John Oscar Norton.

John Oscar Norton was born at Montrose Scotland on 26 March 1838, the son of John Norton a Revenue Officer and Ann Norton (nee Binns). He joined the Royal Navy in 1853. He was present at the bombardment of Seaborg (in what is now Finland) in the Baltic in 1855-56 during the Crimean War period. In 1857-60 he was aboard the flagship Vesuvius during a punitive expedition up the river Scarcis on the west coast of Africa. Later he went to the Artic regions in search of Sir John Franklin with the expedition under Sir Leopold McClintock. In 1861 he served as a clerk on board HMS Bulldog which was then engaged in surveying the northern route for the Atlantic cable.

On 3 October 1861 he married Emma Miller and they had eight children. From 1862-1867 he was on board the Royal Yacht Osborne and from 1867-1871 he occupied a post on the troopship Himalaya which conveyed the last English regiment from Australian shores in March 1868. In 1872 he was on board HMS Lord Clyde an ironclad that was wrecked at Pantaleria in the Mediterranean, while proceeding to the wreck of another vessel. From 1872-1874 he served as storekeeper on HMS Agincourt of the Channel Squadron and from 1875-1879 he was in the flagship Devonport. On 11 July 1882, John Norton was present at the bombardment of Alexandria aboard HMS Alexandra, commanded by Captain Charles Frederick Hotham and flying the flag of Admiral Sir Frederick Beauchamp Seymour. On returning to England he was stationed at the school of gunnery at Devonport until he transferred to the South Australian Navy in 1884. He and his family travelled to South Australia aboard HMCS Protector.

Upon arriving in South Australia he was given the position of Assistant Paymaster on the Protector until 7 August 1900 when his son Ernest Claude Norton took over the role of paymaster. John Norton remained in the Australian Navy until 1906.

On 18 June 1898 John Norton's wife Emma died and was buried at Cheltenham Cemetery, Adelaide. A few years later he married Mary Ann. On 22 April 1915 John Norton passed away at the age of 77 years. He was given a naval funeral with full honours. The service was conducted by Reverend Canon Swan and had six pall bearers from the Naval Instructional Staff, with members of the Royal Australian Navy Reserve providing a guard of honour. At the funeral were Warrant Officer Cameron, Capt Slane, Royal Australian Garrison Artillery, Mr W J Giddings, Chairman, South Australian Corps of Veterans. John Norton was buried with his first wife in the family plot a Cheltenham Cemetery, Adelaide (Row B, Path 27). His second wife Mary Norton died on the 28 September 1933 and was buried in the family plot. His son John Leopold Norton is also buried in the family grave.

John Oscar Norton was awarded the Baltic Medal, Egypt Medal 1882-1889 with Alexandria 11th July Clasp, Khedive's Star and the Royal Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.