John Bruce Norton


John Bruce Norton was a British lawyer and educationist who served as the Advocate-General of Madras Presidency. He was the father of lawyer and Indian independence activist Eardley Norton.

Early life

John Bruce Norton was born in London in 1815 to British soldier and lawyer John David Norton who served as a judge of the Supreme Court of Madras in 1841–42. John Bruce Norton had his early education at Harrow and Merton College, Oxford. He studied law and enrolled at Lincoln's Inn in 1841.
Norton was an avid cricketer and played in the Harrow Cricket Eleven during the 1832–33 season.

Career

Norton moved with his father to India in 1842 and commenced a legal practice in Madras. He was appointed Government Pleader in 1845 and served from 1845 to 1862. In 1863 he was appointed Advocate-General of Madras, serving from 1863 until his retirement in 1871.
Norton was appointed Sheriff of Madras in 1843 and served from 1843 to 1845, he also served as a member of the Madras Legislative Council from 1862 to 1868.