John Lawrence Sr.

  General Notes:

From the book "History of New Oswegatchie and the Blue Church Cemetery 1780-1986" by Edwin A. Livingston:

John Lawrence (1742-1822) or (1756-1832) and his wife Margaret (1744-1807) are both buried there. Margaret was a widow of Philip Embury when she married John Lawrence. Her maiden name was Switzer. John Lawrence was born in Ireland of Palatine ancestry. He came to America with the Hecks and the Emburys. He left the U.S. for Canada in 1775 as a Loyalist. First he settled in Montreal where he was in the Commissary Dept. Then he settled in Augusta Township in 1785. Their four children were:
Elizabeth - married Robert Bickam of Wolford
Rebecca - married David Breakenridge Jr.
Agnes - married Samuel Dulmage
John

  Noted events in his life were:

• He emigrated in 1761 from Charlotte County.

• He has conflicting christening information of 24 Feb 1753 in Rathkeale, Limerick, Ireland.

• He immigrated in Aug 1760 to New York, Ship: Pery, Captain Hogan..

• He worked as a Cpl Loyalist.

• Military: General Burgoyne, 1776-1778.

• He worked as a Commissariat, Montreal from 1778 to 1785.

• He worked as a Farmer (2) 1785-.

• Military: War of 1812, 1812.

• He was Vestryman, Rathkeale church from 1741 to 1760.

• He owned 1359 acres/army grants.

John married Margaret Switzer, daughter of Johann Christopher Schweitzer and Katherine Elizabeth Ruckel, in 1775 in New York,New York,United States. (Margaret Switzer was born on 16 May 1743 in Courtmatrix, Limerick, Munster, Ireland, christened on 16 May 1743, died on 21 Aug 1807 in Augusta Township, Ontario and was buried in Blue Church, Oswegatchie Grenville . . ..)