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Sir James John Trevor Lawrence, 2nd Baronet, (30 December 1831 – 22 December 1913) was an English surgeon, horticulturalist, and art collector. He later became a Conservative
Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
(MP) for 17 years, retiring to become treasurer of St Bartholomew's Hospital where he founded the Lawrence Scholarship and contributed to the King Edward's Hospital Fund. During his time as MP he became president of the
Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...
serving 28 years until death, overseeing a growth in interest in membership and horticulture in general across the British Empire. He is the inspiration for a hybrid Aril Iris, ''Iris Sir Trevor Lawrence'' and a genus of orchids, ''
Trevoria ''Trevoria'' is a genus of orchids native to southeastern Central America and northwestern South America. It grows in intermediate temperature and is found from Nicaragua and Costa Rica to Bolivia. ''Trevoria'' was described by FC Lehmann in 1 ...
''. The society also founded a gold medal in his honour.


Childhood and early adulthood

Lawrence was born on 30 December 1831, the son of Louisa Senior and
Sir William Lawrence Sir William Lawrence, 1st Baronet (16 July 1783 – 5 July 1867) was an English surgeon who became President of the Royal College of Surgeons of London and Serjeant Surgeon to the Queen. In his mid-thirties, he published two books of his lect ...
. His mother was the daughter of a successful
Mayfair Mayfair is an affluent area in the West End of London towards the eastern edge of Hyde Park, in the City of Westminster, between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane. It is one of the most expensive districts in the world. ...
haberdasher In British English, a haberdasher is a business or person who sells small articles for sewing, dressmaking and knitting, such as buttons, ribbons, and zippers; in the United States, the term refers instead to a retailer who sells men's clothing, ...
who had bought a country estate, Broughton House, near
Aylesbury Aylesbury ( ) is the county town of Buckinghamshire, South East England. It is home to the Roald Dahl Children's Gallery, David Tugwell`s house on Watermead and the Waterside Theatre. It is in central Buckinghamshire, midway between High Wy ...
,
Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-ea ...
. He was educated at
Winchester College Winchester College is a public school (fee-charging independent day and boarding school) in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and has existed in its present location ever since. It is the oldest of the ...
and St Bartholomew's Hospital, where he took the diploma of MRCS in 1853. He then worked for nearly ten years for the Indian Medical Service. Having inherited his mother's particular love for orchids, he reinforced this interest while in
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. He made his first collection when living at
Dharamsala Dharamshala (; also spelled Dharamsala) is the winter capital of Himachal Pradesh, India. It serves as administrative headquarters of the Kangra district after being relocated from Kangra, a city located away from Dharamshala, in 1855. The ...
in the Himalayan foothills. On 5 July 1867, Lawrence succeeded to his father's recently created baronetcy (see Lawrence Baronets). In 1869 he married Elizabeth, daughter of John Matthew, a partner in the leading firm of marine engineers, John Penn and Son of Greenwich. Elizabeth inherited Burford Lodge,
Dorking Dorking () is a market town in Surrey in South East England, about south of London. It is in Mole Valley District and the council headquarters are to the east of the centre. The High Street runs roughly east–west, parallel to the Pipp Br ...
, where they created a celebrated garden at the foot of Box Hill. They had three sons and one daughter: * William Matthew Trevor Lawrence (17 September 1870 – 4 January 1934); married Iris
Eyre Crabbe Brigadier General Eyre Macdonnell Stewart Crabbe, CB (15 March 1852 – 8 March 1905) was a Grenadier Guards officer who fought in the Sudan campaign to rescue General Gordon and in the Second Boer War. Background and early life His father ...
(1908) and had issue. *Bessie Mary Lawrence (11 November 1877 – 12 March 1944); married Henry Rottenburg (1911) and had issue. * Aubrey Trevor Lawrence (15 January 1879 – 23 March 1930); married Constance Emily Fanning McGaw (1901) and had issue. *Charles Trevor Lawrence (18 September 1881 – 10 April 1953); married Adeliza Donnelly (1916).


Political career

In 1874 he unsuccessfully contested
Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...
as a Conservative, however in 1875 he was elected for Mid-Surrey, which included a large portion of south
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. He sat for that constituency for ten years until its abolition in the redistribution of seats in 1885, when he was elected for Reigate Division in
Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
, a seat he held for seven years. He did not seek re-election at the 1892 general elections. He confined himself in parliament largely to questions and speeches on constituency matters, such as the abolition of tolls on bridges over the
River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...
, and matters of
public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...
- he was a strong supporter of vaccinations. He made 20 contributions reaching Hansard, spanning 1886-8 and 1892.


Horticulture

Lawrence's chief interest, however, was horticulture, an interest he had inherited from his mother, herself a horticulturalist of note. From 1885 to 1913 he was President of the
Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...
which increased greatly in numbers and means during this term. He was determined that it should be restored "to horticulture pure and simple", rather than entertaining the public. He was chiefly responsible for moving the Society from its expensive
Kensington Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West End of London, West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up b ...
site to a more practical home in
Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...
in 1904. The Society presented him with the Victoria Medal in 1900, a portrait painted by Sir Hubert Herkomer in 1906, and the Veitch Gold Memorial Medal 1913. The Society founded the Lawrence Gold Medal in his honour. He was one of the world's leading
orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...
collectors. He employed several botanical artists to record his orchid collections including
John Nugent Fitch John Nugent Fitch (24 October 1840 – 11 January 1927) was a British botanical illustrator and lithographer, best known for his contribution of 528 plates to ''The Orchid Album'', a landmark work of eleven volumes published between 1872 and ...
, John Livingston Macfarlane and
Nellie Roberts Nellie Roberts (or Nelly Roberts) (15 October 1872 – 29 March 1959) was an England, English botanical and scientific illustrator. Roberts was brought up in Brixton, London and lived there throughout her life. Her father was a watchmaker and ...
. He asked his wife to give plants of botanical interest to
Kew Kew () is a district in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Its population at the 2011 census was 11,436. Kew is the location of the Royal Botanic Gardens ("Kew Gardens"), now a World Heritage Site, which includes Kew Palace. Kew is a ...
after his death: 580 were thought to qualify. He presided at the Royal Horticultural Society conference on
hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...
isation in 1899, which is now officially regarded as the first international conference on
genetics Genetics is the study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity in organisms.Hartl D, Jones E (2005) It is an important branch in biology because heredity is vital to organisms' evolution. Gregor Mendel, a Moravian Augustinian friar wor ...
. In 1905, Professor M. Foster named a hybrid Aril Iris after him, a cross between ''
Iris iberica ''Iris iberica'' is a plant species in the genus ''Iris'', it is also in the subgenus ''Iris'' and in the section ''Oncocyclus''. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the Caucasus mountains of Armenia, eastern Georgia, and western Azerbaijan. It ...
'' X '' Iris pallida''. Also ''
Clematis texensis ''Clematis texensis'', commonly called scarlet leather flower, is a climbing vine in the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). It is native to the United States, where it is endemic to the Edwards Plateau of Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language ...
'' 'Sir Trevor Lawrence',
Tulipa Tulips (''Tulipa'') are a genus of spring-blooming perennial herbaceous bulbiferous geophytes (having bulbs as storage organs). The flowers are usually large, showy and brightly coloured, generally red, pink, yellow, or white (usually in warm ...
'Sir Trevor Lawrence' and
Begonia ''Begonia'' is a genus of perennial flowering plants in the family Begoniaceae. The genus contains more than 2,000 different plant species. The Begonias are native to moist subtropical and tropical climates. Some species are commonly grown ind ...
were also named after him. A genus of orchids, ''
Trevoria ''Trevoria'' is a genus of orchids native to southeastern Central America and northwestern South America. It grows in intermediate temperature and is found from Nicaragua and Costa Rica to Bolivia. ''Trevoria'' was described by FC Lehmann in 1 ...
'', bears his name as well.


Hospital body contributions

In 1892 he succeeded
Sir Sydney Waterlow Sir Sydney Hedley Waterlow, 1st Baronet, (1 November 1822 – 3 August 1906) was a British philanthropist and Liberal Party politician, principally remembered for donating Waterlow Park to the public as "a garden for the gardenless". Life He w ...
as treasurer of St Bartholomew's Hospital and held the office for 12 years. In that time he founded the Lawrence Scholarship in memory of his father, and was a member of the Council of King Edward's Hospital Fund also making donations. He was created a Knight Commander of the
Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, o ...
(KCVO) in the November
1902 Birthday Honours The 1902 Birthday Honours were announced on 10 November 1902, to celebrate the birthday of Edward VII the previous day. The list included appointments to various orders and honours of the United Kingdom and the British Empire. The list was publi ...
list, and was invested with the insignia by King
Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria an ...
at
Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...
on 18 December 1902. He was also a Knight of Grace of the Order of St John of Jerusalem.


Artworks legacy

He was a well-known collector of objets d'art, particularly oriental, especially Japanese, art, western
porcelain Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises mainl ...
, and old lace. Some of his collections are now in the
Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...
and other museums.


Death

He died at Burford Lodge. His will was sworn in 1914 at .https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk Calendar of Probates and Administrations


See also

* Lawrence Baronets


Notes


References


Bibliography

*Boyle, Frederick. About Orchids: A Chat. 1893. *Elliott, Brent. History of the Royal Horticultural Society 1804–2004. London: Phillimore, 2004 *Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990, * * *''Burkes Peerage and Baronetage'' (2003), s.v. Lawrence, Baronets, of Ealing Park *''http://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/biogs/E000014b.htm'' *


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lawrence, Trevor 1831 births 1913 deaths Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies People educated at Winchester College Alumni of the University of London UK MPs 1880–1885 UK MPs 1885–1886 UK MPs 1886–1892 Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom Indian Medical Service officers Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Veitch Memorial Medal recipients Victoria Medal of Honour (Horticulture) recipients