James Norton

From https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6918241/james-norton

US Congressman. Born in Mullins, South Carolina, he served throughout the Civil War in the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and after the war, was a teacher in public schools (1866-70), plus engaged in agricultural pursuits. He served as Marion County School Commissioner (1870-72) and was a member of the South Carolina State House of Representatives (1886-90). He also was assistant comptroller general of the State of South Carolina (1890-94). In 1897, he was comptroller general of the State of South Carolina, when he was elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-fifth Congress and reelected to the Fifty-sixth Congress, serving until 1901. Not a candidate for reelection, he resumed his agricultural pursuits and served as a member of South Carolina State House of Representatives (1907-08). He died at age 77 on his farm in Mullins, South Carolina.

Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith ___________________________________________________________________________

"The career of Hon. James Norton merits more than mere personal mention. Raised on a farm, as it were, between the plow-handles, and opportunities for education being limited, he went into the war as a private at the age of seventeen, and fought it through to the end; wounded several times before 1864; was thought to be mortally wounded, being shot through one of his lungs; he was furloughed to go home, as soon as he was able to travel; after getting, as he and his friends thought, about well of his wound, he returned to his command in Virginia, and was soon captured and carried to Point Lookout, and kept there till July 1865, when he was turned out of prison and came home. Not being physically able to do hard work, he engaged in turpentine and mercantile pursuits at Mullins. He married, in May 1870, as before stated, and in the fall of that year was nominated and elected School Commissioner for the county. Served a term, two years, was again nominated and elected for a second term; but he, with all other officials elected that fall (1872), were counted out by the Negro scalawag and carpet-bag election officials. In 1886, he was a candidate for Representative of the county in the Legislature, was elected at the head of his ticket, and served during the term for which he had been elected. In 1890, he was again nominated and elected at the head of his ticket for another term, which he served with credit to himself and satisfactory to his constituents. In the meantime, the late Governor Ellerbe had been elected Comptroller General of the State, and he appointed Hon. James Norton as Chief Clerk, which place he filled with entire satisfaction to his chief and to the public for two terms of that office; and owing to Ellerbe's bad health during these two terms, Norton practically ran the Comptroller's office; he did it with such signal ability and success, that he was triumphantly nominated and elected, at the expiration of Ellerbe's second term, as Ellerbe's successor. He then held the office as Comptroller General for his term, two years, and was then re-elected for another term without opposition, and Ellerbe, at the election in 1896, was elected Governor. In May following, Joseph H. Earle, one of our United States Senators, died, and Governor Ellerbe appointed John L. McLaurin United States Senator, in place of Earle - which necessarily vacated McLaurin's seat in the United States House of Representatives for this, the 6th Congressional District of South Carolina - whereupon James Norton became a candidate to fill the unexpired term of McLaurin, and after a spirited campaign, Norton was elected, and again elected in 1898, and served with credit to himself in the Fifty-fifth and sixth Congresses. It does not become the writer to say much, as he is the father-in-law of Norton, and, therefore, he states only facts; but will add that Norton is no ordinary man; otherwise he could not have accomplished so much." . [Source: Marion County, South Carolina From Its Earliest Times to the Present, 1901; by W. W. Sellers, Esq. of the Marion Bar, Copyright 1902 by John C. Sellers; transcribed by Vicki Bryan]