| Notes |
- John is the son of Lucy Stout & Elisha Lawrence & half first cousin of Elizabeth Lawrence who was the third wife of William Hartshorne.
. 1731, Apr. 1 - He was assessed for 360 acres, in Upper Freehold.
. 1731 to 1758 - He was an Assessor, of Upper Freehold
. 1758 - He was assessed for a like acreage, plus a chaise.
. On 1 May, 1744, Isaac Antrum, Yeoman, purchased 94 acres at Asspunpick, Upper Freehold from John Lawrence, Esquire.
. property located in relationship to land 'adjoining on the line run by John Lawrence for the division between East & West Jersey."
. At a special meeting of the Board of General Proprietors of the Western Division of New-Jersey, at the City of Burlington, on Thursday & Friday, the 10th & 11th days of November, 1774 (1743?), it was resolved, that as it is evident the Eastern Proprietors are not disposed to come into the equitable measures proposed by this Board, for settling a true line of partition between them, this Board will assert & maintain their right to the lands lying to the westward of a line, to be run from the mouth of Machackamack, lately established as the Northern Boundary of this province, to the Station Point at Little Egg-harbor & to the eastward of the ex part line, run by Mr. John Lawrence.
. 1743 September - October - John Lawrence, for the East Jersey Proprietors, surveys the partition line between East & West Jersey to the northern terminal. Many grants between the original partition & the Lawrence Line had been granted in the preceding decades, confusing the land titles in this triangular area in the center of the colony.
Surveyor General's Office document 1676, W. Broad Street
The first governors of West Jersey at a time when Burlington was Capital of West Jersey, The Council of West Jersey Proprietors maintains their records in this office.
. These are surveyors we are discussing; men & women who plumb muddy swamps looking for ancient piles of rocks or buried iron stakes, all in the name of accurately dividing the world into pieces we can claim to own. The East-West New Jersey Line, known among the initiated as the Lawrence Line because it was plotted by surveyor John Lawrence, divided the state diagonally between Little Egg Harbor & a point in the Delaware River that is now part of New York State. In 1644, James, Duke of York (the brother of King Charles II of England) seized from the Dutch the "New Netherlands" an area stretching from Massachusetts Bay to Delaware Bay. The Duke gave New Jersey to Lord John Berkeley & Sir George Carteret, two of the crown's supporters during the English Civil War.
Berkeley & NJ Gov. Carteret split New Jersey in two, based on a line drawn by surveyor George Keith in 1687. The two men eventually sold their vast tracts of land to groups called proprietors. Disagreements over the boundaries, including the dividing line between New Jersey & New York, eventually resulted in the hiring of Lawrence by the proprietors of East New Jersey. Lawrence ran the line from a large rock, called Station Rock, in the Delaware River near what is now Cocheton, New York, to a now-submerged marker in Little Egg Harbor. The Lawrence Line left a sliver of New Jersey perched north of the confluence of the Neversink & Delaware rivers, a chunk some called the "New Jersey Peninsula." After 50 years of nasty border fights, the provincial government moved the state line south to its current place. The remainder of the Lawrence Line remained in effect & to this day, there are proprietors representing both sides of the state who oversee & sell the remaining, undeeded land.
. 1749 Apr 14, Gentlemen: Yesterday I forgot to acquaint you that in running the Province Line (when in Pennsylvania), I was stopt by 3 Indians. The Kings's son who claimed the lands where I then was asked me £5 for liberty to go through the lands. I beat them down to £4. The King stopt me above half a day & drank every drop of spirit I head with me the night before & ye day I was so hindered. Billed £6.
. 1758- 1760 NJ Supreme Court Case # 23744, John Lawrence et al, Surveyor, Plaintiff, VS Jonathan Thomas, Breach of covenant, Debt, Trespass & Asportation & Trespass & Ejectment, Monmouth Co.
1760 Mar 13, WILL of Andrew Riddle, Monmouth co., Ind Bon od John Lawrence, Surveyor, as Administrator; Fellowbondsmen, Hugh Hartshorne, both of Burlington Co.
. 1767 Advertisement for a plantation for sale in Upper Freehold.
1775 Chaired the Defiant Upper Freehold Resolution.
Chaired the Defiant Upper Freehold Resolution:
. 1775 May 4 -Upper Freehold Resolutions, Imlaystown.
"John Lawrence Esq. in the chair: When the following resolves were unanimously agree to:
"Resolved, That is our first wish to live in unison with Great Britain, agreeable to the principles of the Constitution; that we conserve the unnatural civil war which we are about to be forced into, with anxiety & distress but that we are determined to oppose the novel claim of the Parliament of GB to raise a revenue in America & risk every possible consequence rather than to submit to it.
Resolve that it appears to this meeting that there are sufficient numbers of arms for the people.
Resolved that a sum of money be now raised to purchase what further quantity & it is recommended that every man capable of hearing arms enter into Companies to train & be prepared to march at a minute warning; & it is further recommended to the people that they do not waste their powder in fowling & hunting.
A subscription was opened & £160 instantly paid into the hands of a person appointed for that purpose . The officers of 4 companies were then chosen & the meeting broke up perfect unanimity." Elisha Lawrence, Clerk.
. Advanced in life at the Revolutionary year, he was not in arms, but the Whigs put him in jail at Burlington & kept him prisoner 9 months for granting British protections. Efforts were made to induce him to abandon home, in order to confiscate his estate, but he remained. Sabine.
. 1776 July 5, In Congress, Ordered, that the President do take the parole of honour of Mr. John Lawrence, of Monmouth Co., not to depart the house of Mr. Rensellier Williams & if Mr. Lawrence should refuse to give same, that the President order him to be confined under such guard as he may deem necessary.
. Ordered, the President take the parole of Mr. Lawrence, not to depart the Twp. of Trenton, unless with leave of Congress.
. 1776 July 9, John Lawrence, Esq. was permitted to return home on his parole.
. NJ Historical & Genealogical Miscellany, Volume 3
Land Deed (example of one of many: East Jersey Survey for J. Demarie. 2 tracts. 80 acres formerly Devos. Bordering lands of Lawrence the Drawer; Old David Demarie, Deceased; David Demarie Jr., Deceased; S. Demarie; & J. Slot. Survey undated. Years approx. Warrant Date: 3 Aug 1693. Location 296 Acres. East Side of the Hackinsack River, beginning at the Fountain Spring.
. In civil life one branch of the Lawrence family of Monmouth County were ardent Tories. The ELDER JOHN LAWRENCE, who ran one of the several division lines between the provinces of East & West Jersey, was arrested by the Whigs & kept in jail, as was his son, Dr. John Lawrence, a graduate of the first class of the Philadelphia Medical College.
. Advanced in life at the Revolutionary era, he was not in arms, but the Whigs put him in jail at Burlington & kept him prisoner nine months, for granting British protections. Efforts were made to induce him to abandon home, in order to confiscate his estate, but he remained.
. The Council of Safety in April 1777 ...John Lawrence, was committed to the same jail the same week, was charged with high treason. He was an agent to furnish British protection papers.
... In 1777 Col. John Morris, of the NJ Royal Volunteers, a Refugee organization, was sent to destroy salt manufacture buildings near Toms River bridge. But a man names John Williams Had placed the significant letter "R" on him by order of Gen. Cortland Skinner. No explanation is given of what was meant by the 'significant letter R", but the inference is that some of the owners had accepted papers guaranteeing British protection, which given by John Lawrence (of Lawrence's Line note) & perhaps others, to all who signed a pledge not to aid the Americans, but to adhere to the Crown.
. The State of New Jersey to Asher Holmes, Esqr.
"It is hereby commanded you that you take John Lawrence, Esqr. of Upper Freehold & him safely keep so that you may have his body before the Governor & Council of Safety" etc "on the 11th April Instant to answer unto such things as shall be objected against him on behalf of the said State" etc., Ap. 5, 1777. By order of the Council of Safety. Signed, WI LIVINGSTON, President.
. 1790 Dec 6, WILL of John Lawrence, Sr. of Monmouth,
Daughter Mary, negro boy Prince,
daughter Sarah, negro boy Peter.
Real & personal to be sold & divided into 5 parts:
son John, Daughters Elizabeth Le Conte, Mary Lawrence, Sarah Lawrence, Granddaughter Helena Lawrence Holmes, each one fifth part. They all to act as Executors.
Wit: James Lawrie, Robt. Montgomery, John Stillwell.
Proved 1795 Sep 4.
Ref: NJ Lib 33, p 516, File 7257-7260M.
. 1897 J. Lawrence Boggs of Perth Amboy recorded the Yellow Meeting House Monument:
"John LAWRENCE born Jan 28th 1708/9 & departed this life June 19,1795 in the 86th year of his age."
LAWRENCE, JOHN, FIELD BOOK & RELATED PAPERS, 3-1839.Approx. 25 items. Field book kept by John Lawrence & related papers concerning the dividing line between East & West Jersey.
Ref: A guide to the manuscripts collection of the New Jersey Historical Society
Red Valley, near Cream Ridge NJ. - - - [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11]
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1709 - 1795 (86 years)