Lawrence, Walter (1781–1872)
Walter Lawrence expressed a desire to follow the sea from an early age. Through the influence of his father’s friends, he obtained a warrant as a midshipman in the United States Navy and served aboard the frigate George Washington in 1800–1801. The vessel, under the command of Captain William Bainbridge, was bound for Algiers during a period of tense diplomatic relations and early American naval activity in the Mediterranean.
Marriage and Family
After his return from naval service, Walter married Jane Stuart, the widow of Captain Robert S. Packard. Jane was the only daughter of Archibald Stuart, a merchant of Providence. Walter and Jane had six children, though several died young, a common occurrence in the early nineteenth century. Their surviving son, John S. Lawrence, lived to adulthood.
Later Life
Walter lived a long life spanning the tumultuous early national and antebellum periods of the United States, outliving all but one of his children. He died in 1872 at the advanced age of ninety-one.
Lawrence, Walter (1781–1872)
1781–1872
Parents: Joseph Lawrence (1741–1813) and his second wife, Susan Eaton (c. 1750–1796).
Spouse: Jane Stuart (1764–1815), widow of Captain Robert S. Packard, and only daughter of Archibald Stuart, merchant of Providence.
Children: John S. Lawrence (1802–1858), William Henry Lawrence (1803–1803), Archibald Stuart Lawrence (1806–1831), Caroline S. Lawrence (1808–1809), Charles S. Lawrence (1810–1827), and Adeline M. Lawrence (1813–1852).
Kinship: Fourth great-great-granduncle of the post–World War II Smith generation.
Early Life and Naval Service
Walter Lawrence expressed a desire to follow the sea from an early age. Through the influence of his father’s friends, he obtained a warrant as a midshipman in the United States Navy and served aboard the frigate George Washington in 1800–1801. The vessel, under the command of Captain William Bainbridge, was bound for Algiers during a period of tense diplomatic relations and early American naval activity in the Mediterranean.
Marriage and Family
After his return from naval service, Walter married Jane Stuart, the widow of Captain Robert S. Packard. Jane was the only daughter of Archibald Stuart, a merchant of Providence. Walter and Jane had six children, though several died young, a common occurrence in the early nineteenth century. Their surviving son, John S. Lawrence, lived to adulthood.
Later Life
Walter lived a long life spanning the tumultuous early national and antebellum periods of the United States, outliving all but one of his children. He died in 1872 at the advanced age of ninety-one.