Indiana. He has one son, Hiram born in Ohio 1803.

1807 David Norton is listed in the Indiana census of 1807.

In 1806 the General Assembly of the Indiana Territory passes a resolution: to enable the Governor of this territory, for equal representation to the general assembly. The sheriffs of the counties of Dearborn,Clark, Knox and Randolph (Illinois). Take a list of all the free males 21 years and older, and return to list to the secretary of the state on or before the June 1st 1807.

Dearborn County included an area from Ft. Recovery, Ohio south west to Madison,Indiana. Currently includes all or part of Wayne, Franklin, Union, Fayette, Dearborn, Ohio, Rush and Switzerland Counties.

David aquires 3000 Acres in Pendleton, Kentucky

In 1810 David Norton shows up in Pendleton County paying taxes on 3000 acres of land. This land is situated just southeast of present day Williamstown in Grant county. David began improving the land, pushing through a road to Paris and selling off peices.

The records from here will show John/Grant and David Norton. John/Grant is John Norton of Grant County. this is a separate Norton family that came out of Loudon, VA.

- John/Grant 200 acres, no slaves         
- David 3,000 acres 3 horses                

This is a busy year for John and David Norton.  David probably bought land late 1809, but certainly was in Pendleton by February.  How did David acquire 3000 acres?  From the location of the property and David's circumstances it is probable that he bought them with a bond.  This type of transaction was often not recorded.  Since his loss of the land coincides with the death of his brother in Bourbon, it is possible that his brother, with much more property, signed on the bond.

February court, William Norton, son of John Norton is appointed a hand on Burton road.  John Norton is appointed along with Lewis Buskirk and Jedidiah Ashcraft, a commissioner to lay out a road from the county line as far as David Norton’s on the east side of the Dry Ridge road.               

May court, John Norton along with William Mountjoy, Denis Conyers, and Thomas Hawkins are appointed to lay out a road from William Arnold’s to Bourbon Road near Denis Conyers property.  This road will also run through David Norton’s property.               

June 16, 1810 the road from William Arnold’s to Bourbon Road is laid out.  It will go from “Arnold’s lane and taking a ridge to Fork Lick thence crossing and taking a point and following into an old trace and following the same to another creek, thence taking a point and following a marked way to Conyers and through his lane striking the Bourbon trace near Jacob Wingate’s fence going through the lands of Denis Conyers, David Norton and William Arnold.” David Norton signed off on this road which seems to put his land south of Falmouth on the way to Paris?               

August court record, John is again surveyor on the Dry Ridge road from Lewis Buskirk’s to James Theobald’s.               

September court record, David Norton is assigned to work on the new road to Bourbon road.               

November court record, John posts bond of $1400 as administrator of John Doty’s estate sale.  Also a mill is authorized along with a dam on the Big Eagle Creek. for John Norton.               

The land that David had in Pendleton/Grant 1810-1813.

The survey he had was granted to William Meriweather very early. It is in
the very south east portion of Grant County today. His neighbor was Denis Conyers. Hmmm sound familiar? Conyers is the name that Norton came from in England.

Of course Meriweather is of the famous Meriweathers of Ablemarle, VA. This family was a charter member of the Loyal Adventure that began mapping Kentucky around 1759. This survey had many problems and was challenged (and lost) to just about everybody. But in 1810 there was just David, Wiliam Arnold and Denis Conyers. This land was almost certainly aquired by bond. If the terms of the bond were never fulfilled no land was conveyed and most often the bond was not recorded, thus no record.

The other survey that relates to this property is Bernard Todd of
Charolotte, VA. Bernard was highly political; a delegate of the Democratic
(Jefferson) party in 1800 held in Charlottesville. A son? John todd was
killed at Blue Licks, so there may be an association there with James
Norton. The Todd's show up in Fayette in 1787 Tax rolls with John Norton.

This land is connected to Ablemarle directly. David aquired it to develope
and sell based on family connections in Ablemarle, not Kentucky. The
Meriweathers that claimed this survey were centered in Ablemarle and
Montgomery County, TN (borders Todd County, KY) Possibly Todd family
connections played a role in this. The Todd family is well placed also. I
think this is Mary Todd Lincoln's family. They were out of Lexington at that
time.

The names associated with David's land are just what you would expect from an important Norton family in Fluvanna/Ablemarle. David certainly had to have pull to get 3000 acres.

His son Henry purchased land in the middle of Grant and very near the county line with Pendleton. He built a mill there and is connected to the Dry Ridge Rd by the Norton Mill Road. It only goes to Norton's Mill. Henry is
situated next to Ashcrafts and Billiters. His sister Sally married an Ashcraft.

Hiram bought 100 acres about 5 miles north of Henry's Mill next to John
Baker's 200 acrer and lives amoung more Ashcrafts and Buskirks. I wonder how John Baker is related to Adam Baker/Sarah Norton? Baker's also were in Fayette 1787.

Both John/Grant and David Norton show up near Falmouth in Pendleton, KY in 1796. Actually there was no Pendleton until 1798, it was Campbell county. John/Grant loses his wife and remarries a widow Glaves. He leaves Pendleton for Campbell and further north in 1806 and returns to Pendleton/Grant in 1809. Rather closely correlating with David Norton who leaves from Falmouth sometime after 1796 going north and returns to Pendleton/Grant in 1810. Taking up the 3000 acres 15 miles south of John/Grant.

- John/Grant 200 acres, 2 slaves     
- David 3000 acres               

January court, John Norton is appointed on a commission to settle the estate of Anthony Kindle who is deceased.               

March court, John is the clerk of the estate sale for Moses Doty. David Norton appears before the court.  “At the motion of David Norton, who represented to this court, that he had through a mistake, given to the commissioners of the taxable property, more land than he was entitled to pay taxes for.  Therefore it is ordered he be exempt from paying for more land than he has a title for which he represents I to be 3000 acres.”

August court, John loses an appeal from David Cooper and pays $15 plus expenses.  This suit is related to the estate of John Doty.

September 11, 1811 Mary Norton (daughter of John Norton) marries Lawrence Buskirk.

November court, John is paid $2 for his two days as clerk of the election.  The other clerk is Michael Glaves.

- John/Grant 200 acres, 2 slaves.      
- David 2282 acres)

No court records for John or David.

David Norton sells off 178 acres. 

August 16, Henry Norton marries Betsy Ann Wright.

August 29, David Norton Jr., Henry Norton sons of David Norton, and William Norton, son of John Norton, sign on in the Kentucky Mounted Volunteer Militia commanded by Col. William Mountjoy.  David is 16, Henry 22, William 20. November 5, Muster out of the Mounted Volunteers.  They traveled all the way to Canada and back.

- John/Grant 200 acres, 2 slaves  
- David 2404 acres 
Henry Norton on tax rolls (David Norton's son)               

August court, David is assigned a hand on the new road to Bourbon.

David sells another 418 acres.               

October  John/Grant Norton marries for a 3^rd time. Nancy Hemmingway.

David Norton and John Norton of Bourbon, KY die.

In March of 1814 there was a spotted fever epidemic in Lexington that probably killed David's brother, John in April of 1814 Bourbon KY.

Possibly the same plague killed David.

There is no estate sale and no record of David's death. One ancestor suggested in the Barton papers that he is buried near Lexington, KY.

The death of the two brothers must have been devastating The land that David is developing reverts to the owner and his family has no place to live.

David's Family at his death.

Mary Norton - probably married - no info
Polly Norton - probably married - no info
Samuel Norton - married Nancy Jones in Bourbon, KY, 1808
Henry Norton - married Betsy Ann Wright in Pendleton, 1812. He was 22 at David's death and married only 2 years.
David Norton Jr. - 18 years old.
Rachel Norton - 16 years old
Sally Norton - 14 years old, married Jacob Ashcraft in Pendleton 1817. this family all stayed in Grant county.
John N. Norton - about 12 years old.
Hiram Norton - 11 years old, married Lydia Ashcraft in Pendleton 1833. Hiram purchased land just north of David Sr. and lived in Grant county his whole life.