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 This John Laurence is the son of George Lawrence ca 1685 -.

        1735 Deed George Lawrence to John Lawrence [c]
        1747 Nansemond County Vestry record "Ordered that Abraham Riddick & John Lawrence Son of George Procession all the Lands in the bounds #12 according to the law"
        1764 April 14, Deed, Jacob Darden and Elizabeth of Nansemond Co to John Lawrence, son of George, of Nansemond Co. 25 acres originally granted to Stephen Darden June 26, 1731.
        1772 William Lawrence to John Lawrence, son of George for 150 acres "the bounds of a deed granted by George Lawrence the Elder to Henry Lawrence" dated 1 Nov 1692.
        1772 Agreement between "Bengemon Baker, and John Lawrence, son of Michal & John Lawrence, son of George, Lemuel Lawrence, William Lawrence all of the upper parish of Nansemond County to establish bounds between land purchased by Bengemon Baker from John Lawrence son of Michal and land purchased by John and Lemuel from William Lawrence and also a grant to Lemuel Lawrence dated 6 Feb 1771.
        1787 Deed from John Lawrence son of George of Nansemond Co to his daughter Elizabeth Dickinson. NH Co NC ~ Deed Bk 77-376

Will of John Laurence of Nancymond Co 27 May 1795 prob 12 Jan 1796
 . .being far advanced in age.
- wife Pheribe - all she was possessed at our marriage. Also one bay mare of her choice, 2 cows and calves, 2 sows and pigs, one feather bed and furniture, 1/4 of my crop of all kinds. also, during her widowhood, land [adjoining Lemuel and Miles Laurence] and use of old warehouse at the landing and 2 rooms in my dwelling house [in the west end with free liberty of the stairs], the kitching and implements [enumerated] 1/4 of my cattle exclusive of work steers, 1/4 of sheep and hogs and the use of 6 negroes: Bob, Mingo, Doll, Hannah, Buck, Rachel. She to pay tax on 250 acres of land.
- son Lemuel - 5 pounds current money, my wareing apparel, 1 small trunk and his note now in my possession dated 27 April 1789. Negro man Jim for his life and after his death to my grandson Jonas Laurence.
- Granddaughters: Mary Moore and Elizabeth Cotton, daughters of James Dickinson, decd. 1 negro man Locke and 20 pounds to be equally divided.
- Granddaughters: Martha Moore, wife of Laurence Moore, Abigail Cotton, wife of Lemuel Cotton, and Sarah Powell wife of Charles Powell 10 pounds each.
- Legatees: My five grandchildren sons and daughters of my daughter Martha Dickinson and John Dickinson decd., 1 negro man Pierce and a note of mine against John Dickinson dated 5 Dec 1786 to be equally divided.
- Niece: Mourning Laurence - one bed and furniture.
- Granddaughter: Patsey Carr daughter of John Carr decd. 1 negro girl Dinah.
- Daughter: Abigail Lee - 1 feather bed and furniture and one third of a note of mine against John Carr dated 13 Jan 1785 and 1/4 of my cattle. Also 1 negro Rose and her children for life and at her death to be equally divided among all her children.
- Legatees: the remainder of John Carr's note to my four grandchildren: Laurence, John, Dickinson, and Patsey Carr children of John Carr decd. And wife Abigail.
-Legatees: 2560 acres I bought of James Tatum in Davidson County on the Cumberland River and 50 pounds to be equally divided amongst my 5 grandchildren: John and Laurence Dickinson sons of John and Martha and Laurence, John and Dickinson Carr sons of John and Abigail.
-Legatee: Remainder of estate to grandson Jonas Laurence under care of his father Lemuel until 21. If he should die without issue the land to my grandson Laurence Carr and the rest of my said estate [½] to my son Lemuel  and  ]½] his 3 sisters’ living children.
EX: Lemuel Laurence and friend Jacob Daughtrey
WIT: Elias Daughtrey, Jno. Dorlon, Miles Laurence
 from Wills from SH Co VA Loose Papers by L H Hart in "The Southside Virginian" vol 1 #1 Oct 1982.

Children of John Laurence 1715 - 1795 Nansemond Co:
1. Lemuel Laurence 1 Jan 1744 - 1811
     married Mary Wood ca 1755 - bef 1784
       a. Jonas Laurence
2. Abigail Laurence
      married John Carr bef 1795
        a. Patsey Carr
        b. Laurence Carr
        c. John Carr
        d. Dickinson Carr
      married 2nd Lee
3. Martha Laurence bef 1791
      married John Dickinson d 1789
       a. Elizabeth Dickinson 1 Dec 1771 - bef March 1790
            married Laurence Moore
            i. Lemuel Dickinson perhaps is identical
            i. Dickinson Moore 1788 - 1840 
               married in Anson Co ca 1810 Rosannah Benton 1772-1860 
                  seven children
                             Alan's wife's line
       b. Abigail Dickinson 23 Nov 1773 -
             married ca 1789 Lemuel Cotton ca 1770 Hertford Co - bef 1821 Chowan Co
                   he is most prob. the son of William, son of Alexander S, son of John
       c. Martha Dickinson 13 Aug 1775 - ca 1797
             married ca 1790 Laurence Moore 
          ii. Sarah Moore 1792 - 1826
          iii. John Dickinson Moore 1796 - 1867 Monroe, Morehouse, LA
                married ca 1813 Nancy Rutland  
       d. Sarah Dickinson 15 March 1778 -
             married  ca 1794 Charles Powell
       e. John Dickinson 17 Feb 1780 -
       f.  Lawrence Dickinson 21 Jan 1782 -
4. Elizabeth Laurence
      married James Dickinson  died 1787
          he married ca 1786 2nd Elizabeth dau of Jonas Wood
       a. Mary Dickinson ca 1771 -
             married Sept 1787 William Moore ca 1762 -
       b. Elizabeth Dickinson ca 1773 - 1816
            married bef 1790 James Cotton d 1797
            married 2nd ca 1798 William E Moore Jr ca 1775 - 1816

 ~ The following bill of sale for a Negro traces the ownership through several family members:
 " Know all men by these presents that I James Cotton of Northampton County and State of North Carolina, for and in consideration of the sum of Seventy five pounds in Gold and Silver to me in hand paid, by Jonas Lawrence of the County and State aforesaid the receipt whereof, I do hereby acknowledge, have bargained, Sold and delivered, and by these presents, according to the due form of law, do bargain sell and deliver unto said Jonas Lawrence a certain Negroe man by the name of Locker formerly the property of John Lawrence of Nansemond County and State of Virginia and the said Lawrence give the said negroe by deed of gift to James Dickenson of Northampton County and State of North Carolina and the said Dickenson in his last will and testament give the said negroe to his Daughter Elizabeth, to have and to hold the said bargained negroe unto the said Jonas Lawrence, his heirs Exec Adm and assigns for Ever and I the said James Cotton do for my Self my Heirs, etc. for Ever warrant and defend the right and title of said Negroe Locker unto the said Jonas Lawrence and his Heirs for Ever, having a good and lawful right to sell and dispose of the same, as witness my hand and seal this 11^th day of Feby 1796. James Cotton (Seal)  Signed sealed and Delivered in presents of us Eth’ld Thomson, Randolph Maddrey
On reverse side: B. Sale Cotton )  To )   Lawrence )   -- -  from Joseph D Lawrence Jr

e-mail from  Alan: Due to her father's death in 1789, siblings Sarah Dickinson, and brothers John and Laurence Dickinson, became wards of Laurence Moore. This was recorded in
Northhampton County, North Carolina, Guardian Accounts, Book A, 1781-1802, pgs
101-102. In 1789 (Time of death of Father), Sarah Dickinson would have been @ 11,
followed by John Dickinson @ 9, and finally, Laurence Dickinson, who would have been @ 7 years of age. Evidently, the children's mother, Martha Laurence was deceased prior to John Dickinson's , Sr. death, presumably @ 1784. This is when another child, Abagail Dickinson, evidently married.
Although Elizabeth (Dickinson) was Laurence Moore's 1st wife, by 1801, his 2nd wife, and her sister Martha (Dickinson) is also believed to be deceased. By the end of 1801, Laurence Moore was married to Tabitha Lockhart Moore (his cousin, through Moses Moore?). Tabitha was Laurence Moore's third, and final wife. 
I attended a "dedication ceremony" in 1998 for the discovered gravesite of Laurence Moore & his third wife, Tabitha in Polkston, Anson County, NC. 

        There is a gap in the Lawrence family history between George Lawrence [born 1635] and Lemuel Lawrence [1744-1811]. The fragments of information we have for this period are like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle from which too many pieces are missing; it is not certain how the pieces we have fit together.

        Five Lawrence family deeds that have been handed down to the descendants of Lemuel Lawrence [1744-1811] mention a grant of 830 acres in Nansemond County 27 April 1686 to George Lawrence.
      #1  - 1 Nov 1692, deed, George Lawrence to John Lawrence.
      #2  - 22 Oct  1735, deed, George Lawrence to John Lawrence.  [ from the signature on the original document it is clear that this is a different George from the one who signed the 1692 deed.
      #3 - 6 Nov 1745, deed, George Lawrence to John Lawrence. [The signature on this deed is different from those on #1 and #2 above.
     #4 - 13 April 1772, deed, William Lawrence to John Lawrence.
     #5 - 7 Nov 1772, agreement between Benjamin Baker, John Lawrence, et al.

      The fact that these documents have been handed down to the descendants of Lemuel Lawrence [1744-1811] is circumstantial evidence that Lemuel Lawrence is a descendant of George Lawrence [b. ca 1635]

      Document #1 above indicates George Lawrence [b ca 1635] divided his 830 acre grant [1686] in 1692 among three Lawrences whom we assume to be his sons: John, James and Henry. [In 1704 th Nansemond County Quit Rents Roll shows the results of this division  Jno. Lawrence - 100 ac; Geo. Lawrence - 400 ac; Henry Lawrence - 200 acres; James Lawrence - 100 ac] Only the deed to his son John is among the Lawrence papers listed above, so we might surmise this John Lawrence to be Lemuel Lawrence' ancestor.

      We surmise from document #1 that the other sons of George Lawrence ca 1635 were Henry and James. Therefore we disagree with Boddie who believed Henry to be the son of Robert Lawrence ca 1615. Boddie records that Henry Lawrence's daughter Isabella married in 1702. Henry's sons Michael and Thomas Lawrence who attended that wedding were probably minors since their names do not appear on the quit rent rolls of 1704 for either Isle of Wight or Nansemond Counties. They both owned land in Nansemond County in 1747. All this leads us to place the births of Henry's offspring around 1685 or 1690 and the births of the brothers Henry, James, and John Lawrence around 1660. James Lawrence also appears to have had offspring about 1685 since he names a son George in his will made in 1687, presumably shortly after the birth of that son. 

       In the early documents and records of Nansemond County we have found mention of John Lawrence b ca 1660 only twice. He received land in 1692 and he appears on the quit rent rolls of 1704. The land he received in 1692 is described again in 1735 in a deed from George Lawrence to John Lawrence. We might guess that the George Lawrence who signed this deed was the son of John Lawrence b ca 1660. We might also guess that the grantee John Lawrence was the son of the grantor, George Lawrence. There is inadequate evidence to prove either of these guesses. However, if we persue such a possibility we would assign the following birth dates to these two generations: George Lawrence b ca 1685 and John Lawrence b ca 1715.

George Lawrence ca 1685 -   | his parents
of Nansemond County VA

Child of George Lawrence ca 1685 -
1. John Laurence [Lawrence] ca 1715 - 1795 Nansemond Co VA
      married Pheribe ?

Child of John Lawrence ca 1660:
1. George Lawrence ca 1685 -

      In the early documents and records of Nansemond County we have found mention of John Lawrence b ca 1660 only twice. He received land in 1692 and he appears on the quit rent rolls of 1704. The land he received in 1692 is described again in 1735 in a deed from George Lawrence to John Lawrence. We might guess that the George Lawrence who signed this deed was the son of John Lawrence b ca 1660. We might also guess that the grantee John Lawrence was the son of the grantor, George Lawrence. There is inadequate evidence to prove either of these guesses. However, if we persue such a possibility we would assign the following birth dates to these two generations: George Lawrence b ca 1685 and John Lawrence b ca 1715. from the Lawrence Hiatus by Joseph D Lawrence Jr.
  #1  - 1 Nov 1692, deed, George Lawrence to John Lawrence.

       We have found quite a few records of the man we suppose to be John Lawrence b ca 1715 and referred to as "John Lawrence son of George."  These records are:

        1735 Deed George Lawrence to John Lawrence
        1747 Nansemond County Vestry record "Ordered that Abraham Riddick & John Lawrence Son of George Procession all the Lands in the bounds #12 according to the law"
        1764 April 14, Deed, Jacob Darden and Elizabeth of Nansemond Co to John Lawrence, son of George, of Nansemond Co. 25 acres originally granted to Stephen Darden June 26, 1731.
        1772 William Lawrence to John Lawrence, son of George
        1772 Agreement between John Lawrence, son of George, et al.
        1787 Deed from John Lawrence son of George of Nansemond Co to his daughter Elizabeth Dickinson.

        The only document we have that suggests any relationship between Lemuel Lawrence [1744-1811] and earlier generations is an agreement of Nov. 7, 1772 "betwixt and amongst Bengemon Baker and John Lawrence son of Michael & John Lawrence son of George, Lemuel Lawrence, William Lawrence." Here Lemuel Lawrence and John Lawrence son of George have common interest in land boundaries. This coupled with the fact that the descendants of Lemuel Lawrence possess at least 3 deeds #2 and #4 and deed of April 14, 1764 and 2 land grants 10 March, 1756 and 11 July 1769 both on the Blackwater River to John Lawrence c ca 1715 suggest that John Lawrence son of George may have been the father of Lemuel Lawrence since we think John Lawrence was born around 1715 and we know Lemuel was born 1 Jan, 1744.

   It is also interesting to note in our consideration of the Agreement of 7 Nov 1772 that if our suppositions about Henry Lawrence's family are correct and if we are dealing with the same Michael Lawrence in both references to him, John Lawrence son of George and John Lawrence son of Michael belonged to the same generation and were second cousins.

       The  line we can surmise is:
                    George Lawrence b ca 1635
                    John Lawrence b ca 1660
                    George Lawrence b ca 1685
                    John Lawrence  b ca 1715
                    Lemuel Lawrence b 1744

© Copyright 1964 Joseph D Lawrence Jr   

 07 Dec 2009