William Foxley Norris

Infobox ReligiousBio
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name = William Foxley Norris
religion = Church of England
alias =
location = England
Title = Dean of Westminster
Period = 1917–1963
Predecessor = Herbert Edward Ryle
Successor = Paul de Labilliere
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date of birth = 1897
place of birth =
date of death = death year and age|1937|1897
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William Foxley Norris KCVO was Dean of York between 1917 and 1925 and of Westminster from then until his death in 1937. Born into a clerical family [His father was Canon Foxley Norris “Who was Who” 1897-1990 London, A & C Black, 1991 ISBN 071363457X] he was educated at Charterhouse and Trinity College, Oxford [The Times, Saturday, Dec 23, 1882; pg. 10; Issue 30698; col B Degree awarded] before taking Holy orders at "Leeds Clergy School". After curacies in Eton and Chatham he embarked on a career that was to take him from pastoral (Incumbencies in Oxfordshire and Yorkshire [The Times, Thursday, Nov 15, 1894; pg. 8; Issue 34422; col C Lambeth Palace announces the following preferments ] ) to administrative (Diocesan Educational Inspector [“The inspection of Elementary Church Schools”Norris,WF: London, SPCK, 1904] ) posts before a steady rise up the ecclesiastical ladder. He was successively Rural Dean of Silkstone, Canon of Wakefield and Archdeacon of Halifax before becoming Dean of York [Lambeth Palace Library "York Minster. Installation of the Venerable William Foxley Norris, M.A., as dean of the cathedral and metropolitical church of St. Peter of York, Saturday, March 31st, 1917" Catalogued at G199 51.36] . An exceptionally talented artist [The Times, Thursday, Mar 26, 1931; pg. 12; Issue 45781; col B Art Exhibitions Painters In Watercolours] he wrote widely on Church treasures [“Decoration and enrichment in cathedrals”Norris,W.F: London, SPCK, 1927] whilst Dean of Westminster [The Times, Tuesday, Oct 20, 1925; pg. 14; Issue 44097; col C The Deanery Of Westminster. Appointment Of The Dean Of York.] . A much respected cleric [The Times, Wednesday, Sep 29, 1937; pg. 12; Issue 47802; col F Death Of The Dean Of Westminster Burial In The Abbey] he died on 28 September 1937 and was buried in Westminster Abbey [ Lambeth Place Library “Westminster Abbey. Funeral service. The Very Reverend William Foxley Norris, K.C.V.O., D.D., Dean of Westminster and Dean of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath. October 1st, 1937” G199 42.15] .

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