Lawrence, James

  General Notes:

I found the paper on the Coat of Arms. Dennis Holliday had someone look
it up some years back, when he gave us a copy of the family tree. I
was thinking that everyone got a copy of the same thing. Here it is:
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Lawrence Coat of Arms

Burkes' Heraldry
Lawrence : Argent, a cross naguly gules
No motto or crest

This is a very old and distinguished family whose ancestral
seat was Lancashire, England from a very early date.
This ancient English family is descended from Robert Lawrence , living
in Lancashire prior to the year 1200; therefore no motto or crest as
these had not come into use that early generally.
His grandson, Sir James Lawrence , married about 1250 to Matilda
Washington, heiress of the Lancashire Branch of the Washington family,
from which was descended our first president and patriot, George
Washington.
It is possible that this marriage is the origin of the Washington family
custom of using " Lawrence " as a given name in each succeeding
generation.
The Lawrence family claims a royal descent from Edward I in (1272-1307)
thru Mary Cocks, who married Walter Lawrence in 1742.
The ancestral coat of arms of Lawrence displays a silver shield upon
which is a red cross of the type termed "naguly." This is an upright
cross with edges extremely ragged, suggesting a tree trunk from which
the Branch es have been cut off.
The cross is a symbol of religious significance or shows violent service
in the Holy Wars.
The colors have a special meaning and are recorded also:
Gules (red) signified military fortitude.
Argent (silver) showed purity and constancy.
The leaves around the shield are simply for decoration and have
no special meaning.

Painted by: Blanche H. Etheredge
Scotland Neck, North Carolina 27874 Rt#2

James of Ashton Hall married, it is said, "in 1252," Matilda de
Washington, daughter of John da Washington, an heiress. A son by this
marriage, and the successor of Ashton Hall. Was John Lawrence , said to have
been living in thirty- seventh year of HenryIII.
Respecting the names " Lawrence " and "Washington," it may be noted
that Lawrence Washington, a brother of the first President of the United
States, was one of the earliest proprietors of Mount Vernon.

James married Matilda De Washington, daughter of John De Washington and Unknown. (Matilda De Washington was born in 1230 in Dalton Travers, England.)