6d. a Week Pocket Money For Man of 50

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 289, 7 December 1936, Page 10

6d. a Week Pocket Money For Man of 50

TREATED LIKE CHILD BY MOTHER, BUT HELD BIG POSTS

A man who held many public appointments, but was stated to have received only sixpence a week pocket money from his wealthy mother until he was 50 years of age, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey, London, to offences against three boys. Ten other cases were taken into consideration and the

man was put on probation for three years on condition that he entered a home.

He was Francis Edward Norris (51), independent, and it was stated that he lived in a large house on the outskirts of Guildford.

For some time he had been running Bible and other classes for boys in the neighbourhood. Detective-Sergeant II- E. Stone, ot Guildford, stated that Norris was educated at Oxford and Cambridge universities, leaving Oxford in 1910. He then travelled the world and in 191-1 ocgan work with the British lied Cross Society. In 1919 he became county director for Surrey. He then iiad the supervision of 51 auxiliary hospitals with a personnel of about 3,000. He was awarded the C.B.E. Norris was a diocesan lay re-’der at Emmanuel Church, Guildford, vicar’s warden, and a member of the Parochial Church Council.

He had been separated from his wife for about 10 years. Air Boland Oliver, K.C., defending, said that Norris from some points of view was like a child.

“He was the only child of a mother who was over forty before he was born,” added Air Oliver. “His mother was 91 when she died last Alay, and she gave him sixpence a week pocket-money until ho was 59, apparently without any resentment on his part. ‘Cottonwool Atmosphere’

A personal frieud of Air Norris said to the Daily Sketch: “Francis Norris was not only, a church-warden, not only • member ol many committees, but also was a man, who, because of his upbringing, had an inuati sense of responsibility regarding youth.

“Whatever experts may think of the tragedy of this case, tho fact remains that, through the fact that he had always been borught up in a cotton wool sort of atmosphere until he reached the age of 50, he looked upon life from that exclusive point of view.”

An educational authority thinks that savings bank boxes in the home are apt to make a child miserly. Further observation tends to suggest they also teach parents to become bank robbers.