Richard Fryeth NORMAN

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Richard Norman was born in England about 1580, and came to America as an employee of the Dorchester Company, a group of capitalists and adventurers who established a small colony at Cape Ann in 1623. In 1680, Richard Brackenbury of Beverly, aged 80, said he came to New England with the late Governor Endicott and when they landed at Salem they found living there "Old Goodman Norman and his sonn ... and others" who stated they had come on account of the Dorchester Company or Dorchester Merchants of England; that they had numerous houses built at Salem, and a house built at Cape Ann for the Dorchester Company. These early settlers became known in Salem history as the "old planters." Richard appears to have come from the village of Charminster, county Dorset, just north of Dorchester. His children were baptized there in a church that dates to the 11th/12th centuries. The records show his wife was named Florence, but no record of their marriage was found; the church registers and Bishops Transcripts are both missing the marriages from 1598 to 1605. Two Norman wills were proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, one for Thomas Norman of Wimborne dated 1619, and one for William Norman of Cerne Abbas (north of Charminster) for 1646. Also found in county Dorset were an administration for Edith Norman of Sherborne, widow in 1600; and an inventory for Henry Norman for 1636. Nothing was found to connect any of these to Richard Norman of Charminster.Richard and his family were among those who, upon the failure of the Cape Ann venture, moved to Naumkeag in 1626 under the leadership of Roger Conant, and were established there when the Endicott migration arrived in 1628. On 18 September 1630 he served on a coroner's jury on the body of William Bateman. On 18 May 1631 "Richard Norman is fined 2s.6d. for his negligence in watching." He received grants of land in Salem in 1636, 1637, and 1638. On 29 January 1637/1638 he received a grant of twenty acres "that was Mr. Thorndeck's" at Salem; and a grant to Allan Converse on 20 January 1640/1641 refers to "that lot which was Richard Norman's near the head of the river". He had probably received a sizeable allotment of land before that, as he and his son John sold 100 acres to Capt. William Trask in 1636, and Gov. Endicott bought land near the head of Bass River originally granted to Richard Norman and others, which purchase was confirmed to the governor by grant in 1643. On 17 September 1640 "Erasmus James and Richard Norman, sr., [were] presented for defective fences on Darby fort side." The allegation was not proved. "Darby Fort side" became Marblehead. In July 1642, Norman witnessed against Matthew Gillet who stole a piece of soap from John Norman "to wash his shirts with, as he said." Richard was a fisherman or shipwright; in July 1642 and again at the December 1642 court, John Devereux sued "Rich[ard] Norman, Jno. Norman and Company; the conflict grew heated, and in December 1642 Devereus also sued Richard Norman for defamation.In February 1642/1643, when his son Richard Jr. was fined for "slighting ordinances and carrying a burden on Lord's day," Richard Sr. answered for him in court. Richard probably was not a Puritan, and may have moved because of conflict with the Salem church-state.The last record of him is on 22 April 1653 when Richard Norman "the elder" made over his house and 10 acre lot in "Marvelhead upon Darbe Fort side", along with cow commons, to his son Richard. He signed by mark, and probably died soon afterward. He was dead by 27 June 1664, when Thomas Millet Sr. acknowledged "old Richard Norman's act and deed."