Hon. John W. Norrington Pages 222, 223 - HON. JOHN W. NORRINGTON. There is anobscurity in the game of life that to the robust mind is always attractive. Theimportant uncertainty of the final outcome, its value to all, serves as anincentive to great deeds. To push forward and win the battle is the one commonimpulse and ambition of humanity. But in this vast concourse of strugglingwarriors, the number who achieve success is comparatively small, and in themajority of instances is confined to those who by reason of family inheritanceor extended learning have a far better start than their fellows. Without thesequalifications success is rarely attained, but when it is, the fortunate beingis invariably the possessor of an indomitable will, untiring energy and anunusual amount of native shrewdness and ability. Such a man is John W.Norrington, the subject of this sketch, who is the present representative ofOttawa County in the Legislature. Mr. Norrington is a native of Berkeley County, W. Va., born July 28, 1848,and the son of William and Mary (Hedges) Norrington, natives respectively ofSouth Carolina and Virginia (now West Virginia). Both families came originallyfrom England, the Norringtons settling in South Carolina and the Hedges inAnnapolis, Md., and members of these families served in the War forIndependence. William Norrington was a farmer by occupation, and his deathoccurred in West Virginia, on the farm where he settled directly after marriage.There his wife also passed her last days. At the commencement of the Civil Warhe was a county official and stanch Union man. To his marriage were born sevenchildren. The first died in infancy; Mary E., wife of Andrew T. Harper, was bornOctober 3, 1846; close to the old homestead; John W. is next; William L., bornOctober 1, 1850, resides in Seattle, Wash.; Martha J., born July 3, 1852, diedNovember 8, 1853; Sarah V., born January 14, 1855, married H. R. Smith, andresides in South Dakota; and Joseph E., born September 28, 1857, resides on theold homestead in Berkeley County, W. Va. John W. Norrington was reared to farm life, and in his boyhood days attendedthe subscription schools, continuing in the same until the breaking out of theCivil War. In 1865 he attended the first free school in the county, and in thewinter of 1867 entered the High School of Odin, Ill. When fifteen years of ageour subject started out for himself, and his first move was to enlist in CompanyC, Third West Virginia Cavalry, under Capt. Peter Tabler. He was in the battleof Wytheville, Va., on Hunter’s raid and at Licksburgh; then his command wentto the Shenandoah Valley and fought at Winchester. The next engagement was atShepardstown, then Chambersburg, where heavy skirmishing was done, but thehardest engagement took place at Morefield, W. Va. After this he was atWinchester, Fisher’s Hill, Mt. Jackson, Port Republic and Cedar Creek, whereGen. Sheridan made his famous ride. For a short time they were in winterquarters at Camp Russell, after which they went on the Gordonsville (Va.) raid.On the 27th of February, 1865, they broke camp and started for WhiteHouse Landing. The first engagement was at Waynesboro and there the ThirdBrigade made the celebrated charge. This charge was made by Col. Capehart, andthree hundred wagons of Gen. Early’s wagon train were captured. The nextbattle was at Charlottesville, and then Petersburg, and from that time on it wasa continual engagement until the surrender of Gen. Lee. The hardest-foughtbattle during this time was at Sailor Creek, where Gen. Custer made threecharges before he was successful and captured Brig.-Gen. Lee and Gen. Ewell, ofthe Confederate army. Five Forks was the next engagement in which our subjectparticipated. During his service Mr. Norrington was slightly wounded at thebattle of Moorfield, and was captured by Gen. Mosby at Bunker Hill, Va. Fiveother men were captured at the same time, but they succeeded in overcoming theirguards and made their way to their own camp on the opposite side of the river,taking the Sergeant along with them. Mr. Norrington was discharged at Wheeling,W. Va., on the 30th of June, 1865, and left camp July 10 of the sameyear. Returning home, Mr. Norrington remained there for a short time and attendedschool. On the 1st of March, 1869, he started to Kansas, but spentthe summer in Weston, Mo. In the fall he went to what was then Howard County,now Chautauqua County, Kan., where he took up land close to what is now the townof Peru. This town was located by our subject, Mr. Cutler and several others,and Mr. Norrington assisted in digging the first well and building the firsthouse, which was a log structure. The latter was given to a man to put a stockof groceries in. On the organization of the county, Mr. Norrington was electedTownship Trustee for the south half of the county, called Belleville Township.Often Mr. Norrington would take a day’s provisions and a blanket and pony andmake a two-days trip, camping out wherever night overtook him. He was re-electedthe next year, but resigned and came to this State in 1871. The following springhe returned to Kansas and remained there until 1875, when he came back toMichigan. The following year he embarked in the grocery business at Plainwell,Allegan County, Mich., but since then he has been engaged for the most part infarming. In 1885 he was elected Township Supervisor and re-elected for sevensuccessive years. In 1891 he made the race for Register of Deeds on theRepublican ticket but was defeated by one hundred and seventy votes, CharlesIngraham fusion. In 1892, in the November election, he was made Representativeover Jacob Barr, Democrat, by two hundred and thirty-nine votes. Mr. Norringtonwas a member of the Labor Committee, Election Committee, and a member of theState Public School Board at Coldwater, Mich. February 10, 1869, he was marriedto Miss Joana Barlow, a native of Michigan, born near Ypsilanti, and thedaughter of George O. and Joana (Williams) Barlow. Mr. Barlow resides in thiscounty, but his wife died on the 1st of January, 1893. They were theparents of eleven children, ten of whom lived to be grown: Margaret, who is thewife of Rev. W. Wilson; John, deceased; Mary, wife of James Chelson; Addie, wifeof Mr. Boyce; Sem E.; Elisha; Joana, wife of our subject; Hana, widow of M.Sweetland; Nancy (deceased), who was the wife of John Snell; Elexie, wife ofDavid Lick; and George O. To our subject and wife have been born three children:Emery H., born May 12, 1871, and who died March 26, 1873; Nova Z., born November12, 1873; and William O., born March 31, 1877. Mrs. Norrington is a member ofthe Presbyterian Church. Socially, Mr. Norrington is a member of Ottawa LodgeNo. 46, I. O. O. F., the Grange, and William Thurkettle Post No. 388, G. A. R.,at Allendale Center.

Portrait & Biographical Record of Muskegon & OttawaCounties, Michigan 1893, Chicago: Biographical Publishing Company

Transcriber: Susan Gates Davis
Created: 31 March 2003
URL: Biographies