John L. Lawrence

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title: "John L. Lawrence" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1785-births", "1849-deaths", "members-of-the-new-york-state-assembly", "new-york-(state)-state-senators", "new-york-(state)-whigs", "new-york-(state)-democratic-republicans", "politicians-from-new-york-city", "19th-century-american-diplomats", "columbia-college,-columbia-university-alumni", "1840-united-states-presidential-electors", "deaths-from-cholera-in-the-united-states", "lawyers-from-new-york-city", "19th-century-american-lawyers", "19th-century-members-of-the-new-york-state-legislature"] description: "American politician" topic_path: "law" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_L._Lawrence" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American politician ::

::data[format=table title="infobox officeholder"]

Field	Value
office	New York City Comptroller
term_start	1849
term_end	1849
predecessor	Talman J. Waters
successor	Joseph R. Taylor
office1	Member of the New York State Senate
term_start1	1848
term_end1	1849
predecessor1	New district
successor1	Clarkson Crolius
office2	Member of the New York State Assembly
term_start2	1816
term_end2	1817
birth_date
birth_place	New York City, U.S.
death_date
death_place	New York City, U.S.
party	Whig
alma_mater	Columbia College
parents	Jonathan Lawrence
Ruth Riker Lawrence
spouse
children	11, including Abraham
relations	Samuel Lawrence (brother)
William T. Lawrence (brother)
::

| name = | image = | office = New York City Comptroller | term_start = 1849 | term_end = 1849 | predecessor = Talman J. Waters | successor = Joseph R. Taylor | office1 = Member of the New York State Senate | term_start1 = 1848 | term_end1 = 1849 | predecessor1 = New district | successor1 = Clarkson Crolius | office2 = Member of the New York State Assembly | term_start2 = 1816 | term_end2 = 1817 | predecessor2 = | successor2 = | birth_date = | birth_place = New York City, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = New York City, U.S. | education = | party = Whig | alma_mater = Columbia College | parents = Jonathan Lawrence Ruth Riker Lawrence | spouse = | children = 11, including Abraham | relations = Samuel Lawrence (brother) William T. Lawrence (brother) John L. Lawrence (October 2, 1785 – July 24, 1849) was an American lawyer, diplomat, and politician from New York.

Early life

John was born in New York City. He was the son of Jonathan Lawrence (1737–1812), a merchant and New York State Senator, and Ruth (née Riker) Lawrence (1746–1818), a member of the Riker family, for whom Rikers Island is named. Among his siblings were brothers Samuel Lawrence (1773–1837), a Congressmen, and William T. Lawrence (1788–1859).

He was also a direct descendant of Capt. James Lawrence, a hero of the War of 1812, and Maj. Thomas Lawrence of the British Army who received a land grant in 1656 in what became Queens.

He graduated from Columbia College in 1803.

Career

From June 7, 1814, to May 19, 1815, he was Chargé d'Affaires at Stockholm, representing the United States during the absence of Minister to Sweden Jonathan Russell.

He was a member of the New York State Assembly (New York Co.) in 1816–17. He was a delegate to the New York State Constitutional Convention of 1821.

He was a presidential elector in 1840, voting for William Henry Harrison and John Tyler.

He was a member of the New York State Senate (4th D.) in 1848 and 1849. In May 1849, he was appointed New York City Comptroller, but died two months later.

Personal life

On June 2, 1816, he married Sarah Augusta Smith (1794–1877), daughter of Elizabeth (née Woodhull) Smith (daughter of Gen. Nathaniel Woodhull) and General John Tangier Smith, a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from New York. Together, John and Sarah were the parents of eleven children, including Abraham Riker Lawrence, a Justice of the Supreme Court of New York.

Lawrence died of cholera in New York City on July 24, 1849.

References

References

1. (1990). "World of the Founders: New York Communities in the Federal Period". [[Rowman & Littlefield]].
2. (1969). "Americans of Royal Descent: Collection of Genealogies Showing the Lineal Descent from Kings of Some American Families {{!}} 7th Edition". Genealogical Publishing Com.
3. (16 June 1956). "RUTH LAWRENCE OF PATRIOTIC UNIT; Founder of Colonial Dames Society, a Descendant of War Heroes, Dies at 90". [[The New York Times]].
4. (25 November 1935). "W. M. LAWRENCE DIES; HELD CITY HALL POSTS; Assistant Secretary and Chief Clerk of Estimate Board Under Three Mayors.". [[The New York Times]].
5. (1858). "Historical Genealogy of the Lawrence Family: From Their First Landing in this Country A.D. 1635, to the Present Date, July 4th, 1858". Edward O. Jenkins.
6. (1859). "American State Papers: Documents, Legislative and Executive of the Congress of the United States". Gales and Seaton.
7. (1858). "The New York Civil List: containing the names and origin of the civil divisions, and the names and dates of election or appointment of the principal state and county officers from the Revolution to the present time". Weed, Parsons and Co..
8. (1851). "Proceedings of the Board of Assistant Aldermen". Board of Assistant Aldermen.
9. (1914). "Portraits of the Presidents of The Society, 1835-1914.". Order of the Society.
10. (15 February 1917). "A. RIKER LAWRENCE, EX-JUSTICE, IS DEAD; Jurist of New York Supreme Court for 28 Years Expires in His Eighty-fifth Year. ONCE NOMINEE FOR MAYOR Author of Legal Works Was Twice the President of the St. Nicholas Society.". [[The New York Times]].
11. (1849). "Death Notice". E.C. and J. Biddle.

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