Ashton Hall

Ancient home of the Lawrence family.

Sir John Lawrence is the father of the Virginia Lawrence family through his son Robert who came to Isle of Wight, Virginia about 1639. Sir John is in the Book "Ancestors of John and William Lawrence."

 
  1. SIR JOHN¹ LAWRENCE, son of Thomas LAWRENCE and Martha CAGE was born in England about 1589. John died November 13, 1638 in England. His body was interred November 14, 1638 in Chelsea Church in Chelsea, England.

He married MARY GRISSELL GIBBONS in England, about 1610. She was the daughter of Gervase GIBBONS. Grissell's will was proved in 1679. She was co-heir of Jervas Gibbons of Benenden in Kent. Jervas may have been her father but I don't know this for a fact. Hugh Buckner Johnston in his "Lawrence Family" manuscripts, according to Paul Lawrence of Virginia, relates the following concerning Sir John:

"Sir John Lawrence, Knight and Baronet, was a wealthy merchant of London. He purchased on share of stock in the Virginia Company in Virginia on June 23, 1620, a fact that may entitle his descendants to membership in the Order of the First Families of Virginia.

In June 1632, Sir John Lawrence, "Adventurer," and others, recorded their plans to transport three hundred colonists for agriculture, mining, etc., to Long Isle, about one hundred fifty miles north of Jamestown.

On August 24, 1635, he was party to a suit in the High Court of Admiralty in London, and his kinsman and factor, Richard Bennett, testified concerning goods sent to Virginia on the ship Revenge."

He entered Oxford (St John's College) on May 27, 1603 at age fourteen. He received a B. A. from Oriel College on 29 October 1604 and a M. A. from St. Edm Hall on July 7, 1615.

He was knighted at Royston on January 1609/10 and was made a Baronet on October 9, 1628.

Sir John's burial place at the Chelsea Church in Chelsea was the parish church of Sir Thomas More. On one side of the Nave there is the More Chapel and on the other side the Lawrence Chapel. Sir Thomas Lawrence, John's brother, is also buried at this church.

Sir John's will dated October 18, 1638, and probated January 21, 1639 is as follows:

I, Sir John Lawrence of Delefords and Iver, Bucks Kent and Bt., desire to be buried in my Chapel at Chelsea. All my interest in the Parsonage of Dorking, Surrey, which I, with my brother-in-law Richard Colville, purchased of Richard Hollman, to my sister Martha Jackson, widow, and she be dead at my decease same to her daughter Martha; 300£ to my eldest daughter, Ann Lawrence; 200£ to my second daughter Frances Lawrence; Bequests to servants; all my interest in 7010£ which long since I recovered my judgement of Anne Babington, executrix of Vry Babington, dec., in H. M. Court of Exchequer due me from the estate of Robert Bromley, dec. Of what can be recovered one-half to my eldest son John Lawrence and the other moiety to my younger children. 100 marks towards the finishing of my house at Iver. Rest of personal estate to my younger children, Anne, Robert, Frances, Grissell, and Henry, those age 21 to be paid soon as possible and the others to be paid at 21 or marriage. All portions of my younger children to amount to 900£ apiece and all my houses and land at Chelsea to provide this.

The settling of wife's estate has cost me more at this date than double the value of her inheritance, were it to be sold. The legacies of 5000£ which I have given her younger children is more than double the value of her estate after her decease. Wife Dame Grissell to be sole extrx. Provided she shall settle within 12 months after my death, all her estate in lands and tenements on her eldest son John Lawrence and heirs male and in default of same to son Robert Lawrence, etc.

Witness Pugh Flood, clerke: Samuel Forest, John Hynde, Martha Jackson, Rice Thomas.

Note: I do not have the complete will of Sir John and part of what is written here I have not been able to understand. The fact that it mentions his children is probably all that matters.

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