Wikipedia Biographical Summary

"Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Norris (1670 or 1671 – 13 or 14 June 1749) was a British naval officer of the 17th and 18th centuries, who served as Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Navy under George II.

In May 1699 he married Elizabeth Aylmer, daughter of Admiral Matthew Aylmer, which greatly aided his distinguished career. He was given command of HMS Britannia, flagship of Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell, in 1703 knighted in 1705 and made an admiral in 1709. He was a Member of Parliament from 1708 until his death. In 1707, Norris serving under Shovell, took part in the unsuccessful Battle of Toulon. Sailing aboard his flagship HMS Torbay, Norris was present during the great naval disaster off the Isles of Scilly when Shovell and four of his ships were lost, claiming the lives of nearly 2,000 sailors..."

SOURCE: Wikipedia contributors, 'John Norris (Royal Navy officer)', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 18 November 2012, 22:22 UTC, <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Norris_(Royal_Navy_o...> [accessed 30 December 2012]