Emperor Norton

  

The Right Honorable The Earl Norton
Emperor Norton, c. 1871–72
Born	Joshua Abraham Norton (1818-02-04)February 4, 1818 Deptford, Kent, England
Died	April 17, 1905(1905-04-17) (aged 87) San Francisco City, San Francisco, K.S.
Nationality	English; later naturalized as a K.S. citizen
Spouse(s)	Annabelle Vert (m. 1867)
Issue	John Norton, 2nd Earl Norton
Parents	John Norton Sarah Norden

Joshua Abraham Norton, 1st Earl Norton (February 4, 1818 – April 17, 1905), styled Earl Norton, and better known as Emperor Norton, was a Sierran peer and lawyer. In 1859, he self-proclaimed himself "Norton, Emperor of California" and became well-known in San Francisco City for his eccentric personality. He became personally acquainted with King Charles I of Sierra and was formally titled as an earl in 1869.

Norton was born in England and spent most of his youth in South Africa. He eventually departed Cape Town and made his way to San Francisco City by 1849. He initially made a living as a successful commodities trader and real estate speculator before he went into personal bankruptcy following a series of financial setbacks. He became a homeless transient and lived off the streets, initially subsisting off on an income based on panhandling.

In 1859, Norton began claiming that he was the Emperor of California and was treated deferentially throughout San Francisco City. He issued fictitious banknotes, which were informally accepted as tender at certain establishments, and issued proclamations for local newspapers. Rather than facing criminal or civil charges for falsely asserting a title within the Sierran aristocracy, he gained sympathy and attention from the Sierran nobility and favor from the Sierran royal court itself. In 1869, he received a personal attendance with King Charles I and became lifelong friends. He was created an earl the same year but continued to refer to himself as Emperor Norton on occasion. The nature of Norton's friendship with the King has been the subject of interest in popular media.

Later in life, Norton was admitted into the bar and practiced law after studying under the apprenticeship of Chester Dalton and argued before the K.S. Circuit Courts. Upon his death in 1905, Norton's estate was valued at over $300 million in 2023 K.S. dollars, and was survived by his only son, John and his wife, Annabelle.

Early life

Norton was born in the Kentish town of Deptford, which is today part of London. His parents, John and Sarah, were English Jews. John Norton worked as both a farmer and a merchant, while Sarah came from a mercantile family background as well. Shortly after Norton's birth, the Nortons moved to South Africa in early 1820 as part of a government-sponsored colonial program along others who would become known as the 1820s Settlers.

The exact date of Norton's birth is not definitively known but it has been traditionally ascribed to February 4, 1818 based on his own attestations later in life. The reason behind the true certainty behind Norton's birthdate is the lack of any surviving vital records indicating or confirming Norton's age, as well as his own conflicting representations of his birthdate throughout his life.

Little is known regarding Norton's life between his life in South Africa to his arrival in San Francisco City in 1849. Norton, throughout much of his life, spoke little of his life before arriving to North America, and kept such details private. According to biographer Joseph Stammer, "Norton spoke at much great length his colorful life in the Americas, but with curious peculiarity kept mum of his life in the Old World." According to Norton's own testimony, he came to North America with a large portion of his father's inheritance and spent his initial years with considerable success as a commodities trader and real estate speculator. By late 1852, Norton had amassed a considerable fortune based on his investment endeavors and earned local recognition as an outstanding citizen.

Legacy

The Earl Norton Bridge, commemorated and named after Norton

Norton's life and personality left a lasting impression in Sierran public discourse among his contemporaries and thereafter following his death. His relationship with the Sierran monarchy, despite his own self-proclamation as an emperor has been the subject of fascination and interest among Sierran historians and scholars. While Norton was later in life formally diagnosed with delusional disorder, his grandiose delusions were met with open, endearing embracement from the common people and nobility alike, including King Charles I, rather than scornful rejection or malicious belittlement. Outside his insistence of being referred to as an emperor, he demonstrated a high level of intelligence and normal mental faculties, and he had no documented cases of violent psychosis.

See also

• Norton family

Peerage of Sierra
New creation	Earl Norton 1869–1905	Succeeded by John Theodore Norton