I am Julia Norton from Hayward, California. I am spending February and half of March and next summer assisting my parents (primarily my mother, Betty Sue Hawkins Norton, but also my father Robert Louis Norton, both of Birmingham, Alabama) with some research on our family. I have this time because my children are mostly grown and I am a college professor on sabbatical (Statistics is my field--don't shudder, I like it). I am primarily interested in William Norton born in New Hanover County about 1739. My belief is that he moved to Horry County South Carolina, married Patience Minsey, a widow, about 1780. They had six children, Lewis, Mary, William Jr., James, Ruth, and John Wesley, all born in Horry County between about 1780 and 1794. William Sr., died in Horry County in 1806. William Jr., to Barbour County Alabama before 1826 and Patience and John W. joined him there. I am a descendant from William Jr.'s line. If you have any interest in what I know of William Norton's descendants in Alabama, please let me know. Meanwhile, if you have any leads or information that I could use, I would appreciate it. I have no knowledge about the descendants of Lewis Norton b. about 1781; Mary Norton b. about 1782, m. Isaac Lewis probably about 1802; James Norton (Rev.), b. about 1786, d. Columbia SC about 1828; or Ruth Norton, about 1790, m. Joel Lewis (son of William Lewis and Mourning Vamplet of Horry Co.) moved to Mississippi. I am also interested in them. I have gotten some very useful assistance from researchers in Horry County Historical Society already. For example, William Norton Jr., b. Horry County about 1784, married Lucretia Harralson, b 1788 in Horry County. I got some really interesting information about Lucretia that I had not known. Also, their son James Russell Norton, b. 21 Dec. 1804 Horry County, married Margaret C. Johnston b. 4 Oct. 1808. I had thought that Margaret's mother was Mary Hodges. But she turns out to be wife two and Margaret's mother was Celia Floyd. I learned that from a descendant of Margaret's sister Mary Ann. It is great filling in the female lines especially because they are so often forgotten. I am in the dark about Patience, wife of William Norton who died in Horry County 1806(?). There is some indication that she might be the sister of Lucretia Harralson. That is really strange as Lucretia would then also be her daughter-in-law. Of course, there could have been two wives of Josiah Harralson d. 1822 Horry County. Patience could have been born from the first wife, not Mary Vick, whom I believe is the mother of Lucretia Harralson. Any light to shed on this topic? Also I learned today that a William Norton was in the 2nd Infantry of North Carolina, Captain Augustin Spain's Company--they were captured 12 May 1780 by the British at Charleston, they were furloughed 1 January 1783 at James Island, SC, and they were decommissioned from the Revolutionary War 15 Nov. 1783. Certainly puts a William Norton in the right place to marry in Horry County in early 1780s. The widow (Patience Norton) reported in Alabama (She died Barbour County, Alabama about 1839) that William Norton was in the revolution. I notice that in Virginia about 1780 a William Norton and a Henry Norton were reported as Tories. So I have some searching to unravel which William Norton (there may even have been two in Spain's company) is in my line. All the best--Julia Norton