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Henry Frederick Norbury
Henry Frederick Norbury KCB, MD (7 May 1839 - 10 December 1925) was a British Naval Surgeon who worked his way up the ranks to become Inspector General of Hospitals and Fleets, the most senior medical position in the Royal Navy, and Honorary Surgeon to both King Edward VII (see Household of King Edward VII) and King George V.

Background and Family Life
Henry Norbury was born as Henry Frederick Nathan on 7 May 1839 in Wool, Dorset, the son of Henry Nathan (1810-1893) and his wife Eliza (nee Barnes). He had two younger sisters, Eliza Olive Nathan (1841-1930) and Emily Lee Collins Nathan (1843-1937). Henry Norbury was baptised as a christian, as was his father, but his grandfather was probably Jewish. His father was a medical general practitioner (GP) and a surgeon living in Wool, Dorset who became a member of both the Royal College of Surgeons and the Worshipful Company of Apothecaries.

Henry Nathan was educated at Oundle School (Second Masters House,1853-1855) and then went to get his medical training at St Bartholomew's Hospital, becoming a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) in 1860, before joining the Royal Navy in 1860.

Henry Frederick Nathan married Mina Legge Wade-Brown when he was 28 years old, on 12 March 1868 in Burton Bradstock, Dorset. His first daughter, Mina Ethel Olive Eliza Norbury (known as Ethie), was born on 11 November 1869 in Malta (1869-1962) where Henry Norbury had been assigned by the Royal Navy to work as a doctor at the University of Malta. His second daughter, Beatrice Emily Nathan (known as Beattie), was born on 7 April 1872 in Simonstown, Cape Colony (1872-1965).

When he was 35 years old he legally changed his surname from Nathan to Norbury on 22 September 1874. His wife, Mina, also had her surname changed to Norbury at the same. There is no indication of why he made this decision, but it could have been that he felt he might be subject to discrimination from having a Jewish name.

Henry and Mina Norbury then had a further five children. Herbert Reginald (known as Bertie) 1875-1967, Mabel Eleanor 1879-1928, Henry Frederick Oswald (known as Freddy) 1880-1948, Lionel Edward Close (known as Lion) 1882-1967, Sybil Mary 1883-1960, and Hilda Margaret 1886-1986.

He retired from the Royal Navy in 1904, but he remained on the service list until his death in 1925 as he was Honorary Surgeon to King George V.

He died on 10 December 1925 in Eltham, London and was buried in the churchyard at Eltham Parish Church on 12 December 1925.

Career
Henry Frederick Nathan entered the Royal Navy on 16 June 1860 and was posted to HMS Orion as acting assistant surgeon. He served on a variety of Royal Navy ships as assistant surgeon between 1860-1867. In 1868 he took the Licentiate of the Society of Apothecaries (LSA).

Between 1867-1870 he was posted to the Naval Hospital of Malta from where he graduated as General Practitioner in 1870, and was then transferred to Hasler Hospital 1870-1872, after which he served on various ships. He was promoted to staff surgeon in 1875. (See service record ADM-196-9-430).

In 1877 he was posted to HMS Active. At this time HMS Active was assigned to the Cape Colony in South Africa, and Henry Norbury was landed as senior medical officer for the Naval Brigade, and participated in the Kaffir War 1877-78. He was present at the actions at Quorra River and Quintana. He was mentioned in dispatches and recommended for promotion.

The next year in 1979 Henry Norbury participated in the Anglo-Zulu War, again as part of the Naval Brigade. The Naval Brigade was assigned to the No 1 Column commanded by Colonel Pearson, and Henry Norbury was assigned as the Principle Medical Officer for the column. No 1 Column was tasked with moving north up the coast to help capture Ulundi, the Zulu capital. In January 1879 Colonel Pearson's column crossed the Tugela river to enter Zululand. They were involved in the Battle of Inyezane and ended up reaching the deserted missionary station at Eshowe where they became besieged for 3 months when their supply lines were cut by the Zulus. General Chelmsford relieved Eshowe in April 1879, and they retired back to south of Tugela river. Henry Norbury was mentioned in dispatches several times.

For the second and ultimately successful invasion of Zululand, Major General Henry Crealock replaced Colonel Pearson in command of No.1 column, and this became the 1st Division. Henry Norbury was assigned as the Principle Medical Officer to the 1st Division and was mentioned in dispatches several times. The 1st Division had little impact on the campaign, which was over in a matter of months, and was disbanded after the Zulus were defeated.

At the end of the Anglo-Zulu war Henry Norbury was promoted to Fleet Surgeon on 3 July 1879, awarded Commander of the Bath, and in August 1879 was assigned to be in charge of the Naval Hospital at Cape of Good Hope, where he worked from 1879-1883. He was award an honorary Doctor of Medicine by the University of the Cape of Good Hope. He also received the South Africa Medal, a campaign medal, with three clasps for 1877-78-79

In 1883 Norbury was posted back to the UK and joined the Royal Naval Hospital in Stonehouse, Plymouth. In 1886 he joined the Impregnable, a training ship for boys in Devenport. In 1887 he was promoted to Deputy Inspector-General of Hospitals and Fleets based in the Royal Naval Hospital in Plymouth.

Early in 1890 Norbury was transferred to the Department of the Medical Director-General and acted as assistant to the then Director-General, Sir James Dick, for five years.

In April 1895 he returned to the Royal Naval Hospital in Plymouth as Senior Medical Officer.

In 1989 Norbury succeed Sir James Dick as Director General of the Naval Medical Service with the rank of Surgeon Vice-Admiral, and held that office for six years until retiring on 12 September 1904, aged 65. He was awarded a special pension for good service on the active list.

In June 1897 Norbury was awarded Knight Commander of the Bath in Queen Victoria's Jubilee Honours List. and was knighted by the queen at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.

In June 1902 Norbury was made Honorary Surgeon to King Edward VII in the Coronation Honours List and retained this position when King George V became king on 6 May 1910.

He only formally retired from the Navy when he died in 1925 because of his positions as Honorary Surgeon to the King.

Awards
1860       Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS), St Bartholomew's Hospital

1868       Licentiate of the Society of Apothecaries (LSA)

1870       Graduated as Doctor or Medicine, Hospital of Malta

1879       Commander of the Bath

1879       South Africa Medal with 3 clasps

1879       Gilbert Blane Gold Medal

1882       Honorary Doctor of Medicine, University of the Good Hope

1895       Knight of Grace of the Order of St John of Jerusalem

1897       Knight Commander of the Bath (at Diamond Jubilee)

1900       Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons

1902       Honorary Surgeon to King Edward VII

1910       Honorary Surgeon to King George V