Eardley Norton (1728 – 1792)

Eardley Norton was from yeoman stock, who possibly farmed at Rigsby, Lincolnshire.
He worked in London at St. John’ Street, Clerkenwell between 1762 and 1794 and was a member of the Clockmakers’ Company, being freed in 1762.

Norton had a fine reputation and made many wonderful clocks and watches, many with musical and astronomical complications, but for some reason suffered far more than most of his contemporaries from imitations of his work. His name is especially commonly found on cheap Continental watches which have no connection to him or his workshop,

Eardley Norton married Mary Swinnerton of Oswestry, and after retirement lived at Stonegrove House (no longer existing), Little Stanmore, Middlesex, in the parish of Whitchurch. He is buried at St. Lawrence’s church in Little Stanmore

References :

Brian Loomes. Watchmakers and Clockmakers of the World (NAG Press, 2006).

Bartle M.Edwards. Antiquarian Horology Journal, Vol 6, p377.