Lawrence family

The Lawrence family (or Lawrance family) is a Boston Brahmin family, also known as the "first families" of Boston, who arrived in Watertown, Massachusetts from Wissett, England in 1635.

The Boston Brahmin Lawrence family descended from John Lawrence (baptized October 8, 1609 at Wissett, Co. Suffolk, England) who emigrated to Watertown, Massachusetts in 1635. He married Elizabeth, with whom he had thirteen children. In 1662, John and Elizabeth changed their residence to Groton, Massachusetts. Elizabeth died in 1663, and John married (second) Susannah Batchelder.

The Lawrence family emigrated from Wissett, County Suffolk, England, where the family name can be traced back to Sir Robert Lawrence of Ashton Hall (Lancashire) in the year 1191 A.D.  Sir Robert was knighted by King Richard "the Lionhearted" for gallant conduct at the Siege of Acre during the Third Crusade (A.D. 1191). From Sir Robert, the descent of John Lawrence of Wissett can be directly traced.

Among the families who first settled in Watertown, Massachusetts were those of Sir Richard Saltonstall and Reverend George Phillips, in all, a dozen or more, who came over in the Arbella – a ship which arrived at Salem in June 1630. Proceeding from Salem to Charlestown, they passed-up the Charles River about four miles, and began their settlement – the fourth in the colony. On the earliest list of proprietors is found "John Lawrence" (Wissett).

Ensign Nathaniel Lawrence, son of John Lawrence (baptized 1609) was born 1639 in Watertown, Massachusetts, and was a prominent member of the community, having received the commission as ensign of a company in Groton by Governor of Massachusetts Simon Bradstreet, and later, elected deacon. In 1692, he was elected as a representative from Groton to the "General Court of assembly begun at Boston." He married (first) Sarah Morse, daughter of Joseph Morse and Hannah Phillips, (second) Sarah, and (third) Sarah Smith.

The youngest son of Deacon Peleg Lawrence (great-great grandson of John of Wissett) was born June 14, 1737 and married Abigail King on July 27, 1757 at Littleton, Massachusetts. As captain of one of the Groton companies of minutemen, he hastened his company to Cambridge when the Lexington alarm was sounded, and later fought at Bunker Hill.  Capt. Asa Lawrence died January 16, 1804.

William Lawrence was oldest child of Col. William Lawrence (great-grandson of Nathaniel, born 1639) was born in Groton May 7, 1723.  He was the first one of the descendants of John of Wissett to enter Harvard College (admitted in July 1739 and graduated in 1743).  He married Love Adams on February 7, 1750-51, a daughter of John Adams, who was a great-grandson of Henry Adams of Devonshire, England:  who settled in Quincy, Massachusetts, and was the ancestor of the eminent branch of the Adams family of Massachusetts.  William Lawrence became the first reverend of the church at Lincoln and continued in that office for thirty-one years.  William Lawrence died April 11, 1780.

Samuel Lawrence third and youngest son of Captain Amos and Abigail (Abbott) Lawrence (great-great grandson of John of Wissett) was born in Groton on April 24, 1754.  He was the patriarch of the Boston Brahmin Lawrence family. Maj. Lawrence served as a corporal in one of the Groton companies of minutemen.  The first notice of the Battle of Lexington and Concord reached him at Groton while he was ploughing his field. His neighbor, General Oliver Prescott, rode up and shouted, "Samuel, notify your men.  The British are coming!"  He was one of the founders of Lawrence Academy (Groton, MA), the third oldest boarding school in Massachusetts. Maj. Lawrence also served as its trustee for twenty-seven years.  Major Samuel Lawrence married Susannah Parker on July 22, 1777, and he died on November 8, 1827, in his seventy-fourth year.