John Lawrence, the Elder, the Minute Man, and the Patriot

q and a

My 6th great grandfather, John, the Elder, Lawrence, of Dutchess County, New York, was a preacher, a pastor, a minute man, and a patriot. He was born about about 1721 in Connecticut. He became the pastor of a Baptist church in Dutchess, New York about 1770. 

He married Lavinah Ormsby in 1759

*Early Connecticut Marriages

NameJonathan LawrenceGenderMale Spouse's NameZerviah Ormsby Spouse GenderFemale Marriage Date29 Aug 1759Marriage PlaceNorwich-Lisbon, New London

It is likely that the name Lavinah may look a bit like Zerviah in cursive and was probably misread as such. 

If this record is correct, he may have had another wife before her, as it is believed that he had a child named Rebecca in 1750 who married in 1769 at about the age of 19. The chances are she was probably not ten. 

Among his other children is my ancestor John Lawrence II who was born about 1760 in New York. While Lavinah may not have been the first wife of John Lawrence, she is probably the mother of John II. 

John II married Elizabeth and had three known children. Zelphia, Elizabeth, and John III.  

John P. Lawrence III married Nancy Peden about 1806. They were my fourth great grandparents.

http://www.lawrence-ons.org/john21.html