LAWRENCE, Henry II (c.1635-79), of Bevis Marks, London.

Like his brother Edward, Henry Lawrence spent the late 1630s and early 1640s on the continent of Europe, where his puritan father had exiled himself. During the mid-1650s the brothers lived at Whitehall with their father, now lord president of the protectorate council, and joined the intellectual life centred on Cromwell’s court. In May 1655 Samuel Hartlib recorded the presence of both brothers at ‘a music meeting and feast’ held in London by ‘all the masters and other gentleman lovers of music’.6Sheffield Uuniv. Lib. Hartlib MS 29/5/33B-34A. In April 1656 Henry Oldenburg, an old friend of the family, invited Edward to bring Henry along to visit him at Oxford.7Corresp. of Henry Oldenburg ed. A.R. and M.B. Hall (13 vols. Madison, Wisc. 1965-86) i. 92. Their sister Martha had married Richard, 2nd earl of Barrymore, and through her Henry was brought into the orbit of the Boyle family, and especially of Barrymore’s aunt, Lady Ranelagh, whose friends included John Milton.8D. Masson, Life of John Milton (7 vols. 1859-94) v. 235; Works of Hon. Robert Boyle ed. T. Birch (6 vols. 1772) v. 240, 279. The Lawrence brothers were both returned for Welsh counties in 1656, thanks to the influence of their father, who was president of the protectoral council. Henry was elected for Caernarvonshire, presumably with the blessing of John Glynne*, who made room for him by choosing to sit for Flintshire after being elected for both counties.9Dodd, Studies in Stuart Wales (2nd ed.), 192.

Henry made no mark in this, his only Parliament, and references to ‘Mr Lawrence’ in the Journal probably refer to his father or to William Lawrence*. Edward Lawrence died in December 1657 and Henry went on to succeed to the family estates on the death of his father in August 1664.10VCH Hunts. ii. 218. Henry played no part in public life after the end of the protectorate. In his will, drawn up in April 1676, he asked to be buried in Christ Church, London near his son Thomas. He left his lands at St Ives, Huntingdonshire, to his widow for life with remainder to his eldest son Henry, and provided £500 each to his son Edward and daughters Mary and Elizabeth. Henry Lawrence died before October 1679, when his will was proved.11PROB11/361/40.