Robert William Lawrence (1807–1833), first-born son of

William Effingham Lawrence William Effingham Lawrence (1781–1841) was an English colonist to Australia, the son of Captain Effingham Lawrence, a merchant with houses in London, Liverpool and New York City. Previous generations of Lawrences had settled in the American c ...

, was born and educated in England. In 1825 he arrived in

Van Diemen’s Land Van Diemen's Land was the colonial name of the island of Tasmania used by the British during the European exploration of Australia in the 19th century. A British settlement was established in Van Diemen's Land in 1803 before it became a sepa ...

(

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

) (per the Elizabeth). He became acquainted with Sir

William Jackson Hooker Sir William Jackson Hooker (6 July 178512 August 1865) was an English botanist and botanical illustrator, who became the first director of Kew when in 1841 it was recommended to be placed under state ownership as a botanic garden. At Kew he ...

, the Regius Professor of Botany at the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

and later director of the Botanical Gardens at Kew in London, from whose friendship he developed a passion as an amateur botanist, sending many specimens from the Colony to Kew, resulting in Hooker’s "

Flora Tasmaniae The ''Flora Tasmaniae'' is a description of the plants discovered in Tasmania during the Ross expedition written by Joseph Dalton Hooker and published by Reeve Brothers in London between 1855 and 1860. Hooker sailed on HMS ''Erebus'' as assistant ...

" in 1860. Lawrence was Tasmania’s first botanist, and introduced

Ronald Campbell Gunn Ronald Campbell Gunn, Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS, (4 April 1808 – 13 March 1881) was a South African-born Australian Botany, botanist and politician. Early life Gunn was born at Cape Town, Cape Colony, (now South Africa), the son of W ...

to Hooker. The native

fuchsia ''Fuchsia'' () is a genus of flowering plants that consists mostly of shrubs or small trees. The first to be scientifically described, '' Fuchsia triphylla'', was discovered on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republi ...

mountain correa was named by Hooker '' Correa lawrenciana'' in honour of his young protégé. Lawrence lived in a house "Vermont" which was built for him by his father near Launceston, later moving to his father’s estate "Formosa" as overseer. In 1832 he married Anne Wedge (1808-1833) but she died the following year giving birth to their daughter Annie Emily Lawrence. Lawrence died weeks later. Gunn wrote to Hooker: "It is with feelings of the deepest regret I have to communicate to you the death of our mutual friend Mr W. R. Lawrence. This melancholy event took place at Formosa on the night of 18 October last, the day on which he attained his 26th year, and the first anniversary day of his marriage. Twelve months ago poor Lawrence married a young and most amiable Lady, with whom he lived in the most happy state it is possible for mortals to enjoy in this world, and on 2 September last I left them, after a short visit both in the enjoyment of excellent health; next day Mrs Lawrence was safely delivered of a daughter, but from delicacy of constitution, or too sudden an exposure after her confinement, she was in a few days seized with a fever which terminated fatally within a month, - fatally to Lawrence’s happiness and peace". Lawrence died of an apoplectic fit a few weeks later, the coronial jury delivered a verdict of 'died by a visitation of God'. The infant daughter, Annie Emily Lawrence, was raised by her maternal grandparents in

Van Diemens Land Van Diemen's Land was the colonial name of the island of Tasmania used by the British during the European exploration of Australia in the 19th century. A British settlement was established in Van Diemen's Land in 1803 before it became a sepa ...

and later Port Phillip, where she married

Monckton Synnot Monckton Synnot (1827-1879) was a prominent squatter in Victoria, Australia, the sixth son of Captain Walter Synnot and his second wife Elizabeth, ''née'' Houston, and the grandson of Sir Walter Synnot, of Ballymoyer, County Armagh. Born at ...

References

Government of Western Australia: FloraBase: Lawrencia.
Plant named after Lawrence. (See Etymology paragraph.)

Mentions Lawrence as plant collector and in connection with Vermont and Formosa.

Biography of Lawrence's father.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lawrence, Robert William 19th-century Australian botanists People from Tasmania 1807 births 1833 deaths