Person:William Lawrence (107)

About William Lawrence

William Lawrence, son of Elder John Lawrence and Lavinah, was born in 1764 in Dutchess County, New York. He died before 1850 in Rockcastle County, Kentucky.^[11]

In 1777,^[14] at the age of 13,^[12] William entered the service of the United States as a militia man during the Revolutionary War under Captain Champlain, Lieutenant Ben Knox and Colonel Vandenberg. His military duties included guarding and scouting in the state of New York in the vicinity of White Plains, Peekskill, Fishkill and along the Hudson River.^[1]

After the war he moved to Montgomery County, Virginia.^[13] He appears in the 1792 Montgomery County Tax List along with his father and brothers.^[2] Elder John, was in Montgomery County in 1785^[3] and it is assumed that William arrived at the same time as his father. According to William's descendants, he married his wife Sarah in Montgomery County, Virginia in 1784. Sarah's (aka Sally) maiden name is not known, but is frequently said to be "Booth." Sarah Booth was married to one of William nephews, who was also named William. The fact that two Williams married two Sarahs has been the cause of several cases of mistaken identity.

Sarah Booth married William Lawrence (born about 1815) who was the son of John Lawrence Jr in 1839 in Montgomery County, Virginia.^[7] William and Sarah died about a month apart (5 Mar 1865 and 7 Feb 1865, respectively) of typhoid fever in Floyd County, Virginia.^[4] By comparison, William (son of Elder John Lawrence and brother of John Lawrence Jr) was 75 years old in 1839 and had been living in Rockcastle County, Kentucky for 27 years. There is a record of a William Lawrence marrying a Sally Shelton on 2 May 1787 in Pittslyvania County, Virginia.^[5] This may or may not be the same William who is the son of Elder John Lawrence.

On 25 Mar 1801, Elder John Lawrence willed to his three sons John, William and Thomas a tract of land to be equally divided between them.^[6] On 11 Aug 1811 William sold his tract to James Simpkins and by 1812 William and at least four of his children moved to Rockcastle County, Kentucky.^[1]

On 25 Jan 1834 William Lawrence, aged 70, appeared before the Rockcastle County court to apply for a pension for his service in the Revolutionary War. Richard Colyer, David Carson (both ministers) and Elish Smith also appeared in court to testify of William's moral character and the truthfulness of his military service claims.^[8] William's initial pension application was rejected with an undated form stating that "the service is not set forth as required by the regulations."^[9] A copy of the pension regulations were sent calling out the additional information William would need to furnish in order for the application to be accepted. On 8 May 1834 William responded with the requested information. William's application was approved and a Certificate of Pension was issued on 11 Jun 1834.^[10]

William appeared on the 1840 US Census as a pensioner living with Cornelius Lawrence. He did not appear on the 1850 census, so he is assumed to have passed away sometime during the 1840s. There is no record of his death or burial nor has any headstone been discovered bearing his name.

William Lawrence Pension Application Number

William Lawrence Pension Application, pg1

William Lawrence Pension Application, pg6

William Lawrence Pension Application, pg7

William Lawrence Pension Application, pg8

William Lawrence Pension Application, pg10

William Lawrence Pension Application, pg11

William Lawrence Pension Application, pg12

William Lawrence Pension, pg2

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 McColman, Ora Belle. Descendants of Elder John Lawrence of Southwest Virginia and New England. (Roanoke, Virginia: McColman, Ora Belle, 1999)
   329, 1999.
2. ↑ Binns Genealogy 1790 / 1800 Virginia Tax List Censuses.

   http://www.binnsgenealogy.com/VirginiaTaxListCensuses/Montgomery/1792PersonalB/06.jpg

3. ↑ McColman, Ora Belle. Descendants of Elder John Lawrence of Southwest Virginia and New England. (Roanoke, Virginia: McColman, Ora Belle, 1999)
   1, 1999.
4. ↑ Floyd County, Virginia, Death Index, 1853-1882
   1999.
5. ↑ Dodd, Jordan R, and Utah) Liahona Research (Orem. Virginia marriages, early to 1800 : a research tool. (Bountiful, Utah: Precision Indexing, c1990, 1991)
   605.
6. ↑ McColman, Ora Belle. Descendants of Elder John Lawrence of Southwest Virginia and New England. (Roanoke, Virginia: McColman, Ora Belle, 1999)
   5, 1999.
7. ↑ LDS Microfilm 32633, in Registry of Marriages, Montgomery County Virginia.
   Marriage record of William Lawrence (grandson of Elder John Lawrence) Sarah Booth
8. ↑ William Lawrence Pension Application, pg4.
   William Lawrence Pension Application, pg4
9. ↑ William Lawrence Pension Application, pg5.
   William Lawrence Pension Application, pg5
10. ↑ William Lawrence Pension, pg1.
    William Lawrence Pension, pg1
11. ↑ William appears on no census or tax list after 1840.
12. ↑ ^12.0 12.1 William Lawrence Pension Application, pg2
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1 13.2} William Lawrence Pension Application, pg3
14. ↑ ^14.0 14.1 William Lawrence Pension Application, pg9