William Miner Lawrence (September 14, 1861 – November 23, 1935) was an American politician.

Early life

Lawrence was born on September 14, 1861, in New York City. He was the son of

Abraham Riker Lawrence Abraham Riker Lawrence (September 19, 1832 – February 14, 1917) was an American lawyer, judge, and historian. Early life Abraham was born in New York City on September 19, 1832 and was the namesake of his paternal uncle, Abraham Riker Lawrence, ...

(1832–1917) and Eliza Williams (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Miner) Lawrence (1838–1915). His younger sister was Ruth Woodhull Lawrence, who did not marry and who was a founder of the

National Society of Colonial Dames The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America is an American organization composed of women who are descended from an ancestor "who came to reside in an American Colony before 1776, and whose services were rendered during the Colonial Pe ...

in New York in 1893. His paternal grandparents were Sarah Augusta (née Smith) Lawrence and John L. Lawrence, a New York State Senator,

Comptroller of New York City The Office of Comptroller of New York City, a position established in 1801, is the chief financial officer and chief auditor of the city agencies and their performance and spending. The comptroller also reviews all city contracts, handles the ...

and diplomat (who served as

chargé d'Affaires A ''chargé d'affaires'' (), plural ''chargés d'affaires'', often shortened to ''chargé'' (French) and sometimes in colloquial English to ''charge-D'', is a diplomat who serves as an embassy's chief of mission in the absence of the ambassador ...

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

during the absence of U.S. Minister to Sweden Jonathan Russell). Among his extended family were great-uncles, Congressmen Samuel Lawrence and William T. Lawrence, and his great-grandfather

Jonathan Lawrence Jonathan Lawrence (October 4, 1737 – September 4, 1812) was an American merchant and politician from New York. Early life Lawrence was born on October 4, 1737 in Newtown, Queens County in what was then the Province of New York, a part of ...

, a merchant and New York State Senator. He was also a direct descendant of Capt. James Lawrence, a hero of the War of 1812, and Maj. Thomas Lawrence of the British Army who received a land grant in what became Queens in 1656, Gen. Nathaniel Woodhull, and General John Tangier Smith, a U.S. Representative and

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

from New York. His maternal grandparents were Dr. William Miner and Julia Caroline (née Williams) Miner. Through his aunt, Ann Middleton (née Lawrence) Suydam, he was the first cousin of

Jane Mesier Suydam Walter Lispenard Suydam (May 20, 1854 – August 10, 1930) was a prominent member of New York society during the Gilded Age. Early life Suydam was born on May 20, 1854 in New York City. He was the son of Anna White (née Schermerhorn) Suydam (18 ...

Career

After graduating from Columbia, he went into the realty business with Bryan L. Kennelly in New York. In 1890, he was elected as a Democrat to represent Manhattan in the

114th New York State Legislature The 114th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 6 to April 30, 1891, during the seventh year of David B. Hill's governorship, in Albany. Background Under the provi ...

, and served as a member of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assem ...

from January 1 to December 31, 1891. Lawrence served as Assistant Secretary and Chief Clerk of the New York City Board of Estimate and

Apportionment The legal term apportionment (french: apportionement; Mediaeval Latin: , derived from la, portio, share), also called delimitation, is in general the distribution or allotment of proper shares, though may have different meanings in different c ...

during the George B. McClellan Jr., William Jay Gaynor, and John Purroy Mitchel administrations until his retirement in 1924. He also served as Assistant Secretary, and then, Secretary of the

New York State Board of Elections The New York State Board of Elections is a bipartisan agency of the New York state government within the New York State Executive Department responsible for enforcement and administration of election-related laws. It also regulates campaign fina ...

Personal life

On December 12, 1891, Lawrence was married to Lavinia Oliver (1869–1916), a daughter of Joseph Cory Oliver and Lucretia (née Phillips) Oliver. Together, they were the parents of three children: * Oliver Philips Lawrence (1892–1975), a U.S. Navy veteran. * Clement Miner Lawrence (1897–1918), who died in the

Bristol Channel The Bristol Channel ( cy, Môr Hafren, literal translation: "Severn Sea") is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Seve ...

during World War I. * Ruth Lawrence (1902–1992), who married Stuart M. Briggs, son of G. Loring Briggs, in 1926. Ruth, who graduated from

Wellesley College Wellesley College is a private women's liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1870 by Henry and Pauline Durant as a female seminary, it is a member of the original Seven Sisters Colleges, an unofficial g ...

in 1925, was one of only five non-family members to inherit from

Hetty Green Hetty Green (November 21, 1834 – July 3, 1916), nicknamed the Witch of Wall Street, was an American businesswoman and financier known as "the richest woman in America" during the Gilded Age. She was named by the ''Guinness Book of World Reco ...

, through her mentorship relationship with Green's son, Edward Howland Robinson Green. Lawrence died of bronchial pneumonia at his home, 94-08 25th Avenue in

Jackson Heights, Queens Jackson Heights is a neighborhood in the northwestern portion of the borough of Queens in New York City. Jackson Heights is neighbored by North Corona to the east, Elmhurst to the south, Woodside to the west, northern Astoria ( Ditmars-Steinw ...

on November 23, 1935. He was buried at the Lawrence Family Cemetery, on 20th Road and 35th Avenue, in Astoria, Queens.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lawrence, William Miner 1861 births 1935 deaths Woodhull family Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly