Capt. William Lawrence - Background information

Information previously obtained:

William Lawrence embarked for America in 1635, together with his brother, John, in the ship Planter. He was in 1645 one of the patentees of Flushing, on Long Island, in which town he resided during the remainder of his life. His correspondence with Governor Stuyvesant during the years 1642-1643 may be found among the archives at Albany, and are ably written, evincing his energy and decision of character, and are evidently the production of a man of superior mind and liberal education. He was the largest landed proprietor at Flushing. He resided upon Lawrence's or Tew's Neck (so called), of which he was the owner, and seemed to have been a gentleman of affluence, his sword, plate and personals alone being valued at 4,430 pounds sterling (see inventory of his estate, on file in the Surrogate's office, city of New York, recorded in 1680, in Liber No. 22, page 24.) He was a magistrate under the Dutch government at Flushing, in 1655, and also held a military commission under the English government.