George Lawrence (1637-1709) and Elizabeth Crispe (1637-1681) of Watertown, Mass.

George Lawrence was born about 1637 in Watertown, Middlesex Co., Mass.  His parentage is unknown but some people give him as the son of John and Elizabeth Lawrence, among the earliest settlers of Watertown. John did not name a son George in his will, so it seems unlikely he was his father. George is my 9^th great-grandfather on my grandmother Milly (Booth) Rollins’ side of the family.

George Lawrence married Elizabeth Crispe at Watertown on 29 September 1657 (Watertown Vital Records). Elizabeth was the daughter of Benjamin and Bridget Crispe, born 8 January 1636/37 in Watertown (Watertown Vital Records).

George and Elizabeth had a large family of 12 children, birth order uncertain: Elizabeth, Judith, Hannah, John (died young), Benjamin, Daniel, George, Mercy, Sarah, Martha, Grace and Mary.

I descend through their daughter Mercy who married William Baker and moved to Yarmouth, Mass. I wrote about that couple here.

On 11 Sept. 1668, John [Nicholas] Cady, of Groton, and wife Judith, sold to George Lawrence, 6 acres of upland, and 5 acres of meadow, in Watertown.

On 25 November 1697, Ephraim Wheeler, of Newton, and wife Sarah, sold to George Lawrence, 8 acres in Watertown.

Elizabeth Crispe Lawrence died 28 May 1681 in Watertown (Watertown VR), age 44.

George married, second, Elizabeth, possibly widow of John Holland, on 16 August 1691 (Watertown VR). He and Elizabeth had three children: Joseph and twins Rachel and Patience. Patience must have died young as she’s not mentioned in her father’s 1707 will.

On 3 November 1691, George Lawrence was excused by the Court from serving as Constable, "in that he could not read a word."

On 27 February 1697/98 he and wife Elizabeth conveyed 10 acres of land in Watertown to Rev. John Emerson, of Charlestown, who immediately assigned it to Benjamin and Daniel Lawrence, twin sons of George.

George Lawrence, husbandman, wrote his will in 1707, leaving bequests to his wife Elizabeth, two youngest children Joseph and Rachel, sons George, Benjamin and Daniel, daughter Mercy Baker living at Yarmouth, daughter Grace Edes at Charlestown, daughter Elizabeth Whitney at Stow, daughter Hannah Sawtel at Groton, daughter Judith Stearns of Cambridge Farms, daughter Mary Flagg, daughter Sara Rider, daughter Martha Dix, granddaughter Mary Earl. His sons Daniel and George were appointed administrators at the request of the widow.  His will includes mention of his Watertown dwelling house, new barn, 30 acres of adjoining land, 10 acres of woodland, other parcels of land, cattle, swine, and corn. He signed his will with his mark.

George died 21 March 1708/09 in Watertown, Mass, “an aged man.”  (Watertown VR) He was about 72 years of age.

An inventory of his estate was dated 5 April 1709 and totaled over 171 pounds.

Sources Not Listed Above:

Henry Bond, Genealogies of the Families of the Early Settlers of Watertown, Mass., 1860

Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins, 1995