Frances Norton, Lady Norton
Encyclopedia
Frances Norton, Lady Norton (1644–1731) was an English
religious poet and prose writer who primarily wrote about grief
. She was born in Oxford
and married Sir George Norton in 1672. This George Norton was the son of the Sir George Norton who hid Charles II
at the time of the regicide
of Charles I. The couple had three children, but only one, Grace, survived infancy.
Grace Norton died in 1697 at the age of twenty-one, and Frances Norton went into a deep state of grief. She published a collection of Grace's own writings, Reliquae Gethinianae, in 1699
, and in 1705 she wrote two tracts on grieving and consolation. These were The Applause of Virtue and Memento mori, or, Meditations on Death, which were sold together in a quarto
. They were dedicated to two women who had helped Lady Norton in her grief who had themselves experienced a recent loss. The books are pious and collect together consoling thoughts from Christian
, Classical, and philosophical literature. In 1714, she produced A miscellany of poems, compos'd, and work'd with a needle, on the backs and seats &c. of several chairs and stools. According to near contemporaries, Frances Norton did a great deal of needlepoint
work on furniture in Abbots Leigh
(where the Norton estate was). She composed her own short poems, almost always with a pious theme, for such embroidery.
In 1715, her husband died. She married his cousin, Colonel Ambrose Norton, in 1718, and, when he died, married a man named William Jones in 1724. She outlived her third husband by a few years and was buried in Westminster Abbey
.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
religious poet and prose writer who primarily wrote about grief
Grief
Grief is a multi-faceted response to loss, particularly to the loss of someone or something to which a bond was formed. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, it also has physical, cognitive, behavioral, social, and philosophical dimensions...
. She was born in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
and married Sir George Norton in 1672. This George Norton was the son of the Sir George Norton who hid Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
at the time of the regicide
Regicide
The broad definition of regicide is the deliberate killing of a monarch, or the person responsible for the killing of a monarch. In a narrower sense, in the British tradition, it refers to the judicial execution of a king after a trial...
of Charles I. The couple had three children, but only one, Grace, survived infancy.
Grace Norton died in 1697 at the age of twenty-one, and Frances Norton went into a deep state of grief. She published a collection of Grace's own writings, Reliquae Gethinianae, in 1699
1699 in literature
The year 1699 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*Jonathan Swift is out of work after the death of his employer, Sir William Temple.*Joseph Addison receives a pension of £300 to enable him to travel abroad.-New books:...
, and in 1705 she wrote two tracts on grieving and consolation. These were The Applause of Virtue and Memento mori, or, Meditations on Death, which were sold together in a quarto
Quarto
Quarto could refer to:* Quarto, a size or format of a book in which four leaves of a book are created from a standard size sheet of paper* For specific information about quarto texts of William Shakespeare's works, see:...
. They were dedicated to two women who had helped Lady Norton in her grief who had themselves experienced a recent loss. The books are pious and collect together consoling thoughts from Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, Classical, and philosophical literature. In 1714, she produced A miscellany of poems, compos'd, and work'd with a needle, on the backs and seats &c. of several chairs and stools. According to near contemporaries, Frances Norton did a great deal of needlepoint
Needlepoint
Needlepoint is a form of counted thread embroidery in which yarn is stitched through a stiff open weave canvas. Most needlepoint designs completely cover the canvas...
work on furniture in Abbots Leigh
Abbots Leigh
Abbots Leigh is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, about west of the centre of Bristol.-History:The original Middle English name was Lega and the village became Abbots Leigh in the mid 12th century when Robert Fitzharding , who acquired the village as Lord of the Manor, gave the...
(where the Norton estate was). She composed her own short poems, almost always with a pious theme, for such embroidery.
In 1715, her husband died. She married his cousin, Colonel Ambrose Norton, in 1718, and, when he died, married a man named William Jones in 1724. She outlived her third husband by a few years and was buried in Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
.