Birmingham Citadel
Salvation Army
Transforming lives
James Lansdowne Norton Grave Rededication and Wreath Laying
19.04.2017
JAMES LANSDOWNE NORTON
The father of the Motor Cycle Industry (written by Retired Songster Leader Fred Crowhurst, pictures by Graham Daff/Lauren Blessett)
“Those of you who follow the local press or TV will know that there was a lot of publicity surrounding James Lansdowne Norton earlier in the year when his grave was rediscovered in a neglected state at Lodge Hill Cemetery in Selly Oak. His Norton motor cycles were world famous and they dominated the TT Races in The Isle of Man in the first half of the 20th century with famous riders like Geoff Duke etc. The Norton Motor Cycle Owners Club, a worldwide organisation set about finding his relatives so that they could undertake to restore his grave. What wasn’t generally known was that Mr Norton, who died in 1925 at the age of 56 was also a staunch Salvationist and was the Corps Treasurer at Sparkbrook Salvation Army, long since closed. When he died, he was accorded a full Salvation Army funeral attended by the Birmingham Divisional Headquarters.
Happily his surviving family have been contacted and gave the Norton Club full permission for them to restore his grave. It has now been partly restored and they laid a wreath there in commemoration of his death 91 years ago on Saturday 15th April. Major Vic Kennedy from The Salvation Army conducted a short service accompanied by a few members of Birmingham Citadel Salvation Army Band to mark the occasion and this has established a connection between The Salvation Army and The Norton Motor Cycle Owners Club.
If you want to know more about Mr Norton, then you can look up an article I wrote about him in my book ‘Along The Way’ (the red one) together with a photograph of him in full Salvation Army uniform kindly sent to me by Jim Lee, another motor cycle enthusiast who also attends The Salvation Army at Hinckley in Leicestershire..
It is a fascinating and colourful story about the early days of motor cycling including the days of the first TT races in which Mr Norton himself took a prominent part along with his test rider Rem Fowler.”
Fred Crowhurst
If you would like to order a copy of Fred’s books which talk about the history of The Salvation Army in Birmingham and Birmingham Citadel please contact us @ birmingham.citadel@salvationarmy.org.uk
There were around 50 members of the Norton Motorcycle club present including one member who had ridden a 1916 bike from Devon.
The members of the family present (pictured below) were :
Susan Ankorn (Granddaughter) and her husband Robert
Judith Morris (Granddaughter) and Oliver Morris (Great Grandson)
Also present was CEO of Norton Motorcycles Stuart Garner (not pictured)
