Lawrence, William Effingham (1781–1841)

1781–1841

Parents: Effingham Erasmus Lawrence (1735–1806) and Catherine Farmer (1752–1806).
Spouse: Mary Ann George Smither (1797–1880).
Children: Robert William Lawrence (1807–1833), Charles Lawrence (1818– ), Mary Ann Lawrence (1821–1881), William Lawrence (1823–1898), Eliza Lawrence (1825–1844), John Effingham Lawrence (1828–1874), Edward Effingham Lawrence (1830–1890) and Effingham Billopp Lawrence (1830–1908) (twins), Emily Lawrence (1832–1855), Octavius Vernon Lawrence (1836–1915), Caroline Lawrence (1837–1865), and Fermor Lawrence (1840– ).
Kinship: First cousin six times removed of the post–World War II Smith generation.

Early Life and Family Background William Effingham was the eldest son of Captain Effingham Erasmus Lawrence, a London merchant and member of the Corporation of the Elder Brethren of Trinity House, and his wife Catherine, née Farmer. With his brother Edward Billopp Lawrence, he continued his father’s mercantile business, principally in shipping, maintaining houses in London, Liverpool, and New York.

Connections and Decision to Emigrate Highly educated, intellectually curious, and well connected, William was a close friend of the philosopher Jeremy Bentham. When William contemplated emigration for reasons of health and business concerns, Bentham wrote to Buenos Aires in 1822: “Our excellent friend on his way to Australia is not without thoughts of touching at Rio de Janeiro: a worthier man, a more benevolent cosmopolite, never left any country; and very few better informed or more intelligent.”

Having arranged with the British government to receive an Australian land grant in lieu of Treasury compensation for the loss of a ship, he purchased the cutter Lord Liverpool (71 tons) and sailed for Van Diemen’s Land in May 1822.

Brazil and the Struggle for Independence Stopping at Rio de Janeiro for provisions, he arrived at a pivotal moment: Brazil was breaking from Portugal. There he befriended José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva, the liberal statesman and principal architect of Brazilian independence under Dom Pedro. Lawrence remained for several months, became a confidant of José Bonifácio, and was urged to stay permanently. Captivated by events yet committed to his Australian venture, he sailed on.

Settlement and Landholdings in Van Diemen’s Land William reached Van Diemen’s Land in 1823 and, jointly with his brother, received a grant of 4,000 acres with a further 4,000 acres reserved after five years. Due to surveying irregularities, the estate eventually comprised about 12,000 acres. The principal property, Formosa, lay along the Lake River. He later acquired major additional properties, becoming one of the colony’s largest landowners. His holdings included areas in and around Launceston such as Vermont (310 acres), Lawrence’s Paddock (164 acres), the Punchbowl (924 acres), and Penquite (1,832 acres). He expanded further with Billopp (2,000 acres) near Formosa, Point Effingham (9,651 acres), and Danbury Park (3,500 acres) on the Tamar River.

Surveyor John Helder Wedge, sent to investigate the size of the grant, became a lifelong friend, and Wedge’s niece Anne later married William’s son, Robert William Lawrence, in 1832.

Public Career and Civic Contributions Under Lieutenant-Governor Sir John Franklin, Lawrence was appointed to the Legislative Council in 1837 and remained a member until his death. He was regarded as a man of independent principle, public spirit, and considerable talent.

He took a leading role in banking, commerce, and early education. In 1828 he helped found the Cornwall Bank and later served as a director of the Bank of Australasia after it absorbed Cornwall’s affairs in 1836. He also helped found the Tamar Steam Navigation Company in 1832, which operated vital river steamers—the Tamar, the Steam Packet, and later the Gipsy—promoting commerce between Launceston, George Town, and the Tamar Valley.

A strong proponent of education, in 1826 he drafted a plan for the Cornwall Collegiate Institution, intended as a center of scientific and liberal education, with laboratories, a botanical garden, and a public reading room. Although the institution did not succeed in its initial form, his advocacy laid groundwork for later educational initiatives, including the Church of England Grammar School at Launceston, established in 1846.

Reputation and Death William Effingham Lawrence died at Launceston on 18 April 1841. Contemporary tributes praised his intellect, integrity, and public service. One obituary wrote that he was “foremost in advocating popular rights… a valuable friend, an able advocate, a disinterested patriot… by pursuing an honest and honourable course of public life… he had rendered himself greatly prized and esteemed.”

(Adapted in part from the Australian Dictionary of Biography.)