John  LAWRENCE

"At Michaelmas Term 1579, John Lawrence was demised "messuage and land in St. Albans" by Richard Bull, Gent., and William Hartforde, Gent.," (The Herts Genealogist and Antiquary, Vol. 2) perhaps in anticipation of his marriage to Richard Bull's daughter.

John Lawrence, father of Thomas Lawrence and grandfather of the immigrants, has hertofore been identified as the John Lawrence who was baptized at St. Albans Abbey on 12 (or 2) January 1561-2, (William Brigg, The Parish Registers of St. Albans Abbey, 1588-1689 (Harpenden, 1897) pg 3) had children by an unknown wife beginninng in 1580, married second at ST. Albans Abbey on 25 January 1586-7 Margaret Robertes, (William Brigg, The Parish Registers of St. Albans Abbey, 1588-1689 (Harpenden, 1897) pg 135) and was buried there on 24 June 1609. (Ibid, pg 201) His marriage record record in 1579 in Hertford makes it highly unlikely that he was baptized in 1561-2, and his estate inventory indicates that his son Richard (who was baptized in 1587) was a nephew of Mr. Richard Bull of Hertford; hence John was still married to Elizabeth Bull in 1587, and the marriage to Margaret Robertes must belong to another John Lawrence.

The inventory of the goods, debts, and chattels of the estate of John Lawrence, late of the town of St. Albans, Chandler, was taken on 10 August 1609 by William Drew, Richard Lawrence, John Browne, and Pierce Tompson. (Hertfordshire Record Office, John

Lawrence 1609, Inventory A25-2113) On 29 August 1609, "Admisistration was granted of the goods of John Lawrence, whilst he lived of St. Albans, to William Laurence, the natural and lawful son of the said deceased.... (Hertfordshire Record Office, Probate and Administration Act Book, 1540-1639) The accounting of William Lawrence was sworn in April 1610; it includes "paide and laide out about the funeralle of the said deceassed and his wife to the minister clark and Sexton and in making the neighbours drink xliiij." The account also includes the following statement about John Lawrence's heirs:

Where of the Judge hath allowed and allotted and doth by these presents allow and allott unto Edward [,] John [,] and Thomas Lawrenc[e] Sonnes of the said deceased for their parts and porcon in the said goodes fortye shillings a peece to be paid within one yeare after the date of these presents and unto Marye Lawrence one of the daughters of the daid deceased xxJohn Lawrence be paid as aforesaid but unto Richard Lawrence one other of the sonnes of said deceased the judge hath not allotted any porcon for that Mr. Richard Bull Hartford his uncle hath undertaken to educate him and hath for that cause hath [sic] byn permitted to enjoye some parte of the good pretended to belong to the deceased and yet retayned by the said Mr. Bull to be his of right and belongeing to the free hold vizt the waynscott ubduce in the chardge as is above expressed and unto Anne and Joanne tow other daughters of the said deceased for that they had already had the apparell of their mother praysed in the inventory at xiJohn Lawrence and some other lynen betweene them the judgge hath allowed unto them xxJohn Lawrence a peece to be paid as aforesaid. The Resideue Remyneinge in the handes of this accomptant [William Lawrence] is allowed unto him. (Hertfordshire Record office, John Lawrence Accounts 1609)"

David L. Greene (TAG).