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John Lawrence (say 1609–1667)

Elizabeth Unknown (say 1612–1663)

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John Lawrence was born say 1609. He died on 11 July 1667 in Groton. [1][2] He married first Elizabeth Unknown. [2] Elizabeth was born say 1612. Elizabeth, the wife of John, died on 29 August 1663 in Groton. [3] He married second Susanna, the daughter of William Batchelder, on 2 November 1664. [4] Susanna died on 8 July 1668. [4]

John Lawrence of Watertown and Groton is not the John Lawrence who was the son of Henry Lawrence who was baptised in Wisset, co. Suffolk. [1] His origins are unknown. [4]

John was a carpenter. He was a constable in Watertown on 25 October 1658. He was a selectman in Groton on 24 December 1662 and 11 December 1666. [4]

John made his will on 24 April 1667. Inventory, amounting to £278 4d, was taken on 1 (8) 1667. John left his daughter Mary half a share as "a remembrance of her disobedience and unfaithfulness." His executors were his wife and sons Nathaniel and Joseph. He refers to his underage children by his first wife: Enoch, Samuel, Elizabeth, Isaac, Jonathan and (the youngest) Zachariah. [5]

Susanna's will is not dated, but it was proved on 16 December 1668. She named her daughters Abigail and Susanna and her "father and mother Batchelder."[4]

Children of John Lawrence and Elizabeth ___:

i. John Lawrence was born on 12 (1) 1635[/6?] in Watertown. [6, 4]

Nathaniel was an ensign from Groton in the Middlesex Regiment in King Philip's War. [8]

Nathaniel was a deacon in Groton from 1685 to 1722. He was a selectman in 1702. He was an ensign. [9]

He moved to Charlestown in 1694, then to Cambridge Farms (Lexington). [9]

iii. Joseph Lawrence was born in "(1) buried 30 (5) 1642" in Watertown. [6, 11]

iv. Joseph Lawrence was born on 30 (3) 1643 in Watertown. [6, 11]

v. Jonathan Lawrence was buried on 30 (3) 1643 in Watertown. [6, 12]

vi. Mary Lawrence was born on 16 (5) 1645 in Watertown. [6, 12]

vii. Peleg Lawrence was born on 10 (11) 1647 in Watertown. He died in 1647. He married Elizabeth Morse.

viii. Enoch Lawrence was born on 5 (1) 1648 in Watertown. [6, 14] He died on 25 September between 1725 and 1729, age about 74, in Groton. [3] He married as her second husband Ruth Whitney on 6 March 1676/7 in Watertown. [6, 41][9] Ruth was the daughter of John Whitney and his wife Ruth. [10] She probably died after 1 May 1686 in Groton. [10] She married first John, the son of William Shattuck, on 20 June 1664. [10] John was born on 11 February 16467 and drowned on 14 September 1675. [10]

Enoch is probably the Enoch who served under Capt. Paige in King Philip's War. [8]

ix. Samuel Lawrence was born say 1650. He married Rebecca, the widow of John Luen, on 14 September 1682. [4]

x. Isaac Lawrence was born say 1652. He married Abigail, the daughter of John Bellows, on 19 April 1682 in Cambridge. [4]

Isaac is probably the Isaac who served under Capt. Joseph Syll in King Philip's War. [8]

xi. Lieutenant Jonathan Lawrence was born say 1654. Lieutenant Jonathan died on 19 September 1729, age 72, in Groton. [3] He married Rebecca Rutter on 5 November 1677 in Cambridge. [4] Rebecca, the wife of Lieutenant Jonathan, died on 16 February 1724, age about 74, in Groton. [3]

Jonathan is probably the Jonathan who served under Capt. Joseph Syll and Capt. Davenport in King Philip's War. [8]

xi. Elizabeth Lawrence was born on 9 May 1655 in Boston. [11] There is no further record of her after her father's will.

xii. Zachariah Lawrence was born on 9 (1) 1658 in Watertown. [6, 21] There is no further record of him after his father's will.

Children of John Lawrence and Susanna Batchelder:

xiii. Abigail Lawrence was born on 9 January 1665/6 in Groton. [3] There is no further record of her after her mother's will.

xiv. Susanna Lawrence was born on 3 July 1667 in Groton. [3, 1:135] There is no further record of her after her mother's will.

Endnotes:

1. G. Andrews Moriarty, "Pre-American Ancestries: The Lawrence Family of Groton and Boston, Massachusetts," The American Genealogist vol. 10 (1933): 78–83.

2. Records of Littleton, Massachusetts: Births and Deaths (Littleton: Littleton, 1900).

Vital Records of Groton, Massachusetts: To the End of the Year 1849, 2 vols. (Salem: Essex Institute, 1926–1927).

4. "Great Migration, 1634–1635, I–L," digitized book, originally published as Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration to New England, 1634–1635, Volume IV, I–L (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2005), 246–52.

5. "Middlesex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1648-187," database with images, AmericanAncestors, 13715.

6. Watertown Records .... Births, Deaths and Marriages, vol. 1. (Watertown: Watertown Historical Society, 1894).

7. Alicia Crane Williams, "Early New England Families, 1641–1700," database with images, AmericanAncestors.org, entry for Joseph Morse (m. 1638).

8. "Colonial Soldiers and Officers in New England, 1620-1775," database with images, AmericanAncestors, p. 151.

9. "Massachusetts: Legislators of the General Court, 1691–1780," database, AmericanAncestors, entry for Nathaniel Lawrence (p. 967).

10. Alicia Crane Williams, "Early New England Families, 1641–1700," database with images, AmericanAncestors.org, entry for William Shattuck (m. 1643).

11. "Boston, MA: Births, Baptisms, Marriages, and Deaths, 1630–1699," databse with images, AmericanAncestors, p. 51

Revised 04-Jun-2023

©2019 A. Buiter