He was found guilty and executed, together with the Queen's brother, George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford, Sir Francis Weston, William Brereton and Mark Smeaton.
However, Eric Ives claimed that Henry was younger, born in the 1490s, and stated that he was "apparently the second son of Richard Norris".
[4] Richard was Edward's younger brother, but according to the Heralds' Visitations of Berkshire (1664/6), he was the father of only a single daughter, Anne.
Whichever version is correct, all sources agree that Henry's grandfather, Sir William Norris, had taken part in the Battle of Stoke Field on 16 June 1487 at the conclusion of the Wars of the Roses.
[7] Henry married Mary Fiennes, daughter of Thomas Fiennes, 8th Lord Dacre and Anne Bourchier,[8] and by her he had three surviving children:[1] The name Norreys has at least two potential derivations: one who came from the north or who lived in the north (there was a word "noreis" or "norreis" meaning a northerner), or from one who cared for others (the word "norrice" for nurse).
[1][4] In 1526 he replaced Sir William Compton in the post of Groom of the Stool and was in charge of the gentlemen of the King's Privy Chamber.
He was present at the execution of the Charterhouse monks on 4 May 1535, and Henry granted him the important constableship of Wallingford Castle on 29 November.
[1][4] Norris had helped Anne Boleyn while she established her position at Court and became one of her close friends and a leader of the faction that supported her attempts to wield political power.
[4] In 1536 Anne Boleyn fell out of favour with the king, and Norris, as a close confidant and supporter, was immediately put at risk.
On 10 May, Baldwin with three assistants went to Deptford, where a Kent jury decided there was a case to answer on the events that had taken place at Greenwich.
[12] With the committals in hand, Cromwell proceeded to arrange the trial for the four who were not members of the higher nobility (i.e. Norris, William Brereton and Sir Francis Weston, who were landed gentry, and Mark Smeaton, who was a commoner).
[1] Unlike the other accused, who with carefully chosen words indicated their innocence, Norris did not risk reimposition of the harsher method of execution and so said little on the scaffold.
[13] According to Sir Robert Naunton, Queen Elizabeth I always honoured his memory, believing that he died "in a noble cause and in the justification of her mother's innocence.