Thomas Lawrence (Governor)

Sir Thomas Lawrence, 3rd Baronet (* around 1645 in Chelsea , Middlesex , † April 25, 1714 in London) was an English colonial governor of the Province of Maryland .

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Thomas Lawrence was born in Chelsea near London around 1645 to Sir John Lawrence, 2nd Baronet. In 1681 he inherited from the father his title of baronet , of Iver in the County of Buckingham . In 1692 he came to the Province of Maryland, where he held some political offices. Among other things, he was Deputy Secretary of Governor Lionel Copley . The two men did not understand each other and had argued since their time in England. In the meantime, Lawrence was suspended but reinstated. Thomas made considerable wealth during his time in Maryland. The colony went through a troubled time in the years after 1688. As a result of the Glorious Revolution in England, there was also a revolution in Maryland under the leadership of John Coode . The until then dominant family Calvert (Lords Baltimore) was expropriated and disempowered. The Catholic Church, which had been influential until then, was also robbed of its strong position. Now the Protestants, especially the Puritans, dominated the colony. This continued to lead to religious tensions between the denominations. With this in mind, Lawrence began his political career in Maryland. After the death of his opponent Lionel Copley on September 12, 1693, he had to temporarily take over this office until the arrival of a newly appointed governor. But he only held this office for a few weeks. With the arrival of Edmund Andros , his term of office ended. In the following years he was again Deputy Governor as Secretary . In the meantime he also returned to England for some time. He was also a member of the Council. In 1694 he was again briefly acting colonial governor of Maryland. He bridged the time between governors Edmund Andros and Francis Nicholson . In 1706 Thomas Lawrence returned to England for good. He officially retained the office of Secretary of Maryland, in which he was represented locally.

literature

• Edward C. Papenfuse: Lawrence, Thomas (ca.1645-1714). In: A Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland Legislature 1635-1789. Volume 426, p. 519 ( Archives of Maryland ).

predecessor	title	successor
John Lawrence	Baronet, of Iver 1681-1714	Title expired