Born in Wandsworth in Surrey, London, on 24 June 1809, Henry was the son of a Suffolk miller named Abraham Norman and his wife Sarah née Cousins. As a young boy Henry and his brothers began their training as watchmakers, goldsmiths and jewellers in Clerkenwell in London. However, when their father Abraham returned to Suffolk after the death of his wife Sarah, Henry appears to have accompanied him and thus began his training as a flour miller. In East Winch in Norfolk on 1 June 1830, Henry married Harriet née Chapman, with the marriage producing four sons: Henry Abraham Norman; William Chapman Norman; Edward Augustus Norman; and Abraham John Norman, and a daughter they named Harriet Anne Norman. After the death of his wife Harriet in Norfolk in 1847, Henry senior married Sarah Cason in King’s Lynn on 15 June 1851. A single woman, Sarah was the mother of an 8 year old daughter named Louisa Cason. Returning to London with their combined family prior to emigrating to Australia, Henry senior completed a course in photography at the Royal London Polytechnic Institute in Cavendish Square under the tutelage of Richard Beard. On 25 August 1852 Henry senior and his family arrived in Portland in Victoria, Australia aboard the ship Priam with a baby son they named Samuel Priam Norman, who was born mid-voyage. Shortly after their arrival Henry senior and at least one of his sons travelled on to the Ballarat goldfields for a short period. Upon their return to Portland, Henry senior opened a small shop with assistance from his children near the corner of Julia and Percy Streets, where they traded as a photographers, watchmakers and jewellers. In late 1853 Henry senior and his wife Sarah separated and shortly thereafter Sarah returned to England with the couples young son Samuel Priam Norman and a newborn baby named Louisa Norman. In 1857 Henry senior and his remaining children relocated to Hamilton in Victoria, where they opened another jewellery store and photographic studio. In 1860, Henry senior relocated to Mount Gambier in South Australia, where he established Norman’s Photographic Studio and jewellery store on the corner of Evelyn Street (now Krummel) and Commercial Street West, where besides their core business the family also dabbled in the milling of grain to a minor degree. A carte-de-visite from 'H. Norman / Photographic Artist’ is in the R.J. Noye Collection at the Mortlock Library in Adelaide. Ennis included four of Henry Norman’s cdvs (c.1867-c.1877) in _Mirror with a Memory. After Henry senior’s son William relocated to Naracoorte and Edward moved to N.S.W., his daughter Harriet helped him to run the family business in Mount Gambier. Henry’s youngest son Abraham meanwhile had commenced employment as a clerk with the National Bank of Australasia located next door. Meanwhile, after returning to London in the early 1860s, Henry’s eldest son, Henry Abraham Norman, married a woman named Clara Knott and together they shortly thereafter moved to America. Upon their return to London, Henry Abraham Norman continued to work as a watchmaker and died in the London suburb of Camberwell on 31 December 1895. The Norman’s watchmaking, jewellery and photographic studio continued to operate in Mount Gambier until the bailiff took possession of the remaining jewellery for outstanding debts by court order on 27 November 1908. {Ennis says to 1899} although Henry Norman senior is not known to have been involved beyond mid 1872 and died in Mount Gambier at the age of 77 on 14 March 1887.
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- Writers:
- Staff Writer
- Date written:
- 1992
- Last updated:
- 2024
