DescriptionAnthonyNorris 1711-1786 of BartonTurf Norfolk.png
Portrait of Anthony Norris (1711-1786) of Barton Turf, the antiquary. "Anthony Norris was a noted antiquarian and made a major contribution to the history of Norfolk by researching and recording church notes and other historical materials relating to various towns and villages. Norris’ MSS, a handwritten document, is kept in the iron bound chest in St Nicholas’s Church, North Walsham. (Source: https://battleofnorthwalsham1381.wordpress.com/the-account-of-anthony-norris/). Anthony Norris died in June 1786 and was buried in Barton Turf Church, where survives his mural monument (see image [1]). Anthony Norris was the 2nd son of Rev. Stephen Norris, Rector of Felthorpe and Felmingham, in Norfolk. He attended school in Norwich, then aged 15 matriculated at Caius College, Cambridge, followed by legal training at the Middle Temple (Source: Alumni Cantabrigienses: A Biographical List of All Known Students, Graduates ...
edited by John Venn[2]).
He married Sarah Custance (1717-1787) (see her mural monument in Barton Turf Church), a daughter of John Custance (d.1752), of Weston Hall, Norfolk (which he purchased in 1726), Mayor of Norwich in 1726, (Source: Alumni Cantabrigienses) (by his wife Sarah Hambleton, a daughter and co-heiress of John Hambleton of Banham, Norfolk) (Source:
Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry, 15th Edition, ed. Pirie-Gordon, H., London, 1937, p.548 "Custance, late of Weston") Both parents were predeceased by their only child John Norris (d.1762) "eminent for his virtues and abilities". Sarah Custance (1717-1787) had one brother, Hambleton Custance (1715-1757) of Weston Hall, who had a son and heir John Custance (1749-1822) of Weston, a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber, who married Frances Proctor, 2nd daughter of Sir William Beauchamp Proctor, 1st Baronet, of Langley Park, Norfolk; see portrait of John Custance (1749-1822) "Mr and Mrs John Custance of Norwich and their daughter Frances" by William Beechey (1753-1839), in the Georgian Dining Room at Strangers’ Hall, Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery[3]. The daughter Frances Anne Custance went on to marry Robert Marsham of Stratton Strawless. John Custance had two sisters (nieces of Sarah Custance and mentioned on the monument), including Dame Susanna Custance, wife of Sir Thomas Durrant, 1st Baronet, of Scottow Hall in Norfolk. (Source:
Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry, 15th Edition, ed. Pirie-Gordon, H., London, 1937, p.548 "Custance, late of Weston")
Date
1745, per Singh
Source
Sold by Bellmans Auctioneers, Billingshurst, Sussex, 13 Jun 2017, lot 1661, described as "Circle of John Theodore Heins, Portrait of a gentleman, said to be Anthony Norris, antiquary"[4].
This is believed to be no 39, one of the two portraits (39 & 40) of Anthony Norris formerly hanging at Scottow Hall, as listed in 1928 by Prince Duleep Singh in his Portraits in Norfolk houses, Vol.2, 1928, p.274, nos. 39 & 40[5]. A note glued to the back of the canvas written by Bryan Hall on writing paper headed "Barton Turf Vicarage, Norfolk" states that the writer purchased the painting in Norwich on 24 August 1948 and identifying it as "painted by Bardwell, portrait of Anthony Norris of Barton Turf, Norfolk. From Scottow Hall. See Portraits in Norfolk houses, Vol II, p.274. Prince Duleep Singh describes the sitter as 'body and face turned towards the sinister', whereas it should be dexter". (Note: "sinister" in heraldic parlance means to the viewer's right. This sitter faces towards the viewer's left, i.e. dexter). Another hand, that of Michael Riviere (of Dilham Grange, North Walsham, Norfolk), who purchased this portrait from Bryan Hall, adds that Singh's No 40 is the painting by Thomas Bardwell (1704-1767) of which an engraving was made by W. C. Edwards, see[6].
Author
Circle of John Theodore Heins, per Bellmans Auctioneers
Licensing
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{{Information |Description=Portrait of Anthony Norris (1711-1786) of Barton Turf, the antiquary. "Anthony Norris was a noted antiquarian and made a major contribution to the history of Norfolk by researching and recording church notes and other historical materials relating to various towns and villages. Norris’ MSS, a handwritten document, is kept in the iron bound chest in St Nicholas’s Church, North Walsham. (Source: https://battleofnorthwalsham1381.wordpress.com/the-account-of-anthony-nor...