William Foxley Norris (4 February 1859 – 28 September 1937) was Dean of York between 1917 and 1925 and of Westminster from then until his death in 1937.
Born into a clerical family,His father was Canon Foxley Norris Who Was Who 1897–1990 London, A & C Black, 1991 he was educated at Charterhouse and Trinity College, Oxford,The Times, Saturday, 23 December 1882; p. 10; Issue 30698; col B Degree awarded before taking holy orders at Leeds Clergy School. After curacies in Eton and Chatham he embarked on a career that was to take him from pastoral (Incumbencies in Oxfordshire and YorkshireThe Times, Thursday, 15 November 1894; p. 8; Issue 34422; col C Lambeth Palace announces the following preferments) to administrative (Diocesan Educational Inspector"The inspection of Elementary Church Schools” Norris, WF: London, SPCK, 1904) posts before a steady rise up the ecclesiastical ladder. He was successively Rural Dean of Silkstone, Rector of Barnsley, and Archdeacon of Halifax. In July 1902 he was appointed an honorary Canon of Wakefield Cathedral.
He became Dean of York in 1917,Lambeth Palace Library "York Minster. Installation of the Venerable William Foxley Norris, M.A., as dean of the cathedral and metropolitical church of St. Peter of York, Saturday, 31 March 1917" Catalogued at G199 51.36 serving as such until 1925 when he was appointed Dean of Westminster.The Times, Tuesday, 20 October 1925; p. 14; Issue 44097; col C The Deanery of Westminster. Appointment of the Dean of York. An exceptionally talented artistThe Times, Thursday, 26 March 1931; p. 12; Issue 45781; col B Art Exhibitions Painters in Watercolours he wrote widely on church treasures."Decoration and enrichment in cathedrals” Norris, W.F: London, SPCK, 1927 A much respected cleric,The Times, Wednesday, 29 September 1937; p. 12; Issue 47802; col F Death of the Dean of Westminster Burial in the Abbey he died on 28 September 1937 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.Lambeth Place Library "Westminster Abbey. Funeral service. The Very Reverend William Foxley Norris, K.C.V.O., D.D., Dean of Westminster and Dean of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath. 1 October 1937" G199 42.15
His grandson was Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Foxley-Norris the Battle of Britain pilot who went on to have a distinguished air force career.
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