Genealogical and Family History
of the
STATE OF MAINE

Compiled under the editorial supervision of George Thomas Little, A. M., Litt. D.

LEWIS HISTORICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY
New York
1909.

[Please see Index page for full citation.]

[Transcribed by Coralynn Brown]

[Many families included in these genealogical records had their beginnings in Massachusetts.]

LAWRENCE Robert Lawrence, immigrant ancestor, was born in England. With his two brothers he was sent to Holland, 1664-67, with the troops of Charles II, and according to the Lawrence and Bartlett genealogy all three left the army and came to America, two settling in Long Island, while Robert settled in Sandwich, Barnstable county, Massachusetts. It should be mentioned, however, that as early as 1644 a Robert Lawrence, of Marshfield, not far from Sandwich, was a proprietor. The similarity of the name and the location make it reasonable to believe that the two Robert Lawrences were related. Moreover, we find a William Lawrence on the list of those able to bear arms at Duxbury, an adjacent town, in 1643, a son-in-law of Francis Sprague, who sold him land at Duxbury April 1, 1644. In 1679 Robert was given leave to purchase sixty acres of Indian Simon Wickett. He married Sarah Barlow. Robert Lawrence died in 1709; his will was dated Oct. 13, 1704, and proved Jan. 26, 1710, bequeathing to children mentioned below. He had lands in Falmouth and Sandwich. Children: 1. Joseph, mentioned below. 2. Benjamin. 3. Lieutenant Samuel, resided at Sandwich; died 1710; will dated June 3, 1709, and proved June 28, 1710, bequeathing to wife Mercy and her daughter Maria, to Deliverance "her and my daughter" all personal estate, mentioned no sons. 4. Experience. 5. Joshua. 6. Ebenezer, born at Sandwich Jan. 16, 1676; had son Ebenezer. (II) Joseph, son of Robert Lawrence, was born about 1670 at Sandwich. Children: 1. Joseph Jr., born 1706, died July 15, 1768; married Betsey Paddock; resided at Plymouth; children: Justis, Seth, Hannah, Peninah, Patty, James (b. Nov. 27, 1745, m. Jan. 1, 1769, Abigail Evans. James was a soldier in the revolution, removed to New Sandwich, now Wayne, Kennebec county, and died at Wayne, Maine, July 3, 1811. 2. Peleg, born about 1700, mentioned below. And others. (III) Peleg, son of Joseph Lawrence, was born about 1700. He married Jan. 24, 1726-27, Mary Percival, and lived at Sandwich and Barnstable, the town adjoining. Children, b. at Barnstable: 1. John, born Jan. 22, 1727-28. 2. Hannah, born May 12, 1730. 3. David mentioned below. (IV) Captain David, son of Peleg Lawrence, was born in Barnstable or vicinity. He seems to have had service in the revolution in Captain Ward Swift's company, Colonel Freeman's regiment. He died Oct. 3, 1785. His widow Sarah, died Feb. 21, 1825, aged seventy-six. Children, b. at Barnstable (prob. not in order of birth): 1. James, mentioned below. 2. William, born Aug. 10, 1779, died July 27, 1805, buried at Goodspeed's Hill cemetery. 3. Lucy, born June 3, 1782. 4. Lydia, born Aug. 18, 1783, died Oct. 8, 1785. 5. Henry. 6. Joseph, who was the father of six children: i. Lydia, married (intentions dated at Barnstable July 31, 1830) Henry S. Toby, of Fairfield, Maine; ii. Mercy, married Henry S. Tobey as his second wife; iii. Maria; iv. Olive; v. Hannah, married a Mr. Parker; vi. Joseph, unmarried. 7. Peleg. 8. Mary, married Benjamin Smith and settled in Fairfield, Maine; children: Thomas, Polly and Thankful Smith. (V) James, son of Capt. David Lawrence, was born at Barnstable, Mass., about 1775. He settled in Fairfield, Maine, among the earliest and was prominent in town affairs. He was a farmer. He died at Fairfield in 1840. Children: Eben, Joseph, Malinda, Betsey, Elihu, Peleg, Henry, William and James (mentioned below). (VI) James (2), son of James (1) Lawrence, was born about 1800 in Barnstable. He removed with his father to Fairfield, Maine, and settled there. He was educated in the common schools and learned the trade of shoemaker. He owned a farm in Fairfield, and besides conducting that followed his trade during the winter seasons. He was active in the militia and rose to the ranks of captain. Mr. Lawrence married, in Fairfield, Anna Lander, born in Fairfield June 20, 1802, died there June 18, 1879, daughter of Thomas Lander, of Sandwich, and granddaughter of Capt. Thomas Lander, who died in 1807, aged seventy-five. He is buried at Fairfield Center, Maine. She was a very estimable woman, thoroughly devoted to her family, cheerful in disposition, kindly to all, and greatly beloved by all who knew her. Children: 1. Annie, died in infancy. 2. Rose, married Benjamin Jones, and died at the age of twenty-five years, leaving two children: Helen Victoria and Charles Alton. 3. Maria, died aged eighteen years. 4. James, married (first) Maria Fillibrown; (second) Rebecca Trevelyan; two sons by first wife, Benjamin and Alphonso; three children by second wife: Willie, Rosie and Janie. 5. Matilda, married Joseph Gifford and died leaving one son, Willie Gifford. 6. Edward Jones, mentioned below. 7. George Washington, born Oct. 2, 1835, married Elva Weymouth; children: Georgia Wilson, Grace, Carl Coburn, Edna Manson and Ethel Muir, the two latter named twins. 8. Milford, unmarired, died in 1862. 9. Maria Wilson, married (first) Charles A. Morrill; (second) George Cresswell Muir; no children. 10. Olive Jones, married Alonzo Miner Hanson; children: Allie Morrill and Marie Miller.. 11. Rose Bowman, married Daniel Webster Emery; children: Walter Howard, Ernest Webster and Cresswell Alton. 12. Henry Allen, twin of Rose Bowman, died in infancy. 13. Richard Smith, unmarried, died in California in 1902. (VII) Edward Jones, son of James (2) Lawrence, was born Jan. 1, 1833, in Fairfield, Maine, and was educated there in the public schools. He began to work for the firm of Wing & Bates, lumber dealers, Gardiner, Maine, and for a number of years was bookkeeper. When this firm bought out a lumber business in Shawmut, Maine, he bought a third interest and later took over the plant in partnership with his brother G. W. Lawrence. The firm became E. J. and G. W. Lawrence, lumber dealers, until G. W. failed in health and sold out to Mr. Phillips, when the firm became Lawrence, Phillips & Company, and then Lawrence, Newhall & Company and finally Lawrence, Newhall & Page. This plant and business was sold to the present Shawmut Manufacturing Company. Mr. Lawrence continues to be president of the Lawrence, Newhall & Page Company, manufacuturers of building material and dealers in lumber, in Augusta, Maine. He is the president of the Waterville Trust Company, the Waterville and Oakland Electic Railroad Company and the Portland & Brunswick Electric Railroad Company. His home is in Fairfield, Maine. He was representative to the state legislature from his district in 1877. He has been generous in public and private benevolence with the wealth he has accumulated. In 1900 he presented to the town of Fairfield the Lawrence Free Library, a handsome building with many thousands of well-selected books. In 1907 he gave to the town the Lawrence high school building, a magnificent structure, costing seventy thousand dollars; the architecture, equipment and grounds are superb, and few towns or cities in the state have high school buildings that can rival this one. Mr. Lawrence is extremely popular and influential in Fairfield, in which he has taken so substantial an interest. He has contributed, it must be said, to every project and movement for the welfare and improvement of the town. A man of the highest integrity, firm in character and strong in purpose, energetic and enterprising, sagacious and prudent in business, he stands among the foremost ranks of business men, not only in his own county, but in the state. He is known to the lumber trade through all New England. He is a member of Siloam Lodge of Free Masons of Fairfield; Teconnet Chapter, Royal Arch Masons; Royal and Select Masters; St. Omer Commandery, Knights Templar, Waterville; also of the Eastern Star, of Fairfield. He married (first) in 1859, Sarah F. Gerrish, of Portland. Child: Howard, born 1860, died 1862. Mrs. Lawrence died in 1865. He married (second) 1870, Hannah F. Shaw, of Carmel. Children: Annie Shaw, deceased; Addie Miller and Alice Mary.