Sir George Lawson was one of two Members of the
Parliament of England for the
constituency of York on two occasions from 1529 to 1533 and from 1533 to 1536.
Life and politics
George was born around 1493 to William Lawson of Cramlington and Anne Horsley of Thernham. In 1516 he married Elizabeth and they had at least two sons, one named George, and one daughter named Anne. He was knighted in May 1530.
Throughout his life, he held many offices in both the city of
York and for the Crown. He was Deputy Captain in the garrison of
Berwick-upon-Tweed in 1514. He became a member of the Corpus Christi Guild in 1516 and an alderman from 1527 until his death in 1543. He served one term as Lord Mayor of York in 1530
as well as the two terms as MP for the city, sitting with George Gale. He also held the position of cofferer, or treasurer, in the household of
Henry FitzRoy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset
Henry FitzRoy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset, (15 June 1519 – 23 July 1536), was the son of King Henry VIII of England and his mistress, Elizabeth Blount, and the only child born out of wedlock whom Henry VIII acknowledged. He was the ...
between 1526 and 1534. He was appointed
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...
for the
East Riding of Yorkshire in 1532-33, the
North Riding of Yorkshire
The North Riding of Yorkshire is a subdivision of Yorkshire, England, alongside York, the East Riding and West Riding. The riding's highest point is at Mickle Fell with 2,585 ft (788 metres).
From the Restoration it was used as ...
in 1536 until his death and for the
West Riding of Yorkshire from 1537 also until his death. He was also a member of the
Council of the North from 1540.
Between 1513 and 1516, George built a reputation at the garrisons of Berwick-upon-Tweed and
Tournai
Tournai or Tournay ( ; ; nl, Doornik ; pcd, Tornai; wa, Tornè ; la, Tornacum) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It lies southwest of Brussels on the river Scheldt. Tournai is part of Euromet ...
under the commands of
Thomas Lord Darcy and
William 4th Baron Mountjoy respectively. Having been a royal official helped him rise through the ranks in the city of York and also increased his wealth. George found himself playing the part of intermediary between
Thomas Cromwell and
Henry Percy, 5th Earl of Northumberland. During the
Pilgrimage of Grace, George found himself in a difficult place politically being a government official but sympathizing with the rebels. When the rebels were admitted to the city of York, several lodged with him at his house. He was also reported to have attended the rebel council at
Pontefract,
but he eventually distanced himself from the movement to declare himself a loyal subject again. His loyalty was rewarded when he was commissioned to repair the castles of
Sheriff Hutton,
Pontefract,
Sandal and Berwick. As religious houses surrendered to the Crown, George acquired the leases to the Whitefriars in Newcastle and the Augustinian priory in York adjacent to his house, converting it into a malting house.
Around 1539-40, George bought a twenty-one year lease of the
Austin Friars
Austin Friars is a coeducational independent day school located in Carlisle, England. The Senior School provides secondary education for 350 boys and girls aged 11–18. There are 150 children aged 4–11 in the Junior School and the Nursery ha ...
in London following its dissolution.
George was not beyond criticizing the government where it conflicted with city matters. In 1536 he spoke out against a parliamentary act the enclosed common land on the Knavesmire.
He died in Berwick during a supply run to the garrison in February 1543.
References
{{s-end
Members of the Parliament of England for constituencies in Yorkshire
1493 births
1543 deaths