Through the whole of the 19th century the copyholders leased the house to tenants. None of them stayed very long.

In 1802, a Mr. Hemming was the tenant. In 1813 and 1814 another tenant tried to sell on the remainder of his lease. The furniture of a tenant was sold in 1822, and Miss Brown with her ladies seminary was there in 1827.

From 1828 to 1831, Captain Richard Jeffrey and his family occupied Norton Lodge. He was Adjutant of the Swansea Yeomanry in 1829, then went on half pay. He left the area to be Master of Cavalry at Coventry.

The next tenants were Nicholas and Elizabeth Kortright. He was a naval commander and a very colourful character. About the time when Elizabeth died in 1837, their daughter, Ellen Maria, and son-in-law, James Brock, a surgeon from Guernsey, moved into Norton Lodge from Norton Cottage, which was on the seaward side of Mumbles Road.

By 1843, the tenant was John Jordan. In the early 1850s, John Williams ran a lodging house on the premises. A sale of furniture and the remaining years of a lease in January 1858 probably marks the end of his tenure. Two months later the house was to let again having been repaired. In another 18 months, the furniture of Mr. W. H. Paddon was being sold.

Some time between 1862 and 1868 the Rev. Charles P. M. Williams, Vicar of Llanddew, arrived with his family to run a school for boys. He seems to have enjoyed a good relationship with Rev. John Colston, headmaster of Thistleboon School, as the two schools ran a combined cricket team. He moved away in 1876 or 1877.

A Mr Owen was the occupier later in 1877. He was still there in 1880, but his name does not appear on the census of the following year. There is no obvious entry for Norton Lodge so the house may have been empty.

By census night in 1891 Lucy Saunders was in residence with her one-year-old daughter and 3 servants. Her husband was presumably away on business.

The house was unoccupied in 1894, by which time Thomas Millward, a naval architect, was the owner, but in the next year it was let to Alfred Merry.

He was followed in 1900 by Frank T. Thomas, who had retired from business at the Cwmfelin Steel and Tinplate Co. Ltd.

Mrs Dorothy Thomas, who now, in 2001, attends the Norton Lodge Day Centre, remembers being taken to the house as a small child by her grandfather, a weights and measures inspector who lived at Shortlands house. The occupant then was Mr Evans, who kept a grocer’s shop near the King's Head in Swansea High Street. While the two men talked together, Dorothy was looked after by the housekeeper and given sweets. On one occasion she fell down the front step.

Norton Lodge was mentioned in the press on various occasions.

Cambrian newspaper 7 Sept 1888

Wages dispute. William Bennett, mason, Norton-v-Edward Owen, re wages due.
Evidence from William Gibbons and Thomas Millward, Norton Lodge, Landlord.

One of a number of Millward entries in the Cambrian 1804-1871 and 1888 in index

SWANSEA COUNTY COURT.

MONDAY.

[Before His Honour Judge Gwilym Williams.] owen v. millward,—In this action, plaintiff, Rhys David Owen, Brunswick-place, sued Thomas Millward, Bryn-road, for the possession of The Steel Close field, Norton, and «£9 for mesne profits.—Defendant held the land from plaintiff on a yearly tenancy, at an annual rent of £10. This tenancy was determined by notice to quit in September last. Notwithstanding 'this, defendant had continued to hold possession, and had, contrary to agreement, ploughed portion of the land.—Mr. Villiers Meagar (instructed by Mr. T. W. James) appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. W. P. Smith appeared for the defendant.— Mr. Meager said the only question in dispute was that of costs, and he asked for these on the scale between £25 and £50.—Mr. Smith agreed to this, and the case was adjourned.

1894.

A dispute over a field close to Norton Lodge.