Lawrence, George

Singer

Collection date: Apr 1905

Area: Somerset - Hambridge surrounds

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George Lawrence (1830-1909): age 74, sang 1 song ‘The Three Butchers’ (FT509) on 19 Apr 1905 at Stembridge (nr Kingsbury Episcopi). In the 1901 Kingsbury Episcopi census (RG 13/2288 f71 p11) George Lawrence was a widower aged 70, living in Stembridge with his son-in-law Frank Brown, aged 54, a farm bailiff, husband of George’s daughter (only child) Elizabeth (age 46 b Stocklinch 1854). There were 8 children in the house as well as Grandfather George. He was listed as a gardener born at Tatworth (bp Chard 12/9/1830) but he had in fact spent most of his life in Stocklinch.

In the 1841 census in Stocklinch a George Laurance, age 11, is listed as the son of George Laurance, labourer and his wife Mercy. George Jr was still in Stocklinch in 1851, aged 22 and he married Emma Vigars, a farmer’s daughter on 8/11/1853 at Stocklinch Ottersey church. They moved to Barrington by 1861, where he was an agricultural labourer and wife Emma a glover. In 1871 George was back in Stocklinch looking after his aged parents, while Emma had gone to Westport to look after her mother. In 1881 George & Emma were reunited in Westport - he a gardener, Emma as manageress of a Temperance Hotel (right next to Westport Inn!). In 1891 census George and Emma Laurance were still living in Westport next door to George Welch (soon to be husband of Lizzie). George Lawrence was buried in Hambridge church on 12/3/1909, Rev Marson officiating.