PenmaenmawrJohn Edward Norton M.D. M.R.C.S. (c. 1819 – 5 December 1871) was a British orthodox physician who converted to homeopathy, to become a Physician at the Birkenhead Homeopathic Dispensary, and  a committee member of the Association for the Protection of Homeopathic Students and Practitioners. He was also an early supporter of the Manchester Homeopathic Hospital and, later, the medical superintendent of the Llandudno Hydropathic Establishment.

John Edward Norton taught homeopath Henry Thomas, and practiced for most of his career in Chester. He spent his summers practicing in Penmaenmawr in Wales, and in Llandudno.

It is believed that Dr. John Edward Norton introduced the pilule into homeopathic practice.

John Edward Norton was born in High Hoyland, Yorkshire, the son of Thomas Norton (1791 – 1840) and Margaret Maria McMahon (1792 – 1864).

In 1839, Norton was admitted as a member of the Royal College of Surgeons, and in 1840 was practicing at 37 Pleasant Street, Clarence Street, Liverpool.

By the early 1840s, J. Edward Norton had discovered homeopathy at the Liverpool Homeopathic Dispensary. He then obtained his M.D. from the University of St. Andrews in 1844.

In 1847, charges were brought against John Edward Norton after the death of a child, ten month old Thomas Hillier, who he was treating. The Judge dismissed the case at the Inquest, the the jury, probably influenced by the fact that Mr. Hilliar had lost two other children from bronchitis despite having received allopathic treatment for their illness, were unanimous.

Norton briefly practiced in Derby. In July 1850, he married Helen Susan Strutt (1812 – 1891) in her parish church at Belper, Derbyshire.

By 1851, J. E. Norton was residing at 1 Grey Friars, Chester, where he would spend much of the remainder of his career.

After Norton retired from medical practice he took over the management of Llandudno Hydropathic Establishment, and a private one at Penmaenmawr.

Norton’s health began to decline and in 1871 he suffered a bout of Endocarditis. He relapsed and on Tuesday 5 December 1871 he died at home, sitting alongside his wife, aged 53.

During his final illness John Edward Norton was attended by his assistant, Henry Thomas, and Liverpool homeopath John James Drysdale.

John Edward Norton wrote a small number of books on homeopathy, including a translation of von Brunnow’s A Glance at Hahnemann and Homoeopathy and he submitted cases and articles to various homeopathic publications.

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The members of the London Association for the Protection of Homeopathic Students and Practitioners included George Edward Allshorn, George Atkin, Francis Black, James Dore Blake, James Chapman, John Chapman, Paul Francois Curie, John James Drysdale, Robert Ellis Dudgeon, George Fearon, Edward Hamilton, William Hering, Claude Buchanan Kerr, William Kingdon, Joseph Laurie, Thomas Robinson Leadam, William MacDonald, Richard Robert Madden, John Edward Norton, John Ozanne, John Rutherfurd Russell, David Wilson and many others.