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 The following exerpt shows the descendants of the Lawrence brothers
to be extremely accomplished.

BIOGRAPHY: the Lawrence family; New York State
submitted by W. David Samuelsen
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Famous Families of New York, published 1917. Expired copyright

A New York family notable for its numbers, activity, influence, and
achievement is that of Lawrence, which has written its name upon the annals of
New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. It has a
long and distinguished pedigree, the first of the race, so far as genealogy is
concerned, having been Robert, a daring and doughty crusader, who accompanied Richard the Lion-hearted to the Holy Land. Here, by his desperate courage at the beleaguerment of St. John D'Acre in 1191, where he was the first to plant the banner of the cross on the battlements of the city, he won the love of his reckless monarch, who made him Sir Robert Lawrence of Ashton Hall, Lancashire, England. From his time down the family records are quite complete.

In the thirteenth century, there was at least one union between the
Lawrence and Washington families, when Sir James Lawrence wedded Matilda Washington, sister of the direct ancestor of the first President of the
Republic. From this time on the name of Lawrence appears constantly in the
Washington pedigree, the last one of distinction to bear it being the
half-brother of the General, from whom the latter inherited the estate of
Mount Vernon.

The original coat-of-arms granted to Sir Robert was preserved and used
by his descendants even after they crossed the sea. It was employed on the
seal of William in New York City (1680) and of Richard (1711). In the early
part of the seventeenth century the Lawrences, though of gentle blood, sided
with the Commons against the Crown, and one of them, Henry, a Cambridge
graduate, was Lord President of Oliver Cromwell's Council, served in
Parliament, and held many high offices. This Henry was one of the patentees of
a great estate on the Connecticut River, and with his colleagues commissioned
John Winthrop the younger to govern the colony. He was also one of the
committee of gentlemen who engaged Lyon Gardiner of Gardiner's Island to go
out to the Connecticut River and there erect forts for the protection of their
estates against the Indians.

Among those that Henry the Councillor sent out to the New World were his
cousins of Great St. Albans, Hertfordshire. These were John [1618] and William [1623], who in turn brought out their younger brother, Thomas [1625].

John and William sailed from England in 1635 on the good ship Planter,
and with them, as a fellow-voyager, was Governor Winthrop of Massachusetts.
They landed at Plymouth and removed to Ipswich, where they resided some time. On account of the fierce fighting at Saybrook, as well as of a threatened
Indian uprising in the neighborhood of their new home, they determined to
remain at the latter, where there were many women and children, rather than go to Fort Saybrook, which was practically a military garrison. About 1640 they removed to the western end of Long Island, which was then claimed by both England and Holland. With great shrewdness, the two brothers, though patriotic Englishmen, recognized the Dutch suzerainty, and in 1644 obtained, as one of a number of patentees, a grant of the territory now known as Hempstead, from the Dutch Governor, William Kieft. The next year they, with other citizens, obtained the patent of Flushing, L. I., from the same Governor.

They must have been shrewd business men because, besides attending to
their estates on Long Island, they engaged in mercantile pursuits in New York
and took an active part in politics. In 1666, John was an Alderman of the City
of New York, and one of its wealthiest citizens. The same year they obtained a
patent for Flushing from Governor Nicoll, confirmatory of the one issued by
Governor Kieft. In this way they secured their title and prevented the
litigation which occurred in regard to other Dutch patents, unconfirmed by the
British authorities. Meantime, Thomas, the younger brother, had come from
England, and had joined them in New York. In 1655, the three brothers obtained title to a large tract in Newtown, L. I., and in 1689 they received a patent for their estates from Governor Dongan. Subsequently, Thomas purchased the whole of Hellgate Neck, extending along the East River from Hell Gate Cove to Bowery Bay, consisting of four valuable farms and several pieces of pasture and woodland.

All three brothers were men of great importance in New York. John made
New Amsterdam his permanent residence in 1658, but retained a country house
near Flushing. He was a Boundary Commissioner under Governor Stuyvesant in 1663, Alderman in 1665, Mayor of the city in 1672, and member of the Council in 1674, in which office he continued till 1698. He was again Mayor in 1691, and in 1692 became Judge of the Supreme Court, which office he held until his death in 1699. By his wife Susanna he had six children, none of whom left male issue. His daughter Mary, who married William Whittinghame, was the mother of Mary Saltonstall, wife of Governor Saltonstall of Connecticut, who gave princely endowments to both Harvard and Yale Colleges.

William remained at Flushing, where he was a magistrate under the Dutch
Government, and, after the English conquest, a captain under the new régime,
as well as a Judge of the North Riding of Yorkshire, as that part of Long
Island was then called. He resided upon Lawrence Neck, and was very wealthy. The inventory of his estate is on file in the New York Surrogate's office. He was twice married, having two sons by his first wife, and by his second, Elizabeth Smith, seven children. The second wife, Elizabeth, was a woman of extraordinary endowments; after the death of William she married Sir Philip Carteret, Governor of New Jersey. It was in her honor that the Governor named Elizabeth, Elizabethtown, and Elizabethport in the latter colony.

Thomas, the youngest brother, settled on his estate at Hell Gate Neck.
During the troublous times of the Leisler Administration he was appointed
Major-Commander of the Militia of Queens County. He was the head of the
Newtown branch of Lawrences, which is the largest, and is represented in
Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey by numerous descendants, and by a few in more than twenty States of the Union.

In the second generation were many sons who inherited the thrift and
high intelligence of their fathers, and who built up extensive estates upon
Long Island and elsewhere. Through their wealth and connections by marriage,
they held a high position in New York society, many of them having, residences during the winter or the entire year in the latter city. Among those worthy of mention were William, the oldest son of William, who married Deborah Smith, daughter of Richard Smith, the patentee of Smithtown, L. I. This marriage brought him a large holding of real estate, almost doubling his riches. There were twelve children by the union.

Joseph, the second son of William, by his second wife, Elizabeth,
married Mary Townley, daughter of Sir Richard Townley. This made him connected with the Howards of Effingham, who afterwards became the Earls of Effingham. Lord Effingham at that period was the commander of a British man-of-war, which was attached to the North American station, and which was usually moored in Long Island Sound, opposite to Joseph's mansion. Lady Effingham lived most of the time with her sister, Mrs. Joseph Lawrence, so that the home was the centre of a large and fashionable circle. Joseph entertained very generously, and his mansion was usually crowded with society people from New York and Brooklyn. He had his own sloop, with which to bring visitors from the metropolis; frequently, when there were large functions, the boats of the war-ship were put at his disposal. It was in honor of the friendship
superinduced by this marriage that Joseph's grandson was named Effingham, from whom descended the Effingham Lawrences of New York, Queens, and London, England.

Captain John, High-Sheriff of Yorkshire, the third son of Thomas,
remained at Newtown and married Deborah, daughter of Richard Woodhill,
patentee of Brookhaven, by whom he had three sons. This was another union of
landed proprietors which strengthened the powerful Newtown branch.

The third generation was very numerous. The leading members were Adam,
son of William II., who was a member of the State Legislature, High Sheriff of
Queens County, and a leading churchman. John [1703], son of Joseph, was
born in Flushing, but migrated with his stepfather, Lord Carteret, to
Elizabethtown, N. J. He inherited an estate there which was held by the family
through several generations. Business took him to Newport and Providence, R.
I., where he was largely interested in shipping. By his first wife, Mary
Woodbury, he had eight sons and three daughters; but by his second, Elizabeth
Little, no issue. Richard [1691], son of Joseph, married Hannah Bowne,
daughter of the Rev. Samuel Bowne, of the Society of Friends.

Thomas, son of John of Newtown, married Deborah Woolsey, and removed to
West Farms, Westchester County, where he made a permanent home. He had four children, one of whom became the head of the Westchester family.

Judge John [1695], son of Captain John, was a wealthy farmer and
magistrate who married Patience Sackett.

Jonathan, third son of Jonathan V., son of Thomas I., settled in the
Bronx, moved to Tappan, Rockland County, where he purchased the ancestral
estate of the Ludlow family. He married Mary Betts of Newtown, by whom he had nine children.

The family had become rich and powerful in the fourth generation. Many
sons relinquished the care of estates and entered the professions and into
mercantile pursuits. Dr. William, son of Obadiah, who was a son of William and Deborah Smith, was a successful physician in Oyster Bay.

Effingham [1734], the third son of Richard, removed to London, and
became a member of the Elder Brethren of the Trinity House, the official
organization which controls British marine and naval interests. He married
Catherine Farmer, by whom he had issue.

Joseph [1729], oldest son of John, removed with his father to Newport
and Providence, where he became distinguished in marine insurance. He drafted the charter for the Providence Mutual Fire Insurance Company, and became its secretary and manager. Through his remarkable energy, he made that body the most flourishing institution of its class in the country. He married, first, Amy Whipple, by whom he had five children, and, second, Mrs. Susanna T. Eaton, by whom he had six.

David [1738], brother of the preceding (Joseph), was a famous patriot in
the Revolution. He was an intimate friend of Benjamin Franklin and Samuel
Adams. Having amassed a fortune in commerce, he retired from business, and
removed from Providence to Hudson, N. Y., of which town he was one of the
thirty proprietors. Here he was Judge, Recorder, and Mayor, and in his leisure
hours contributed to the literature of the period. He married Sybil Sterry, by
whom he had four sons and five daughters.

Captain Thomas [1732], son of Thomas of West Farms, was a gallant
soldier in the Revolution, where he served as lieutenant. With the
establishment of peace, he removed to Mount Pleasant, Westchester County, and afterwards to Red Hook, Columbia County. He married Elizabeth Girard, by whom he had issue.

John [1721], the oldest son of Judge John and Patience Sackett, left
Newtown for New York while still in his teens, and there became an eminent
merchant. He married Catherine Livingston, daughter of the Hon. Philip
Livingston, but had no issue.

Richard [1725], his brother, was a captain of horse in the Revolution,
and was captured by the British and confined in the jail which is now the Hall
of Records in City Hall Park. Here he contracted wasting fever, and died
shortly after the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. He had been unable to
leave his bed for several days when the news was brought to him. He made the
bearer repeat it, and then rising to his feet he declared his readiness to
die, now that the ultimate triumph of his country was secured. He passed away
shortly afterwards, according to an old chronicler, from too much happiness of
heart.

Captain Thomas [1733], another brother, enlisted in the navy, where he
became commander of the ship Tartar and did efficient work during the old
French War. In 1784, he was a judge of Queens County, which office he held
nearly to his death, in 18 16. He married Elizabeth Fish, daughter of
Nathaniel Fish, by whom he had a numerous family.

Major Jonathan [1737], brother of the foregoing, was a merchant and a
partner in the house of Watson, Murray, & Lawrence. He retired from business
at the age of thirty-four with a very large fortune, and purchased an estate
at Hell Gate, which had belonged to his great-grandfather, Thomas. In 1774, he became prominent as a Revolutionary leader. In 1775, he was a member of the Provincial Congress at New York. In the Convention of 1776-1777 he was one of the members which framed the first constitution of the State. At the breaking out of the war, he went to the front as major, and served his country upon the field and in the Cabinet. In 1777, he was elected temporary Senator, which he remained until 1783. He also served as Assemblyman, Commissioner of Forfeitures, and Commissioner for the Redemption of Money. With the return of peace, he found that his estates had been ruined and his fortune dissipated. He re-entered business, and by economy and energy made a second fortune. He married twice: first, Judith Fish, and, second, Ruth Riker.

The chief members of the fifth generation were Effingham [1760], son of
John, who was a wealthy merchant and real-estate owner. He was one of the
founders of the famous Tontine Coffee-House Association of New York. He
married Elizabeth Watson, by whom he had issue.

Effingham, son of Joseph, was first judge of Queens County. He married
Anna Townsend. Walter [1781], oldest son of Joseph, was a brave officer in the United States Navy, and served under Captain William Bainbridge in the war with the Algerian pirates.

Samuel Adams [1775], the third son of David, settled in New York, where
he was an importer, and thereafter director and president of many corporations
and institutions. He was the friend and backer of De Witt Clinton, who always
referred to him as “his Benjamin. He married Catherine Remsen, by whom he had eleven children.

William [1776], son of Thomas, was the first manufacturing druggist and
chemist in the New World. His works stood on ground now occupied by Essex
Market. He served through the War of 1812, where he had a fine record. He
married Thamer Fisher, by whom he had seven children.

Jonathan [1767], son of Major Jonathan and Judith Fish, was a banker and
insurance official in New York City, a member of the Board of Aldermen, and a prominent church worker.

Samuel [1773], son of Jonathan and Ruth Riker, was a man of high
distinction. He was a lawyer, judge of the Marine Court, Assemblyman, City
Clerk, Register, Presidential Elector, and Congressman. He married Elizabeth
Ireland and had a numerous family.

Captain Andrew [1775], second son of Jonathan, took to the sea and
became a famous skipper. At the age of nineteen, he commanded a ship, and at
thirty discovered that a bight on the West African coast was one of the mouths
of a great river, which was afterwards named the Niger.

Richard [1778], third son of Jonathan, was a brilliant merchant, who
developed, if he did not found, the East Indian traffic with New York. He was
very active in New York commercial affairs (1815-1855).

Abraham Riker [1780], fourth son of Jonathan, was graduated from
Columbia (1797), was a great merchant, politician, capitalist, and railway
man. He was a candidate for Congress, and Presidential Elector.

Joseph [1783], the fifth son of Jonathan, a merchant in the East India
trade, married Mary Sackett.

Hon. John L. [1785], the sixth son of Jonathan, was graduated from
Columbia (1803), and for thirty years was a distinguished lawyer, whose
specialty was banking and corporations. He was Secretary of Legation at
Sweden, member of the Constitutional Convention of 1821, Assistant Register of the Court of Chancery, Presidential Elector, State Senator, City Comptroller, Assemblyman, Treasurer of Columbia College, first President of the Croton Aqueduct Commission, and United States Charge d'Affaires at the Court of Sweden. He married Sarah Augusta Smith, by whom he had eleven children.

William T. [1788], the seventh son of Jonathan, was a wealthy merchant,
who retired from commercial pursuits and purchased a great estate on Cayuga
Lake. He was judge of Tompkins County and member of Congress from that
district. He married Margaret Sophia Muller.

Many representatives of this generation moved to other districts and
became the heads of branches. Thomas [1775], son of Captain Jonathan, moved from Rockland County and settled in Ulster. He married Sarah, daughter of Nehemiah Smith.

Nicholas, son of John, settled in Richmond County. Estell [1738], his
brother, who married Mary A. Jones, and his cousin, John, son of David, moved to South Carolina, and established a well-known branch of Lawrences in that commonwealth.

More than thirty were members of large firms in New York City at the
beginning of the nineteenth century. There were four firms in which the
seniors were members of the Lawrence-Bowne branch and adherents to the Society of Friends. Their establishments were on Pearl Street, and by the merchants of the time the neighborhood was styled Quakertown. With the honesty for which the "Friends" are proverbial, none of these firms, tradition says, ever failed, and nearly all of them attained affluence.

The fifth generation found the family high in social, commercial, and
agricultural life, and widely distributed throughout the Union. They still
held their original homesteads upon Long Island, in Westchester, New York
County, and in Elizabethtown, N. J., and in addition they had descendants in
Suffolk County, Kings, Dutchess, Putnam, Ulster, Rockland, Orange, and
Richmond counties; also in Pennsylvania, Maryland, North and South Carolina. Many members held high positions under the British Crown in England, and a few were scattered in the leading commercial seaports of foreign lands. They had supplied many brave soldiers and sailors to the American Government, and had filled numerous places of honor and trust, from the lowest to the highest.

Their cousins of the Massachusetts branch had run a similar course, and
reflected honor upon the name of the race. Their vitality was unimpaired, and
they had fulfilled the Scriptural injunction to increase and multiply.

At the opening of the nineteenth century, the family name was covered
with laurels by the heroism of Capt. James [1781] of the United States Navy.
Appointed a midshipman in 1798, he proved so admirable a seaman that he was made acting lieutenant two years afterwards. He participated in the war with Tripoli, commanding a gunboat as second in command to Commodore Decatur, when the latter's expedition destroyed the frigate Philadelphia under the guns of the African citadel. For five years he cruised along the Barbary coast, running down the pirates who had made those waters a scene of blood and robbery for years. He did efficient work, and in i8o8 was promoted to be first lieutenant. Three years afterwards saw him captain and in command of the
sloop-of-war Hornet.

When hostilities broke out with Great Britain, he sailed down the coast
of Brazil, where he performed the odd feat of blockading a British man-of-war
in a neutral harbor. On February 4, 1813, he encountered the British
man-of-war-brig Peacock, and a stirring engagement took place. The action was brilliant and brief. The British aimed poorly, while the American fire was
accurate and swift. The Peacock was so badly injured that she sank shortly
after hauling down the flag, which took place fourteen minutes from the first
gun-fire. Lawrence saved the officers and crew of the Peacock, and carried
them home with him upon his ship, reaching New York on March 20th, where he received a popular welcome of the most enthusiastic kind. Later, Congress
presented a gold medal to his nearest male kinsman and silver medals to his
officers.

He was then promoted to take command of the Chesapeahe, one of the
finest frigates of the time. This vessel had, however, the reputation of being
unlucky, which, in those days, made its command an unpleasant responsibility.
While preparing the ship at Boston, the British frigate Shannon arrived and
cruised outside of the harbor, waiting to give battle to the Chesapeake. Here
Captain Lawrence made the mistake of allowing gallantry to precede wisdom,
which cost him his ship and probably his life. Instead of waiting within the
harbor until he had trained and drilled his men, most of whom were raw
recruits, and unused to naval armaments and the system of a man-of-war, he
sailed the moment that his ship was fully manned. On June 1, 1813, the
Chesapeake spread sails to meet the Shannon, which lay a few miles offshore.
The battle began at 5:50 P.M. The firing was terrific, and at six o'clock
Lawrence was mortally wounded. He gave the famous order: "Tell the men to fire faster, and not give up the ship." Two minutes afterwards the crews of the two vessels, which had come together, engaged in a desperate combat upon the
decks, and at five minutes after six the Shannon had won the victory. The
Chesapeake was carried to Halifax by a prize crew, and on the trip Lawrence
became delirious, repeating over and over again, "Don't give up the ship!" He
died before the journey was terminated. He married Julia Montandevert of New York, by whom he had one surviving child, Mary, who married Lieutenant William Preston Griffin, of Virginia.

The sixth generation furnished more men of state and national note than
any preceding one. Watson Effingham [1788], son of Effingham, inherited a fine fortune which he employed wisely in many ventures. Shortly after coming of age he was made a magistrate of Flushing, which office he held until 1825, when he settled in New York City. While here he bought a great tract of land in Ulster County and established hydraulic cement works which soon brought into being a large and lucrative industry. He built houses for his employees and named the town Lawrenceville. At his death he was the wealthiest citizen in that part of the State. His wife was Augusta M. Nicoll, the greatgranddaughter of William Nicoll, the patentee of Long Island. They had eleven children, of whom Effingham Nicoll alone grew up, married, and had issue.

John Watson [1800], his brother, was active in private and public
affairs. He resided in both New York City and Flushing, and from the latter
locality was sent to the Assembly in 1840 and 1846, and to Congress from 1845 to 1847. In 1847, he was elected President of the Seventh Ward Bank in
New York, where he served with signal success. He married Mary K. Bowne,
daughter of the Hon. Walter Bowne, Mayor of New York, by whom he had ten
children.

Cornelius Van Wyck [1791], son of Henry and Harriet Van Wyck, engaged in
mercantile pursuits in New York in 1812, where he was successful from the
first. He took an energetic part in local matters and was elected to Congress
in 1833. He resigned the following year to become Mayor of New York City, he being the first occupant of that office who was elected by popular suffrage.
On the expiration of his term he was re-elected, and while Mayor was a Van
Buren Presidential Elector. He served capably as Collector of the Port for two
years. For twenty years he was President of the Bank of the City of New York.
He was also a director of the Bank of the United States and the Bank of
America, and a trustee of many trust, fire, and marine insurance companies,
retiring from business life in 1856. He married, first, Maria C. Prall;
second, Rachel A. Hicks; and third, Mrs. E. N. Lawrence.

Joseph [1797], his brother, had a similar commercial career, but took no
part in politics, confining his leisure to social and religious duties. He was
President of the Bank of the State of New York, and of the United States
Company, Treasurer of the city of New York, and a director in many moneyed
institutions. He married Rosetta Townsend, by whom he had seven children.

Dr. Samuel Sterry [1804], son of Samuel Adams and Catharine Remsen, was
a medical practitioner of great popularity and generosity. From his father he
inherited a fortune which enabled him to gratify his scientific and literary
tastes, as well as to contribute largely to the charities of the time. He
married Christiana Knell, by whom he had two sons. Ferdinand [1807], his
brother, was a wealthy merchant who also inherited large means. He married
Isabella Eliza Burgoyne.

Eugene [1823], the author, another brother, was educated at Princeton
and the New York University, studied law at Harvard, was admitted to the New York bar, and practised for several years. His patrimony enabled him to
gratify his liberal tastes, he relinquished the legal profession, and took up
literature as a calling. He went to Europe, where he prosecuted special
studies at London and Paris. His literary work was extensive, varied, and of a
high character. He contributed to encyclopaedias and other works of reference,
and published many monographs and magazine articles of interest and value. His best-known work is The Lives of the British Historians, after which come
historical studies, literary primers, and a history of Rome. He never married.

William Beach [1800], son of Isaac and Cornelia Beach, was one of the
great jurists of the United States. He was graduated from Columbia in 1818,
where he took his A.M. degree in 1823. He received the same degree from Yale (1826); LL.D. from Brown University in 1869, and J.C.D. from the University of the City of New York (1873). He studied law, and in 1823 was admitted to the bar; 1826 saw him Secretary of the United States Legation at the Court of St. James, and the following year Charge d'Affaires. In the next four years he passed most of his time in Paris, studying the Code Napoleon and the Roman Law. In 1831 he returned to New York and formed a law partnership with Hamilton Fish. Some papers which he had written on political economy attracted attention, and he was asked to deliver a course of lectures at Columbia College upon that subject. These were so successful that they were repeated before the Mercantile Library Association, and thereafter published in book form. He built up an extensive practice and became both counsel and director of the Erie Railway. in 1845, he purchased Ochre Point at Newport, R. I., erected a villa, and made it his permanent residence. Six years later, he was elected LieutenantGovernor of Rhode Island, in which office he brought to
success the movement in that State for abolishing imprisonment for debt.

In 1873, he was the senior counsel for the claimants in the case of the
Circassian before the British and American International Tribunal at
Washington. His argument in this litigation was a masterly exposition of
private international law and established several precedents upon important
points. He was an active member of the New York Historical Society, and for
nine years its vice-president. Though a busy lawyer, he found time to write
many works of literary, legal, and political value, as well as to translate
several books from the French. No less than twenty volumes bear testimony to
his industry and research. For many years he was a trustee of the College of
Physicians and Surgeons, now a part of Columbia University. He married Miss
Gracie, daughter of Hon. Archibald Gracie, by whom he had issue. The sisters
of William Beach were prominent in New York and Newport society. Cornelia A. married James A. Hillhouse, the poet and novelist; Harriet married Dr. John A. Poole; Isaphene C., Dr. Benjamin McVickar; Julia B., Thomas L. Wells; and Maria E., the Rev. Dr. William Ingraham Kip, Protestant Episcopal Bishop of California.

Of the children of Jonathan the banker, Henry became a merchant in
Manila, Philippine Islands, and. accumulated a large fortune. He retired from
business in middle life, and spent the rest of his days in New York City,
where he was noted for his hospitality. William Anson, his brother, was a
merchant at Canton, China, and died there, leaving a fine estate. His remains
were brought to this country and interred in Greenwood Cemetery; they are
marked by a monument famous for its beauty.

Jonathan, Jr. [1807], was a graduate of Columbia (1823) and a writer of
remarkable promise. His poems appeared in periodicals, but leaped into instant
popularity. Both his verse and prose received the highest praise from the
critics of his time. Many of them were collected after his death by his
brother and published in book form. Richard, the fourth brother, was a
merchant and investor in New York in the middle of the nineteenth century.

Dr. Jonathan, son of Congressman Samuel of Cayuga, was educated for a
physician, but devoted much of his life to travel. He was rich both by
inheritance and by marriage, and was conspicuous in social circles in New
York, London, and Paris. He married Mary Richardson, by whom he had one son.

The Sons of the Hon. John L. were prominent in city affairs in the
middle of the nineteenth century. The oldest, John Smith, was a distinguished
lawyer and financier. Richard was a young man of rare promise who died at
Manila, P. I. William Thomas entered mercantile life. . His wife was Sophy
Tilley. Charles William was active in local affairs, and held many offices
under the city Government. Abraham Riker was from the first the most
distinguished member of his branch of the family. He was admitted to the New
York bar in 1853, and from that time on has been steadily before the public.
His first public position was Assistant Counsel to the Corporation, from 1853
to 1858. In 1867, he was elected a delegate to the Constitutional Convention.
In 1873, he was chosen by a handsome majority to the Supreme Court Bench, and was re-elected in 1887. In the administration of justice he has displayed rare dignity, ability, and knowledge, and is deservedly regarded to-day as one of the ablest jurists of the nation. In 1860, he espoused Eliza, only daughter of
Dr. William Miner, by whom he had issue.

Alfred Newbold [1813], son of John Burling and Hannah Newbold, was a
distinguished merchant, who acquired a large estate. He married Elizabeth,
daughter of the Hon. John L. Lawrence and Sarah Smith, by whom he had issue.

Edward Newbold [1805], brother of Alfred Newbold, was a merchant and
landed-owner. He married Lydia A., daughter of the Hon. Effingham Lawrence and
Anna Townsend, by whom he had issue. in the seventh generation, a brilliant
soldier was Brigadier-General Albert Gallatin [1834], son of William Beach. He
lived abroad in his youth and spent many years upon the Continent. His
schooling was obtained at the Anglo-American Academy in Vevay, Switzerland.
Here he obtained a knowledge of European languages that proved of great value
in after-life. Upon his return to America he entered Harvard, where he was
graduated in 1856, and from the Harvard Law School in 1858. Soon after
graduation, he was appointed attaché of the United States Legation at Vienna.
Upon the breaking out of the Civil War, he resigned his post, came back to New
York, and enlisted in the army. He served with almost reckless bravery, and at
Fort Fisher, where he led the forlorn hope against the Southern earthworks, he
lost his right arm. In 1865, he was brevetted brigadier-general. The following
year, when he had regained his health, he was appointed by President Johnson
Minister to Costa Rica. He made an able representative; but through impulsive
patriotism he took umbrage at a Prussian attaché who had spoken disparagingly
of the United States, and challenged the latter to a duel. The duel was
fought, his antagonist wounded, and the Prussian Government provoked. The
General was recalled to Washington, and thereafter made Indian Commissioner.
He investigated the grievances of Sitting Bull, and represented the Government
with great tact and judgment in negotiations with many Western Indian tribes.
He never recovered entirely from the loss of his arm, and died in 1887.

John L. [1857], son of Alfred Newbold and Elizabeth Lawrence, is
prominent in metropolitan society. He resides on the ancestral estate at
Lawrence, L. I. He married, in 1895, Alice Warner Work, daughter of I. Henry
Work and Marie P. Warner.

William Miner, son of Judge Abraham R., has taken part in public
affairs, having represented the Eleventh Assembly District of the city of New
York in the State Legislature. He married Lavinia Oliver, by whom he has had
issue, Oliver and Clement.

Ruth, his sister, is an eminent worker among the patriotic and
Revolutionary societies of the metropolis, and an author of many short stories
and a volume of poems. She is a member of the Colonial Dames, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Daughters of the Cincinnati, and through her ancestry is eligible to nearly every colonial organization extant.

The Lawrences have been remarkable for their activity, energy, and
industry. Few families of which there are any records can begin to compare
with them either in regard to these qualities, or what is equally important so
far as the State is concerned, in regard to their numbers and vitality. Though
they marry as a class later in life than does the average citizen, they
nevertheless have much larger families than the normal and a larger number of
sons. This is shown in many ways. The records of the Register's and County
Clerk's offices, the civil list of the United States, the triennial catalogues
of Columbia, Harvard, and other institutions of learning, the red book of New
York State, the records of the Exchanges, and The Old Merchants of New Yorb
fairly bristle with the name. More than two hundred are chronicled in the
Lives of the Old Merchants alone, and more than fifty are inscribed in the red
book. On account of their numbers, their connections by marriage would fill an
entire volume. A good illustration of this may be found in the will of
Catharine Lawrence in the New York Surrogate's office. She was a Livingston by birth, and a society leader of her time. She died seized of a large estate,
which she distributed in a thoughtful manner to her relatives and to the
charities of her day. A part of this document reads as follows:

"Catharine Lawrence of the city of New York, widow of John Lawrence,
deceased, devises to the children of her late grandniece Mary Houston, of her
grand-niece Catharine Johnson; to Mary Louisa Stoutenburg and Philip Tredwell Stoutenburg, grandchildren of her niece Mary Linn; to Alexander Duer and Catharine, children of her niece Lady Catharine Neilson; to the children of her niece Judith Watkins; to the children of her nephew William Livingston; to Harriet Ogden, one of the children of her niece Sarah Ogden; to John Duer, one other of the children of her said niece Lady Catharine Neilson; to Catharine Cooledge and Alida Hoffman, two of the children of her nephew Philip Hoffman, etc., etc."