Lawrences of Ashton Hall

     I have found two conflicting genealogies for the ancestry of the Lawrences of Ashton Hall. The first is the most commonly published ancestry by H. G. Somberby and others. A Visitation may have been the source for this pedigree. According to this genealogy, the Lawrences of Ashton Hall are descended from a Robert Lawrence born about 1150 A.D., or about 1155/60 A.D., depending on the writer, in the vicinity of Lancaster, England. One source indicates that his father also was named Robert and worked as a silversmith for the Lord of Lancaster Castle. Lancaster Castle was established about 1100 A.D. on the remains of three Roman forts and today is a prison.

     The second is based on manuscripts written by Schuyler Lawrence in the mid-1930s concerning the Lawrences of Lancashire, England. He states that Ashton Hall did not come into the possession of the Lawrences until about 100 years after the Third Crusade when there was a lawsuit brought by Lawrence de Lancaster son of Thomas de Lancaster son of Roger de Lancaster. John the son of Lawrence de Lancaster was the first to use the Lawrence surname derived from his father's given name. Based on my research of sources this latter genealogy I believe is more likely to be the true pedigee. I also have found other sources that indicate the Lawrences are descended from the de Lancaster family, Barons of Kendal. One source leads me to believe that Roger de Lancaster was the illegitimate son of Gilbert FitzReinfrid the son of Roger FitzReinfrid. Gilbert FitzReinfrid married Helewise de Lancaster heir and daughter of William II de Lancaster obtaining her inheritance and becoming the baron of Kendal.

     See Legend vs Fact for further discussion of the two pedigrees.

     While there is some information on the de Lancaster family on this web site I recommend the following web sites for more in depth research of the various branches of the de Lancaster families.

     The "de Lancasters" of Westmorland
     Lancasters of Sockbridge
     The Lancasters of Howgill and Rydal
     The Lancasters of Rainhill
     Notes on Lancaster related surnames
     Lancaster DNA surname project summary

     See Charts for the descent from Roger FitzReinfrid to Robert Lawrence immigrant to Isle of Wright County, Virginia, and second son of Sir John Lawrence, Baronet, of London.

The Ancestry of Robert Lawrence

     I have included the ancestry of Robert Lawrence, second son of Sir John Lawrence, through Robert's mother Grissell Gibbons. Grissell’s parents were Gervas Gibbons and Grisilde Roberts. Following through the Roberts line to Thomas Roberts who married Elizabeth Fremingham, through the Fremingham line to James de Fremingham who married Agnes Wingfield who in turn was the daughter of Sir Robert Wingfield and Elizabeth Goushill and Elizabeth who was the daughter of Robert Goushill who married Elizabeth d'Arundel FitzAlan and through her parents Richard III FitzAlan and Elizabeth de Bohun both lines that connect to the English royal line.

The Armorial Bearings of the Lawrence Family

     There are some variations in the Lawrence Coat of Arms as used by various branches of the family, however, they are basically the same.

     Crest a demi-turbot in pale gu (erect fish tale in pale red - this is of religious significance)

     Shield argent (silver), a cross raguly gules (a red cross of trunks of trees having pieces like couped boughs projecting at the sides in a slanting direction)

     Motto "In Cruce Salus" (liberally translated, "In the cross there is salvation")

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