Cherokee County AlArchives Biographies.....Lawrence, John November 2 1825 - living in 1893
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Ann Anderson alabammygrammy@aol.com May 15, 2004, 6:04 pm

Author: Brant & Fuller (1893)
    HON. JOHN LAWRENCE, one of the most extensively known and respected
residents of Cherokee county, Ala., was born in Jefferson county, Tenn.,
November 2, 1825, and is a son of James and Chelnessa (Doherty) Lawrence.
Chelnessa Doherty was a granddaughter of Gen. George Doherty, who served in the
Creek war of 1812-15, as the history of that period will show. The Lawrence
family is an ancient one of England, and the progenitor of the American branch
came to this country early in the colonial days and made his home in Virginia.
Several members of this family took part in the Revolutionary war, and on the
return of peace Thomas Lawrence, the great-grandfather of the gentleman whose
name is at the head of this ketch, settled in North Carolina, where he reared a
family. In due course of time the descendants of Thomas Lawrence scattered, two
of his sons going to Georgia, one to South Carolina, and the one named James,
settling in Jefferson county, Tenn. The James last mentioned married a Miss Cate
of Tennessee, and reared a large family, among whom was James, the father of
John Lawrence above named. In the year 1839, James Lawrence came to Alabama and
settled near Cedar Bluff, his son John being then fourteen years of age, and
here James died in 1856. John Lawrence was reared on the farm. His literary
education was acquired in the common schools and at a college in Jefferson
county, Tenn.; after leaving college he taught school for a short time, - then
read law and was admitted to the bar, but never entered into practice. He
preferred a mercantile life, and carried on business at Gaylesville, Ala., from
1851 until 1854, when he removed to Cedar Bluff and remained there, and on a
farm on the Chattooga river near there until the fall of 1862. He then located
on his present farm of near 600 acres, near Cedar Bluff in the Coosa valley,
where he wields great influeucne in political matters, and is looked on as one
of the best informed men of his region. Not only does he have cultivated his
home place of near 600 acres, but has a large interest in other farming lands,
timber lands, etc., controlling, in all, about 1,850 acres. The first marriage
of Mr. Lawrence took place in June, 1854, at Cedar Bluff, Mrs. Emily E. Watt
(nee Hampton) becoming his wife, and of the offspring two sons, James R., and
George G., reside on the old homestead. Mrs. Lawrence departed this life
February.18, 1887, and on the 22d day of December, 1887, Mr. Lawrence chose for
his second companion Miss Martha A. Cate, daughter of the late William T. Cate,
sheriff of Hamilton county, Tenn., the marriage taking place at Chattanooga,
that county; Sheriff Cate had been in the employ of the Federal government at
Chattanooga, but met a terrible death at the hands of a murderous gang of
desparadoes in 1882. To the second marriage of Mr. Lawrence have been born two
children -Nellie C., and Samuel Cate Lawrence. Mr. Lawrence is a sound democrat
and holds the full confidence of his party. In its interests he was elected a
member of the Alabama state convention of 1865, for the reorganization of the
state government; in the fall of the same year he was elected to the state
legislature to represent Cherokee county, and served two terms-1865-6, and
1866-7; in 1872 he was again a candidate, but met with defeat by defections in
the party organization; in 1878 he was elected and served one term. Mr. Lawrence
is a Freemason, and has been a member of the Missionary Baptist church since
1849, and was chairman of the democratic executive committee for Cherokee county
for twelve or fifteen years. The family is well known throughout northeastern
Alabama and is highly respected.



Additional Comments:
from "Memorial Record of Alabama", Vol. I, p. 637-638

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