c 1654 The birth of John Lawrence has been reported to be 14 May 1655 by some researchers.
1679/80 On 19 January, William Haviland wrote to governor Edmund Andros as follows: "The Humble Petition of William Haviland. Sheweth. That your Excellences Patron Brother in Law [perhaps referring to Haviland, himself] Capt. Thomas Hicks did in the year 1666 obtain a patent from Governor Nicholls for a certain neck of Land called Madnans Neck within the limitts of the town of Flushing the which by consent & agreement was divided into equall thirds between him, Mr. Richard Cornell, and Mr. Elyas Doughty. That presently after the settlement being twelve years ago (the Patron bought Mr. Doughtys interest in his third of the said land and hath inhabited thereupon) or part thereof ever since but finds himself encroached upon by his neighbours Mr. Cornell & Mr. Hicks and is debarred by them of having his the proportion of ye neck so purchased by him there being only three lots laid out, besides their own accommodation, and the rest left in common, which if divided might be better improved. That your patron hath often desired a division might be made of the said neck so that each proprieter might know his share and proportion the which hath been promised but hitherto delayed and neglected. That now his neighbors Mr. Cornell & Mr. Hicks having settled their son in law John Washburn on one of the three lots last laid out Mr. Cornell is settling his other son in law John Lawrence [Laurence] on commons of said neck under pretense of purchase of other lands thereby which will be much to the damage and prejudice of the patron. He therefore humbly prays your Excellence that a stop be put to the intended settlement of the said John Lawrence [Laurence] in that place, & and that some person or persons be appointed to make an equal division of the said neck between them, so that your patron be not frustrated of his Right and his Labour on said Land. Will Haviland." [1]
1690 On 8 April, Richard Cornell, of Rockaway, granted lots number 61 and 37 in Flushing, Long Island, to son-in-law John Lawrence of Flushing. [2]
1712-14 "In the name of God, Amen, September 27, 1712. I, John Lawrence, of Flushing, in Queens County, being in health. I leave to my wife Elizabeth Lawrence, all my houses, lands, orchards, and meadows that I now live upon, until my son, Richard Lawrence, is of age, aud then he is to enter into possession of one half; and I leave the other half to my son Benjamin when he is of age, And my sons are to pay to my wife £20 per annum. I leave to my wife all household goods and certain negroes; I leave to my son, William Lawrence, two cows; To my daughters, Charity and Sarah, each a negro girl. I leave all the rest of my movable estate to my daughters, Elizabeth Ford, Mary Briggs, Charity, and Sarah, I make Colonel Thomas Willetts and John Stevenson, executors. Witnesses, Deborah Lawrence, Daniel Lawrence, Jacob Doughty. Proved, February 7, 1714/15." [3]
Research Notes:
1648 John Lawrence, relationship unknown, was clerk for the town of Flushing, Long Island. [4]
1722 John Willet of Flushing married Elizabeth Lawrence of Flushing on 24 June. [could this be widow Lawrence?] [5]
[1] B. Fernow, Documents relating to the History of the Early Colonial Settlements principally on Long Island (Albany, 1883), 744, of 744-45, [GoogleBooks].
[2] Charles T Gritman, Historical Miscellany (NY?: 1920?), 1_390, QR191, Liber A-80, [AncestryImage].
[3] William S. Pelletreau, Abstracts of Wills on file in the Surrogate's office: city of New York, Vol. 2, 1708-1728 (New York: The New York Historical Society, 1894), 145, citing liber 8, page 375, [HathiTrust], [InternetArchive].
[4] Henry D. Waller, History of the town of Flushing, Long Island, New York (Flushing: Ridenour, 1899), 56, [HathiTrust].
[5] Henry Onderdonk Jr., copied by Josephine C. Frost, Record Kept by Rev. Thomas Poyer, Rector of Episcopal Churches at Jamaica, Newtown & Flushing Long Island (New York: 1913), 42, [InternetArchive].