The Settler

Parents: Thomas Lawrence (d. 1625) and (probably) his first, unnamed wife; after his father’s death he was raised by his stepmother, Joan Antrobus, who married John Tuttell. Spouse: (1) [name unknown], by whom he had at least two sons; (2) Elizabeth Smith (m. 1664), widow of Richard Smith of Smithtown. Children: By first wife: John Lawrence and William Lawrence; with Elizabeth Smith: Mary Lawrence (b. 1665), and possibly other daughters named in some secondary accounts. Kinship: Eighth great-grandfather of the post–World War II Smith generation.

Origins and Migration Born in England, probably in 1622, William Lawrence was the son of Thomas Lawrence and Thomas’s first wife, whose name has not survived. William was baptized on 28 July 1622 at the Abbey Church of Saint Alban in St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England. Thomas died when William was still a small child, and William was raised by his mother Joan Antrobus, who had married

In April, 1635, he departed Plymouth, England, aboard the Planter with his brothers John and Thomas and arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts. By 1645 he moved to New Netherland, settling on Long Island, where he would establish himself as one of the most substantial landowners and civic leaders of Flushing.

Landholdings and Settlement Lawrence received a grant of approximately 900 acres from the Dutch authorities at Flushing and became one of the patentees of Flushing, Long Island, in 1645. His principal estate lay at Tew’s Neck, later known as Lawrence’s Neck, an extensive peninsula projecting into Long Island Sound, today known as College Point. Additional holdings included land at Whitestone, parcels in the center of Flushing—where he likely operated a retail shop—acreage in Newtown, meadows across the Sound in Westchester, land near Smithtown, and property in lower Manhattan, including a warehouse.

Public Service and Office William Lawrence played a central role in the civil and military life of early Queens County. He served as a deputy to the council in 1657, was one of the eighteen original incorporators of the town of Flushing in 1665, and was appointed Captain of the Queens County Militia the same year. In 1673 he served as schout, or sheriff, of Flushing. During the Dutch reconquest of New York in 1672–1673, Lawrence was one of two Englishmen selected to administer the oath of allegiance on Long Island, reflecting the confidence placed in him by the authorities.

Relations with New Netherland Authorities Surviving correspondence between William Lawrence and Director-General Pieter Stuyvesant shows that Lawrence was a respected intermediary between New Netherland and Connecticut, particularly on questions of jurisdiction over western Long Island. Along with his brother, he acted as a key liaison during periods of political uncertainty and transition.

Religious Affiliation and Quaker Connections Evidence strongly suggests that William Lawrence was a member of the Society of Friends. His second marriage, in 1664, to Elizabeth Smith, daughter of the Quaker leader Richard Smith of Smithtown, further embedded him within Long Island’s Quaker network. His eldest son, Major William Lawrence, was also an active Friend and served as a record keeper for the local monthly meeting. When Lawrence’s estate was assessed after his death, John Bowne, one of the most prominent Quakers in Flushing, was appointed as one of the overseers.

Death and Estate Administration William Lawrence died intestate on 14 March 1680. Under the Duke’s Laws of 1665, an inventory of his estate was required within forty-eight hours of the official inquiry into his death. Because of the scale and complexity of his holdings, the inventory and appraisal were conducted over several days by Richard Cornell, John Bowne, John Lawrence, and Abraham Whearly. His widow Elizabeth and his eldest son William were appointed administrators and granted full legal authority to manage, divide, and dispose of the estate.

Wealth and Material Culture The estate inventory portrays Lawrence as a gentleman planter of considerable wealth. His personal apparel included a waterproof coat, wool suits and cloaks, and a beaver fur hat—practical but substantial clothing suitable for a prosperous Quaker merchant. The total assessed value of his lands, chattels, and effects amounted to £4,432:01:10½, a very large sum for 1680. Although the absence of a detailed list of debts and credits limits precise interpretation, Lawrence was almost certainly among the richest men in the colony and one of the largest proprietors in the region, owning well over 800 acres.

The inventories are unusually informative, itemizing rooms individually and recording the type, quality, color, and material of household goods. The appraisers acknowledged that some small or low-value items were omitted by mutual consent, and others likely belonged to Elizabeth Lawrence as marriage goods and were therefore excluded.

Enslaved and Indentured Labor At his death, William Lawrence owned ten enslaved Africans valued at £285: John, Tommy, Harry, Mingo, Peter, Jane, Sue, Ned, and a “mulatto boy” named Harry, most of whom likely arrived via trade with the West Indies. He also held one Native American boy named Phillip at his Manhattan warehouse. Ownership of eleven enslaved persons placed Lawrence well above the norm in Flushing, where, according to the 1698 census, 113 enslaved Africans lived among 530 European inhabitants, and most farmers owned fewer than five.

In addition, Lawrence employed one indentured servant, an English boy named Bishop, valued at £5, with a term of “a yeare & some months.” Restrictions under the Duke’s Laws and the difficulty of attracting white indentured labor to New Netherland contributed to the colony’s reliance on slave labor.

Legacy William Lawrence appears to be the principal progenitor from whom the major Lawrence lines of this family descend, not only in North America but also in England, Tasmania, and Australia. Through land, office, religious affiliation, and family alliances, he established a lineage that would remain prominent for generations in the Atlantic world.