George Robinson Van Norman, Q.C., County Crown Attorney and Clerk of the Peace, is a son of Joseph Van Norman, whose sketch appears on preceding pages, and was born in Canandaigua, New York, March 12, 1821, the family removing to Canada before he was a year old. He finished his literary education at Cobourg Academy, now Victoria College; studied law two years with William Salmon, of Simcoe, and three years with Hon. Robert B. Sullivan, of Toronto, afterwards Judge of the Superior Court; was called to the Bar at Hilary term, 1847, and created a Queen’s Counsel in February, 1873.
Mr. Van Norman commenced the practice of his profession at Toronto, being alone one year, and then in partnership with Daniel McMichael, Q.C., LL.D., removing to Simcoe in 1853.
In the autumn of 1858, Mr. Van Norman settled in Brantford; the next spring was appointed County Crown Attorney, and a few years later, on the demise of John Cameron, Clerk of the Peace, succeeded to that office. He is well read in the principles of law; has a good command of language; is a candid and forcible speaker, very influential with a jury, and is quite successful in his profession. In Chancery business he probably leads the Bar of the county.
In December, 1846, he married Miss Margaret Anne Berry, of Toronto, daughter of one of the old and much respected pioneers of “Little York,” and of nine children resulting from this union, only six are living. Frederick, the eldest son, is a barrister at Welland, and bids fair to rise to eminence in his profession; George Robinson is a law student with his father, and Henry Clinton is a physician at Oceanus, Long Island, N. Y. The younger members of the family are still under the parental roof.