John Norris (soldier) facts for kids
Sir John Norris (around 1547 – September 3, 1597) was a famous English soldier. He came from Rycote, Oxfordshire, and was a lifelong friend of Queen Elizabeth I.
Sir John Norris was known as the best English soldier of his time. He fought in many important wars during Queen Elizabeth's reign. These included the Wars of Religion in France, the Eighty Years' War in Flanders (where the Dutch fought for freedom from Spain), the Anglo-Spanish War, and especially the conflicts in Ireland.
Contents
Early Life and Family
John Norris was the oldest son of Henry Norreys and Marjorie Williams. He was born at Yattendon Castle. His grandfather had been close to Queen Anne Boleyn, who was the mother of Queen Elizabeth.
Queen Elizabeth knew the Norris family well. She had even stayed at Yattendon Castle once. She was good friends with John's mother, whom she called "Black Crow" because of her dark hair. John inherited this dark hair, and his soldiers called him "Black Jack."
John grew up with five brothers. Many of them later fought alongside him in Queen Elizabeth's wars. He might have briefly studied at Magdalen College, Oxford.
In 1566, John's father became the English ambassador to France. In 1567, when John was about 19, he and his older brother William were at the Battle of Saint Denis. They even drew a map of the battle for their father's report to the Queen.
First Military Adventures
When his father returned from France in 1571, John Norris stayed behind. He became friends with the new ambassador, Francis Walsingham. In 1571, John fought as a volunteer with Admiral Coligny on the Huguenot (Protestant) side in the French Wars of Religion.
Two years later, John became a captain under Sir Walter Devereux, the first Earl of Essex. Essex was trying to set up an English settlement, called a plantation, in Ulster, Ireland. John supported his older brother William, who led a group of 100 horsemen.
During this time, Norris was involved in a sad event. Essex invited Sir Brian O'Neill and his people to a feast in Belfast. After three days of feasting, Norris and his men attacked over 200 of O'Neill's unarmed followers. Essex then took Sir Brian and his family to Dublin, where they were later executed.
Later, when Essex attacked Sorley Boy MacDonnell, many Scots sent their families to Rathlin Island for safety. Essex ordered Norris to go to Rathlin and attack them. Norris used cannons to break through the island's defenses. After a fight, the Scots surrendered. Most of them were killed, including many women and children hiding in caves. This event is known as the Rathlin Island Massacre.
A fort was built on the island, but Norris and his troops left it within three months. The plan to settle the area failed.
Fighting in the Low Countries
In 1577, Norris led English volunteers to the Low Countries (modern-day Netherlands and Belgium). There, he fought for the States General, who were rebelling against King Philip II of Spain. This was the start of the Eighty Years' War. At the Battle of Rijmenam in 1578, his forces helped defeat the Spanish army. Norris had three horses shot from under him during this battle!
In 1579, he worked with the French army. He was put in charge of all English troops. He took part in the battle of Borgerhout, where the Spanish won. Later, on April 9, 1580, his troops captured Mechelen and severely looted the city. This event became known as the English Fury.
Because of these victories, Norris became very famous in England. He was known for his strong leadership. In February 1581, he defeated the Count of Rennenburg by helping the city of Steenwijk during a siege. He also won another battle at Kollum in July. However, in September 1581, he faced a big defeat at the Battle of Noordhorn by a Spanish army.
After more campaigns, Norris returned to England in 1584. He encouraged England to declare war on Spain to help the Dutch gain freedom.
Back to Ireland
In March 1584, Norris left the Low Countries. In July, he was sent to Ireland as the president of Munster province. He wanted to settle the province with English people. However, conditions were very difficult, and many of his soldiers left to fight in the Low Countries instead.
In September 1584, Norris joined the Lord Deputy of Ireland, Sir John Perrot, and the Earl of Ormonde, in Ulster. Their goal was to remove the Scots from the area. Norris helped take 50,000 cattle to weaken the enemy. The campaign was not fully successful, as the Scots simply regrouped and returned later. Norris went back to Munster but was called to Dublin in 1585 for the opening of parliament.
He served as a Member of Parliament for County Cork. He spoke strongly about making the Queen's authority stronger in Ireland. He also complained that he was stopped from starting a new campaign in Ulster.
War with Spain
When the city of Antwerp was under siege, Norris urged support for the Dutch Protestants. He left his role in Munster to his brother Thomas and rushed to London in May 1585. In August, he led an English army of 4,400 men to help the Dutch against the Spanish, as agreed in the Treaty of Nonsuch. He bravely attacked a fort near Arnhem. The Queen, however, was not happy about this aggressive move.
His army, though new, pushed back the Duke of Parma in a long battle at Aarschot. But without enough supplies, his men suffered greatly. Still, they showed that the Spanish troops were not unbeatable. This led Queen Elizabeth to fully commit her forces to help the Dutch.
In December 1585, the Earl of Leicester arrived with a new army. He became the Governor-General of the Low Countries. During an attack on Parma, Norris was wounded by a pike. He then managed to break through to help the city of Grave. Leicester made him a knight for this victory. His brothers Edward and Henry were also knighted.
Norris and Leicester often argued during the campaign, which did not go well. Leicester complained about Norris's uncle, who was the treasurer. The Queen, however, did not recall Norris. Norris continued to serve well. In August 1586, he was ordered to protect Utrecht. In September, he joined the Battle of Zutphen, where Sir Philip Sidney was badly wounded.
By late 1586, Leicester praised Norris, and the Dutch also thought highly of him. But Norris was recalled in October. The Queen seemed unhappy with him because of his arguments with Leicester. Within a year, he returned to the Low Countries.
In early 1588, Norris returned to England. He received a Master of Arts degree from the University of Oxford. Later that year, when the Spanish Armada was expected, he was a marshal at West Tilbury. He was there when Queen Elizabeth gave her famous Speech to the Troops at Tilbury. He also checked the defenses of Dover. In October, he returned to the Low Countries as an ambassador. He oversaw the withdrawal of troops for an expedition to Portugal.
On April 17, 1589, Norris and Drake led a large force of 23,000 men. This was called the English Armada. Their mission was to destroy Spanish ships and help the Portuguese claimant to the throne. They surprised Corunna, and Norris's troops fought off 8,000 Spanish soldiers. His brother Edward was badly wounded, but John saved his life. Norris then attacked Lisbon, but the enemy would not fight him directly. Running low on supplies and with many men sick or dead, Norris decided to return to England. This "English Armada" did not achieve much.
From 1591 to 1594, Norris helped Henry IV of France fight the Catholic League in Brittany, France. He led 3,000 troops and captured Guingamp. He also defeated the French Catholic League and their Spanish allies at Château-Laudran. His campaign was not very successful, and he returned to England in February 1592. He came back to Brittany in September 1594.
He captured the town of Morlaix. Afterwards, he helped besiege and capture Fort Crozon near Brest, which was defended by 400 Spanish troops. He also stopped a Spanish relief army. This was his most important military success, even though he suffered many casualties and was wounded himself. His youngest brother, Maximilian, was killed during this year. Norris left Brest at the end of 1594.
Final Return to Ireland
In April 1595, Norris was chosen as the military commander under the new Lord Deputy of Ireland, Sir William Russell. The two men did not get along well. Norris was given special permission that made him independent of Russell's authority in Ulster. People hoped that Norris's strong reputation would make the rebellion end.
Norris arrived in Waterford in May 1595 but became sick with malaria. In June, he set out from Dublin with 2,900 men. Norris made his headquarters at Newry and fortified Armagh cathedral. He camped his troops along the River Blackwater.
Norris felt the task was impossible without more soldiers. He complained that his army was made up of "poor old ploughmen and rogues." He told Queen Elizabeth's secretary, Sir William Cecil, that the rebels were much stronger than any he had faced before.
The situation got worse quickly. Norris chose to move his troops by sea instead of marching them through the dangerous Moyry Pass. But Russell later marched through the pass easily, which made Norris look bad. More troops were sent to Ireland.
Tyrone offered to surrender, but the Dublin council rejected it. Norris could not draw his enemy into a full battle. He decided to spend the winter at Armagh. During a return march, while fortifying a pass, Norris was wounded in the arm and side. His brother was also wounded.
With approval from London, Norris made a truce with Tyrone to avoid Spanish and papal involvement. This truce was extended. In the following year, Norris made a new agreement, which Russell criticized because it gave Tyrone more time. Russell thought Norris was too soft on Tyrone.
Because of problems in the province of Connaught, Norris went there in June 1596 to talk with the local lords. He criticized the government for causing the rebellion. However, Norris failed to bring peace to Connaught. Hostilities started again as soon as he returned north in December 1596.
Norris was very tired of his situation. He asked to be recalled, saying he was in poor health. Russell, however, claimed Norris was faking his illness. It was decided in late 1596 to remove both men from Ulster. Russell went back to England, and Norris was sent to Munster. Norris felt this new appointment was a disgrace.
Death
Norris returned to Munster to serve as president. But his health was very weak. He soon asked to leave his duties. He said he had "lost more blood in her Majesty's service than any he knew." At his brother's house in Mallow, he developed gangrene from old wounds. He was also very sad about the Queen's lack of appreciation for his 26 years of service. On September 3, 1597, he died in his brother Thomas's arms.
Many believed he died of a broken heart. Another story says a servant heard Norris make a pact with the Devil, and the next morning, Norris was found dead with his head turned backward.
Norris's body was preserved. The Queen sent a letter of sympathy to his parents, who had lost several sons in Ireland. He was buried in Yattendon Church, Berkshire. A monument there has his helmet hanging above it. His image was also placed on the Norris monument in Westminster Abbey.
Legacy
In 1600, during the Nine Years' War, Sir Charles Blount, Lord Mountjoy, built a fort between Newry and Armagh. He named it Mountnorris in honor of Sir John Norris.
Mountjoy called Norris his teacher in war. He agreed with Norris's idea that Ireland could only be controlled by force and large, permanent armies. Norris's long military career was most important for his support of the Dutch rebellion against Spain and for helping the French in Brittany.
Family
Sir John Norris never married and had no children.
The name Norris is pronounced "Norr-iss."
See also
- English Armada (Drake-Norris Expedition)
