Caroline Norton was an early feminist lawmaker in England who campaigned for custody rights for mothers. Her husband George Norton accused her of adultery and she lost custody of her three sons as well as her home and possessions. Caroline wrote pamphlets calling for legal reforms to give mothers greater rights. She lobbied MPs and her efforts eventually led to the Custody of Infants Act of 1839, which allowed mothers access to their children up to age 7. However, George Norton moved their children to Scotland to avoid the new law. Caroline continued her activism and lobbying, which helped pave the way for further legal reforms regarding marriage and women's rights.

1. Caroline Norton: England’s First Feminist Law-Maker
by Dr. Diane Atkinson, Portcullis House, 7 March 2017
NotestakenbyMary (Marette) Hickford,audience member.There are errorsinnotestakenand
where there isclearuncertainty,Ihave insertedquestionsintobrackets.PleasereadDr.Diana
Atkinson’sbookonCaroline NortonandherfightagainstGeorge Norton:
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/the-criminal-conversation-of-
mrs-norton-by-diane-atkinson-7984881.html
Notesfrom Presentation
17th
August1739 – firstpiece of feminine legislation,400 wordsgivinglegal statustomotherswho
have become legallyseparatedfromtheirhusbands,notresponsible foradulterywere now given
custodyof childrenuptothe age of 7 years.
George Norton,husbandof Caroline Norton,accusedherof havinganaffairwithLord Melbourne,
Prime Ministerof the UK but lostcase in 1836/7. 1831 – George Nortonhad forcedCaroline Norton
to secure favourstoadvance hiscareer and whichhadbeenencouragedbyhisbrother,Baron
Grantley.Caroline Nortonfell inlove withLordMelbourne whichhadn’tbeenplannedfor.Afterthe
case,she losther house,possessionsandherthree sonsagedbetween2-7yearsold.
Sir ThomasTalfourd,the MP for Reading,supportedCarolineNorton’sfighttogetaccessand
custodyof childrenandintroducedthe TalfourdBill formotherstohave custodyof childrenupto
the age of 12 years.In1837, Caroline Nortonwrote andpublishedpamphletaboutthe custody
rightsof children –‘Separationof Motherand Childbythe Laws of Custodyof Infants
Considered’.Nopublisherswantedtoprintit.
Caroline Nortonwasa socialite whobecame acampaigner.She hada clearunderstandingof
women’sunequal status.Herfeeswere paidbyherbrother (Wikipedia–no mentionof brother,
legal feessaidtobe unpaid) butdreadedGeorge Norton’soppositiontothe pamphlet.However,she
thoughtherhusbandwas despisedandhiscounter-argumentswouldbe ignored.GeorgeNortonin
response tothe pamphlet,publishedadvertsinnewspapersanditwasher brother,Brinsley
SheridanwhorefutedGeorge’sclaims,hisconductbeing“obnoxious”.
20th
April 1837 – 1st reading
24th
May – 2nd
reading
But on 23rd
May – George Nortonofferof reconciliation,askedCaroline tovisithim.
24th
May – Talfourdpostponed2nd
readingto 7th
June.TalfourdneededCaroline’sevidence forthe
Bill toproceed.
George Norton’sofferof accessto children.Caroline keptanalysinghisoffer.
29th
May – Nortonoffer:Powerof custodyto himand hisbrotherif:
1) Caroline restoredtohim
2) Restoredtoaccess to childrenonly
ChildrencurrentlyinScotland. George Nortonhopeforcompromise butCaroline’steamincluded
herbrotherwho he hated – poisonousrelationshipbetweenthem –insistedthathe shouldbe
excludedfromnegotiations.
Before 2nd
readingon7th
June,itwaspostponedforanothertwoweeks. Carolinedistractedby
spuriousoffers.She threatenedtopublishhisletterstoher.He threatenedtopublishdetailsabout
theirseparationandtohave no access to children.
20th
June – Talfourdbecame frustratedandwithdrew the Bill for1838.

2. Caroline Nortonwasgivenaccessbutonlyone visitmade.Forthe secondvisit,Carolinewenttothe
familyhome andrefusedtobe allowedin.She made avisittoanother(?) home at Guildfordbut
thrownout of house.
1838 (1839?) – She startedpamphleteeringagain. ‘A PlainLettertothe LordChancelloronthe Infant
CustodyBill’.She wasindignantaboutmarriage breakdownsandthe law’srecognitionof the father
havingthe sole rightof custodydespite badbehaviour.The fathercoulddenyamother’saccessand
the lawwas despoticandimpotent.The husbandisthe accuserandthe judge underthe law.
George’sbehaviourinformedCaroline’srhetoric.HerownfamilydividedoverCaroline’sbehaviour
but she continuedtolobbyMPs.
May 28th
1839 – 2nd
readingof Bill.There wasan assumptionthatall womencommittedadultery
and that there wasignorance of husbandsadultery.Hismistresswouldtake care of the children.
Womenwere seenasa menace to society.
House of Commonsvote – 91 votesforBill,17 against.Bill proceededtothe House of Lords.
House of Lords – George Nortonhad a political allyinLordWynford.He publishedownpamphletto
smearthe Bill.
Vote – 4 Lords votedforBill,11 Lords againstBill.Bill seenas“frightful changes”.Womenshould
knowthat infidelityleadstonocustody.The Bill wasan attack on marriage,thatthe moralsof the
youngergenerationwasunderminedandthe father’spositionunderminedtoo.
Tory Press – several enemiescalledCaroline a“renewedagitatoress”butCaroline deniedbeinga
feminist.She wasoutragedbythe innuendothatshe washavinganaffairwithTalfourd. She looked
intothe possibilityof sueingbutcouldn’t.She couldonlydoitinthe name of herhusband.
1839 - newpamphlet tore-launchbill,writtenunderthe name of PiersStevenson(A PlainLetterto
the Lord Chancelloronthe InfantCustodyBill’?).Inthe press,there wasanarticle aboutCaroline’s
battle withherhusbandsince the separation.She alsolobbiedJohnMurray,a publisher.
3rd
attemptat Bill.George Norton’sofferof accessto children.There were meetingswhereGeorge
Nortonofferedtopaydebts.HisintentionwastoupsetanddistractCaroline fromthe Bill.
April andJuly1839 – Bill read,debatedandpassedintolaw
17th
August1839 – Custodyof InfantsActpassedintostatute.
However,Caroline’schildrenwere movedtoScotlandwhere the new law didn’tapply.
1842 – nextvisittoherchildrenbutonlytwowere still alive.Charles(WilliaminWikipedia) diedof
neglect.He caughttetanusaftera fall froma horse.Hisarm hadn’tbeenbandagedproperly.He died
before she arrived.
Caroline wasunable todivorce husbanddue toa technicalityandGeorge Nortondidn’tdie until
1875.
She was involvedinthe 1857 Matrimonial CausesAct(civil courtsnotjustchurch?) and the 1870
Married Women’sPropertyAct(Wikipediasaysotherwise).
Q and A
1877 – She re-marriedbutdiedfourmonthslater.

3. CustodyBill gainedmixedpoliticalsupportthroughmore whigs,beingmore liberal-minded.The
political moodchangedonlywhenCaroline’sstorywasknownthroughthe newspapersin1839.
Duringthistime,she reliedonhand-outsandanallowance fromherbrother(?). She hadto keep
everybodyonboard.She onlyhad one servantfor20 years whoreceivedapittance.Whenher
servantmarried,she allowedthe husbandtolive withthem. Traditionally,servantswouldhave to
leave employmentuponmarriage.
Caroline Nortonwasn’tpartof the widergroupingsof feministcampaigners.
Her childrenpre-deceasedher.Fletcherdiedof TB.Brinsleywasverymuchlike hisfatherandhad
issues.Carolinecopedwithherson’schaoticlife.He marriedafisherwomanwhichwasrejectedby
the family.He hadtwo childrenbutline of familycontinuedthroughCaroline’sbrother.