Joseph Washington Lawrence

1856 - 1921  (64 years)    Has more than 100 ancestors and 34 descendants in this family tree.

• Name	Joseph Washington Lawrence
  Birth	3 May 1856	Gainesville, Mississippi, USA
  Gender	Male
  Death	22 Jan 1921	Fairhope, Alabama, USA
  Siblings	6 Siblings
  1. Elzadah O. Lawrence,   b. 27 Apr 1847   d. Yes, date unknown   2. Eugenie Lawrence,   b. 11 May 1849   d. Yes, date unknown   3. Lovie Lawrence,   b. 25 Apr 1851   d. Yes, date unknown   4. Silas Lawrence, Jr.,   b. 25 Apr 1853   d. 27 Jul 1862  (Age 9 years) + 5. Joseph Washington Lawrence,   b. 3 May 1856, Gainesville, Mississippi, USA d. 22 Jan 1921, Fairhope, Alabama, USA  (Age 64 years) ▻ Louise Matilda Taylor,  m. 4 Nov 1874 + 6. George Andrew Randell Lawrence,   b. 1 Mar 1858, Mobile Co., Alabama, USA d. 11 Jul 1907, Fairhope, Alabama, USA  (Age 49 years) ▻ Martha Rosa Overton,  m. 1 Jul 1880 + 7. Almira Abigail Lawrence,   b. 25 Aug 1861   d. 1940  (Age 78 years) ▻ Benjamin Franklin McKinney
  Person ID	I298037	Geneagraphie
  Last Modified	11 Sep 2001

  
  

  Father	Silas V. Lawrence,   b. 16 May 1822, Bucksport, Hancock County, Maine, USA d. 4 Feb 1908, Fairhope, Alabama, USA (Age 85 years)
  Mother	Nancy Litchfield,   b. Abt 1834, Alabama, USA d. Abt 1895, Pascagoula, Mississippi, USA (Age 61 years)
  Marriage	27 May 1846	Baldwin, County Alabama
  Family ID	F119220	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Louise Matilda Taylor,   b. 1 Jul 1857, Bay Minette, Alabama, USA d. 11 Apr 1933, Fairhope, Alabama, USA (Age 75 years)
  Marriage	4 Nov 1874	Bay Minette, Alabama, USA
  Children	1. Laura Lawrence,   b. 19 Aug 1875, Gaslveston, Texas, USA d. 1877, Galveston County, Texas, USA (Age 1 year) + 2. George William Lawrence,   b. 11 Nov 1876   d. 11 Dec 1955 (Age 79 years)   3. Rosella Lawrence,   b. 27 Jun 1879, Co. Alabama d. Yes, date unknown + 4. Joseph Eugene Lawrence,   b. 11 Apr 1881   d. 26 Mar 1971, California, USA (Age 89 years)   5. Jennie S. Lawrence,   b. 27 Aug 1883   d. 4 Apr 1933, Baldwin, Alabama, USA (Age 49 years) + 6. Florida Estalla Lawrence,   b. 13 Jun 1887, Forida d. 3 Mar 1968 (Age 80 years)   7. John Edward Lawrence,   b. 20 Jan 1892, Florida, USA d. 16 Dec 1961 (Age 69 years)   8. Lloyd Wilson Lawrence,   b. 29 Oct 1893
  Family ID	F119696	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	10 Sep 2001

  
  

• Photos

  Photos (Log in)

  
  

• Notes

  . "BIOGRAPHY OF JOSEPH WASHINGTON LAWRENCE" "CAPTAIN JOE LAWRENCE AND HIS FOUR SONS WERE MASTER CRAFTSMEN" BROTHER JOSEPH WASHINGTON LAWRENCE AND GEORGE A. R. LAWRENCE WERE BALDWIN NATIVES BORN NEAR WHERE FAIRHOPE IS NOW LACATED,SONS OF A MIGRANT FROM NEW ENGLAND. BOTH WERE CALLED "CAPTAIN" FOR- MASTERY OF SAILING VESSELS IN THE LATER PART OF THE 19TH CENTURY. BOTH CAPTAIN JOSEPH AND CAPTAIN GEORGE MOVED AWAY FROM THIS AREA AS YOUNG MEN, AND LIVED WITH THEIR FAMILIES IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS ALONG THE GULF COAST FROM FLORIDA TO SOUTH TEXAS. NEWS OF THE SINGLE TAX COLONY AND ITS UNIQUE LAND LEASE PROGRAM- BROUGHT GEORGE LAWRENCE BACK TO FAIRHOPE TO ESTABLISH A HOME FOR HIS FAMILY AND TO BE A PART OF THE COLONY ORGANIZATION AS A LESSEE AND AS A MEMBER. CAPTAIN JOSEPH LAWRENCE, MEANWHILE,HAD MOVED FARTHER WEST,AND THE YEAR 1900, FOUND HIM IN THE GALVESTON BAY AREA OF TEXAS WHERE HE OWNED AND OPERATED A SAILING SCHOONER, ENGAGED CHIEFLY IN HAULING FIRE WOOD TO THE CITY ON GALVESTON ISLAND. THE DISASTROUS HURRICANE WHICH STRUCK GALVESTON WITH ITS FULL FORCE IN 1900 TOOK MANY LIVES AND NEARLY DESTROYED THE CITY. IT WAS REPORTED THAT CAPTAIN JOE LAWRENCE HAD THE ONLY BOAT LEFT AFLOAT ON GALVESTON BAY AFTER THE STORM. SOON THEREAFTER, CAPTAIN JOE RETURNED TO BALDWIN COUNTY AND ESTABLISHED A HOME WITH HIS FAMILY IN FAIRHOPE,WHERE THE LAWRENCES WERE RECOGNIZED AS MASTER CRAFTSMEN, IN THE ARTS OF WOODWORKING AND TIMBER CONSTRUCTION. CAPTAIN JOSEPH,AN EXPERIENCED SHIP CARPENTER, WAS ENGAGED BY THE- COLONY PEOPLE TO BUILD THE FIRST STEAMER, "FAIR HOPE", WHICH HE BUILT ON BEACH WITH HELP OF HIS ELDEST SON, GEORGE, AND SON-IN-LAW ROBERT CAIN. THIS VESSEL,THOUGH STOUTLY BUILT OF LOCALLY MANUFACTURED LUMBER AND TIMBER,WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED BY FIRE AFTER ONLY A SHORT PERIOD OF SERVICE. IT WAS A CRITICAL LOSS TO FAIRHOPE BECAUSE THE BOAT HAD BEEN DESIGNED AND BUILT SPECIFICALLY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. AFTER THE FIRE,AN IRON HULLED WORK BOAT WAS ACQUIRED AND - CONVERTED INTO A PASSENGER AND MAIL BOAT FOR SERVICE TO MOBILE. THE ENTIRE SUPERSTRUCTURE AND ALL CABINET AND FINISH WOODWORK WAS DONE BY GEORGE AND JOSEPH E. (EUGENE) LAWRENCE,THE TWO ELDEST SONS OF CAPTAIN JOSEPH. THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS OF THESE TWO BROTHERS MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR THE WORK TO BE DONE HERE IN FAIRHOPE. REGRETTABLY, THIS SECOND BOAT,KNOWN AS THE "IRON HULL STEAMER FAIRHOPE" ALSO BURNED. EVEN THOUGH HER MASTER AND CREW WERE --EXPERIENCED IN THE HANDLING AND CARE OF BOATS. UPON RETURNING TO THIS AREA AND SETTLING IN FAIRHOPE IN 1900, THE CAPTAIN JOSEPH LAWRENCE FAMILY WAS MADE UP OF MR. LAWRENCE AND WIFE, LOUISA MATILDA TAYLOR,WITH THERE DAUGHTERS,LAURA L.,ROSELLA,AND FLORIDA ESTELLA, AND FOUR SONS GEORGE WILLIAM,EUGENE,JOHN EDWARD, AND LLOYD WILSON ALL FOUR SONS WHOM WERE EXCEPTIONALLY SKILLFULL WITH WOODWORKING AND CARPENTRY TOOLS. TO ANYONE INTERESTED IN CARPENTRY AND JOINERY,IT WAS A GENUINE PLEASURE TO WATCH ANY OF THESE MEN AT WORK BECAUSE OF THEIR SPECIAL ABILITIES IN HANDLING THEIR TOOLS,AND DOING SO IN WHAT APPEARED TO BE COMPLETE EASE. UPON WATCHING THEM,ONE MIGHT CONCLUDE THAT WOODWORKING WAS A PLEASURE MORE THAN A TASK. AS MIGHT BE EXPECTED,NOT ALL OF CAPTAIN JOE'S GRANDSONS HAVE FOLLOWED THE CARPENTRY TRADE,BUT THERE GENERATIONS HAVE WORKED AND LIVED IN FAIRHOPE AND HAVE BEEN A CREDIT TO THE NAME AND MEMORY OF THE FAMILY COULD EVER BE JUSTLY ACCUSED OF OVERCHARGING FOR HIS TIME NOR OF DOING SHODDY WORK OR QUITTING A JOB BEFORE ITS COMPLETION. SINCE THERE WERE NO SUITABLE DEEP WATER STREAMS ON THE EASTERN SHORE OF MOBILE BAY,THE SITE HAS NOT BEEN DEVELOPED AS A BOATBUILDING HAVEN,AND IN CONSEQUENCE THE LAWRENCES ENGAGED IN HOME BUILDING WORK AND IN OTHER CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES THAT WERE AVAILABLE. HOUSE MOVING AND RENOVATION WAS A SPECIALTY OF CAPTAIN JOSEPH AND ONE OR MORE MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY GENERALLY TOOK PART IN ANY MAJOR CONSTRUCTION IN THE COMMUNITY. THE LAWRENCES WERE USUALLY IN CHARGE OF WHARF WORK AND BRIDGE BUILDING,SUCH AS THE SPANS OVER STACKS GULLY ON BAY VIEW STREET AND THE COLONIAL INN BRIDGE AT MOBILE AVENUE IN THOSE DAYS TIMBER FOR SUCH BRIDGES WAS AVAILABLE BUT THERE WAS NO MACHINERY FOR HAULING EARTH TO FILL THE RAVINES. EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS NO COMMERCIAL BOAT BUILDING ACTIVITY IN FAIRHOPE,THE YOUNGEST SON,LLOYD,BEING LESS SERIOUS THAN THE OTHERS, NEVER ABANDONED HIS INTEREST IN BOATS AND CONTINUED TO BUILD THEM AS PLAYTHINGS. HIS YACHT "BILLIE" A SINGLE SCREW,32 FOOTER,WAS PERFECTLY FINISHED FOR ALL WEATHER CRUISING ON MOBILE BAY. IN ADDITION TO BEING A DILIGENT AND CONSCIENTIOUS WORKMAN,CAPTAIN JOSEPH WAS ALSO A GOOD CHRISTIAN AND WAS ONE OF THE ORGANIZERS OF THE ORIGINAL BAPTIST CHURCH IN FAIRHOPE,TO WHICH HE CONTRIBUTED AS LIBERALLY AS HE COULD. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY CHANGES IN CONSTRUCTION METHODS IN RECENT YEARS BUT THERE WILL NEVER BE A TIME WHEN FINE CRAFTSMANSHIP AND ARTISTRY WILL BE REPLACED BY COMPUTERS. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ---- The following information was taken from the Fairhope Courier, which is on microfilm at the Fairhope Library. JULY 15,1898 Captain Lawrence made the run to Mobile with the "Minnie L." one morning recently in just two hours. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- JULY 15,1898 The handsome schooner Alexander M. Lawrence of New York, with Captain Smith and family aboard, has been anchored just off Montrose for several weeks. One beautiful moonlight evening in June,a party of twenty or more Fairhopers, by the kindness of Captain Lawrence, sailed up in the Minnie L. to make a friendly call. Captain Smith had just given his decks a coat of fresh paint, so could not invite us aboard; but we anchored alongside and serenaded them with our Fairhope orchestra. The Lawrence is a schooner 100 feet long and 21 feet beam running in the fruit trade between British Honduras and Mobile; but she does not care to venture out into the gulf, while the war is on. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- MARCH 15,1900 Lawrence Tilson, former first mate of the "Minnie L." is now working in Mobile, sorting and marking barrel staves for export shipment. He is doing well, but still thinks there is no place quite as nice as Fairhope. MARCH 15,1900 Captain Lawrence has put up a little building, beside his gate on Fairhope Avenue, which we understand Mr. Bernhardt will occupy as a barber shop and also do general repairing for the community. ----------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------- MAY 1,1900 Lawrence Tilson--Captain Lawrence's quondam "mate" is said to be steward on board the handsome tug "Le Baron" of Mobile. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ JANUARY 15,1902 Captain Joseph Lawrence's family enjoyed a visit last week from Mrs. Lijah Gilbert, and Jno. Gilbert wife and children, of Bay- Minette. Mrs. Gilbert Sr. is a sister of Mrs. Lawrence. They came down from Bay Minette overland. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------- JUNE 1,1903 Captain Joseph Lawrence was struck on the head by a falling piece of scantling (which is a small beam or piece of timber) while working on the new Mershon Bros.' store building making a scalp wound which required several stitches to close, but was at work again the next day. JULY 15,1903 George Cain son-in-law of Captain Joseph Washington Lawrence, is at Fairhope again and acting as a deck hand on the steamer. ============================================