Samuel Norton

Albany resident Samuel Norton was born during the late 1760s. Several possible origins are plausible for this individual with a name not infrequently encountered in what became the northeastern United States during the latter part of the eighteenth century.

Perhaps he was a son of Samuel Norton, one of the founders of Saratoga Springs. A Samuel Norton was listed as a head of household on the Saratoga census in 1790.

About that time, he had married Albany native Elizabeth Radcliff. Beginning in 1792, their children were christened at the Albany Dutch church.

In 1799, his house and lot in the first ward was valued on the Albany assessment roll. The personal property of his father-in-law was listed next to Norton's holdings. In 1800, the Nortons were listed on the census in a separate household with John L. Radley's household configured on the line immediately above. During the 1790s, he was included on community-based documents as a freeholder, juror, and bricklayer.

With the passing of his father-in-law in 1809, Samuel Norton was acknowledged as the proprietor of 48 Hudson Street and was listed in the annual directory as a mason. He also purchased a number of parcels of land also on the Southside of the city. However, in 1819, the city directory showed that these Nortons had moved out to an address at 218 South Pearl Street where they remained for a number of years.

Samuel Norton lost his wife when Elizabeth died in April 1841. After that, he seems to have removed to Lyme, Connecticut and to the home of his married daughter where the Albany newspaper reported he died in October 1842. He had lived to the age of seventy-three.

Sources: The life of Samuel Norton has not been assigned a CAP biography number. This sketch is derived chiefly from family and community-based resources.