The following web pages include information obtained during my research and also include information from many other researchers.  Please be aware that some of the information may not be fully documented; therefore, it is suggested that this be used as a guide in documenting your line.  I hope to hear from you - tell me about your line, your "dead ends", suggestions, and what ever you may think will benifit this site and others using it. Near the bottom of this page is a list of researchers of this and associated lines.  If you would like for your name to be added, please contact me via email.

Visitors since May 3, 2001: 
 

ADDITIONAL WEB PAGES The FIRST GENERATION FAMILY DESCENDANT ASSUMPTIONS Maryland Hall of Records / Misc. Deeds My NORTON/SPARKS Census Page My Online GEDCOM WORLDCONNECT   GENFORUM Links: Alabama Cherokee County, Alabama Georgia Newton County, Georgia Rockdale County, Georgia Walton County, Georgia South Carolina Cherokee County, South Carolina Union County, South Carolina North Carolina Burke County, Carolina Tennessee Cocke County, Tennessee Jefferson County, Tennessee Sevier County, Tennessee Virginia Pittsylvania County, Virginia Family GENFORUM Links: NORTON SPARKS   E-Mail Comments Interested in the Confederate Flag Controversy? Visit my: Proud Georgia Rebel       Sign or Visit my Guestbook

THE BEGINNINGS & FAMILY LORE My Grandfather told often of our first Norton to North America. His story has not been verified, but perhaps some of his story has been heard by others of the Norton line.  The first Norton to North America considered himself a musician.  His father, an Irish doctor, was not amused at his son's desires for becoming a famous fiddler.  He, instead, wanted his son to follow his footsteps as a doctor, so the son, name unknown, decided to leave his family and come to America.  Some in the family say he came to Savannah.  His father disowned him.  My grandfather also stated that our surname was previously Naughton and McNorton.  After years of research, I have a strong belief that this portion of my family history is inaccurate.  Perhaps the disowned Norton was already in America.  Perhaps this person wasn't a Norton but another ancestor.  NEW ENGLAND? I have read of a Norton/Naughton of New England that was disowned, but cannot connect my Norton with him.  However, given names in my line indicate a connection with the New England Nortons - Lemuel, Jacob, Jabez, Tobias, Nehemiah, Matthew, Marcus.  There is a strong likelihood that my line descended from the Connecticut Nortons. MARYLAND -  Some in the family say that my line originated in Prince George County, Maryland in the late 1600's to early 1700's.  However, I have no documented connections there.  Due to the NORTON - SPARKS connections in Maryland, Virginia, and Georgia there is a strong probability that Maryland was in fact home to some of my ancestors. VIRGINIA - Based on Familiy History, my line moved to the Pittsylvania / Henry Counties area of Virginia.  Some of the possible connections include Nehemiah, William, Thomas, John, Ellenor listed in the Tax Tables of the area in the late 1700's.  Another possible connection is Jacob Norton.  I have made a Web Page listing several "possibilities" of many Virginia Nortons.   Please visit: FAMILY DESCENDANT ASSUMPTIONS and let me know what you think.  Additionally Matthew and Thomas SPARKS' families were neighbors and both in Pittsylvania County as well as Union County, South Carolina listed below. CAROLINAS - Many NORTONS and SPARKS family members left Pittsylvania County for either Spartanburg / Union Counties, South Carolina or Burke County, North Carolina or Jefferson / Cocke Counties, Tennessee in the late 1700's or early 1800's.  I believe my line went to Spartanburg County, and perhaps had a short stint in North Carolina as well.  Some of the possible ties include Jacob, Nehemiah, Thomas, and Matthew.  Other Nortons in South Carolina include Ellenor, Elizabeth, Ning...  Some SPARKS' there include Thomas, Matthew, Nehemiah, and Leonard.  It should be noted that a Nehemiah NORTON received monies from the Federal Government for damages incurred during the War for Southern Independence in McDowell County, County, which was formed from Burke County. GEORGIA -  From either Tennessee or South Carolina or North Carolina my Nortons moved to Rockdale County, formerly Newton, formerly Walton and Henry Counties, Georgia.  My first proven Norton is JACOB NORTON and wife ABEZENA SPARKS (her name has been spelled numerous ways).  Abazana was the daughter of Levin and Nancy SPARKS of Newton County, Georgia.  Jacob, per the 1850 Census of Newton County, had sons Matthew, Marcus, daughter Nancy, and also had Singleton SPARKS, Marana SPARKS, and Nancy SPARKS residing with them.  Additionally, the 1857 listing of children in the Newton County Poor School East of the Yellow River had Matthew Norton and Singleton Sparks as Jacob Norton's children.  A Fielder NORTON resided in Walton County, Georgia, just a few miles North of the NORTONs and SPARKSes of Newton County during the 1837 Census.  Several SPARKS families also lived near Jacob and Abazena - Leonard, Matthew, and Nancy (mother of Abazena).  Fielder was supposedly married to Orpha (Orphelia?) SPARKS, daughter of Rev. Thomas SPARKS of Pittsylvania County, Virginia.  I believe that Jacob died in the mid 1850s and his wife married second to William GOWENS (Goings/Goins) of Newton County, Georgia.  Nancy and her new husband, as well as Matthew and Marcus, are found in the 1860 & 1870 Censuses of Cherokee County, Alabama.  It should be noted that Fielder NORTON and several of the Newton County, Georgia SPARKSes are in the Cherokee County, Alabama censuses at that time, also.  Matthew and Marcus NORTON are also in the1860 Census Lithonia, DeKalb County, Georgia in the household of Nehemiah and Permelia RICE NORTON and in the 1870 Census of Newton County, Georgia in the household of widow Permelia RICE NORTON.  Some of my local Norton researchers believe that I descend from Nehemiah and Permelia NORTON and that Nehemiah was the son of Mathew NORTON of Harris County, Georgia.  The 1860 Census did show a Preston NORTON residing with Nehemiah - a name in the Mathew Norton household in 1850.  Confused, yet?  Me, too.  To add a little more confusion, the Nehemiah NORTON of Habersham County, Georgia is supposedly the son of John NORTON, SR. of Pittsylvania County, Virginia.  I believe - why, I'm not sure - that Fielder NORTON, SR. was also a son of John, SR., and that Fielder had sons Fielder, Jr., Jacob, and Nehemiah. I descend from eldest son Matthew Mark NORTON and Nancy Melvina DENNARD, daughter of John Isaiah DENNARD and Nancy Armidna THROWER of Newton County, Georgia.  Additional pages follow that give pedigrees of my known line... The FIRST GENERATION

Thanks for visiting this, my first, web site.  I will add information that I have as time permits.  I hope that this site is beneficial to you, my Norton cousins, and others in their attempts at discovering their roots.