The Norcross Family Tree	People Index Home Page
	Richard Norcross, 1621 to 1790 Mary Brooks, to 1670

Richard Norcrosse,  second and youngest son of Jeremiah Norcross, was born in London, England in 1621. He came to New England with his father in about 1638, being then about 17 years of age. In 1642, we find him in Watertown with his father and owning a homestead of one acre and a small lot of upland.

Richard was the first family member to enter the Vital Records of this new country with his marriage in 1650 to Mary Brooks and his children between 1652 and 1671. The death of his daughter Mary in 1661 was the first death of a Norcross recorded.

He married first, in 1650, Mary Brooks. She died in 1672 leaving him with seven children. He married second, in 1673, Susanna, widow of William Shattuck who had died also in 1672. She had ten children by Mr. Shattuck, three of whom, two boys and one girl, were in their minority at the time of their mother’s marriage to Mr. Norcrosse. The following the agreement was made between Richard and Susanna (probably the first pre-nuptial agreement on record in the Colony).

Richard Norcrosse was the first schoolmaster mentioned in the Watertown records. He was chosen for one year January 6, 1651, for £30. He is the only schoolmaster mentioned until 1675, and his salary continued the same until that time.  A reading of the town records of the time would suggest that the Town of Watertown was under constant pressure by the Colonial Court to provide for the education of the children in that town.

On the files of the Court 1679 is the petition of Richard Norcrosse for 20 years schoolmaster that the privilege of exemption from training may be conferred on him who is called again to the same employment. He was then 58 years of age.

In 1679, the arrangement was that he should teach only Latin and Writing at his own house during the months of June, July and August and the remainder of the year, Latin and English at the schoolhouse and to have £20 out of the town rates, and probably what he should obtain as Tuition as before. In 1680, the County Court ordered Watertown to provide a grammar school. A committee was appointed in 1681, to provide a master to teach Latin and English and Richard Norcrosse was chosen 2 November 1690. The town allowed £15 for the schoolmaster’s maintenance. On 3 September 1700, he was chosen to keep school for £10 and to receive something and to receive something additional from the parents and they each to send a quarter of a chord of wood in the winter. At this time Mr. Norcrosse had been schoolmaster 49 years and was 79 years old. He was admitted freeman in 1653.

Richard Norcross died in 1709 at the good old age of 88 leaving four sons and two daughters, having lost one daughter previous to his death. He made his will 8 April 1708 when he was 87 years of age, he had made settlements with his children before he made this will.