Date of Birth: 27/07/1795
Place of Birth: Ore Place, Hastings, Sussex, England
Date of Death: 31/08/1862
Place of Death: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
| Member of the NSW Legislative Council |
24 Sep 1856 |
13 May 1861 |
4 years 7 months 20 days |
First (Quinquennial) Appointments under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 16 September 1856. |
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Lawyer (solicitor). Family were landed gentry in Sussex, but father did not inherit. Trained as a lawyer and was admitted as a solicitor. Arrived in Sydney under the patronage of Lord Guildford. Family was given a large grant in the Mulgoa district, and James also granted 950 acres which were later farmed. Legal practice flourished; took William Barker into partnership in 1826; frequently was counsel for Crown. Took son into partnership after he qualified as a solicitor in 1848. Shareholder in Australian Agricultural Company; director of Bank of Australia from 1826 until 1843; director of Bank of New South Wales from 1823 until 1826. Registrar of Church of England archdeaconry and diocese of Sydney for 30 years from 1825. Leading member of Anti-transportation League, associating with Charles Cowper, John Fairfax and Charles Campbell. Purchased Elswick, 100 acre property on Parramatta Road in 1834; built house and garden there. Author.
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Son of John and Mary Bradford. Married (1) Jane Mackenzie on 10 January 1824 and had issue, 8 sons and 2 daughters. Married (2) Marian Backhouse of Ipswich, England and had issue, 2 daughters and 3 sons. Church of England.
Additional Information
Personal papers in the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales: 1.
Norton Smith & Co. - records, 1836 - 1952 (MLMSS A5315, D15-D16, D47, D54-D56)
2. James Norton - papers, 1812 - 1873 (A5328), 3. Mackenzie and Norton families
- papers, ca. 1769 - 1902 (MLMSS 1389).
