Contents [hide]

Lawrie History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Lawrie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

Early Origins of the Lawrie family

The surname Lawrie was first found in Dumfriesshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Dhùn Phris), a Southern area, bordering on England that today forms part of the Dumfries and Galloway Council Area. "Laurieston in the parish of Balmaghie, stewartry of Kirkcudbright takes its name from William Kennedy Laurie, Esq., proprietor of the lands on which it is built, near Lochinbren, a sheet of water abounding with trout. " 1

There are two other places named Laurieston in Scotland: an ecclesiastical district, within the jurisdiction of the city of Glasgow; and in the parish of Falkirk, county of Stirlinge village. Of the former, we can find no notes about the origin; of the latter, it was derived from "the name of Laurencetoun, of which its present appellation is a contraction." 1

"This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Lawrence.' In the Lowlands and on the Borders, popularly Lowrie or Laurie, whence the many North English and Scottish variations of this name. " 2

"The name has been also explained, with still less probability; as from Scots lowrie, 'foxy'. The name of Gavin Lawrie, governor of New Jersey during the colonial period, is spelled in a letter quoted in The Haigs of Bemersyde as Lowry.' 3

"Hence 'Lowrie-like,' having the crafty look of a fox. The full name Lawrence was also applied to the fox, proving that Lowry and Lawry are the true offspring of the name." 2

Early History of the Lawrie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lawrie research. Another 118 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1640, 1653, 1669, 1671, 1677, 1683, 1686, 1687, 1755, 1770, 1771, 1773, 1774, 1775, 1776, 1779, 1820, 1827, 1836, 1839, 1861 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Lawrie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lawrie Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Lawrie, Laurie, Larrie, Larry, Laurie, Laury, Lawry, Lowrie and many more.

Early Notables of the Lawrie family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Gawen Lawrie (died 1687), English-born of Scottish ancestry, American politician. He was 2nd Deputy Governor of East New Jersey (1683-1686). Robert Laurie (died 1677), was a Church of Scotland prelate...

Migration of the Lawrie family to Ireland

Some of the Lawrie family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 118 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lawrie migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lawrie Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Gavin Lawrie, who landed in Perth Amboy, NJ in 1685 4

Lawrie Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Lawrie, who settled in Maryland in 1774

Lawrie Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Lawrie, who landed in America in 1807 4
George Lawrie, aged 30, who arrived in New York in 1812 4
John Lawrie, aged 26, who landed in New York in 1812 4
Gavin Lawrie was the distinguished Governor of New Jersey
Robert Black Lawrie, who arrived in America in 1822 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lawrie migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lawrie Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. James Lawrie U.E. who settled in St. Stephen, New Brunswick c. 1784 member of the Port Matoon Association 5

Lawrie migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Lawrie Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss. Mark Lawrie, Irish convict who was convicted in Carlow, Ireland for life, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 29th November 1801, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
Mr. Francis Lawrie, Scottish convict who was convicted in Dumfries, Scotland for 14 years, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 8th April 1821, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
Mr. William Lawrie, Scottish convict who was convicted in Ayr, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Fairlie" on 14th October 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
Miss Barbara Lawrie, (Campbell, Walker), Scottish convict who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Buffalo" on 4th May 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
Robert Lawrie, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Recovery" in 1839 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lawrie migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Lawrie Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. William Lawrie, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 25th February 1856 11
Mr. Charles C. Lawrie, Scottish settler from Dirleton travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Storm Cloud" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 27th April 1860 11
Mrs. Lawrie, Scottish settler from Dirleton travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Storm Cloud" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 27th April 1860 11
Miss Lawrie, Scottish settler from Dirleton travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Storm Cloud" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 27th April 1860 11
Miss Jenie Lawrie, (b. 1835), aged 26, Scottish domestic servant, from Renfrew travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "Rhea Sylvia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd May 1861 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Lawrie (post 1700) +

Nate Lawrie (b. 1981), American NFL player
Lee Lawrie (1877-1963), American sculptor
Gerald Lawrie (b. 1945), Australian-born American cardiothoracic surgeon
Gawen Lawrie, American politician
Andy Lawrie (b. 1978), Scottish football defender
John Polworth Lawrie (1875-1952), Scottish born politician in Manitoba, Canada
Paul Lawrie (b. 1969), Scottish golfer, who won the British Open in 1999
Mrs. Bernadette Lawrie B.E.M., (Clark), British Constable for Sussex Police, was appointed Medallist of the British Empire Medal 29th December 2018 for services to Policing 12
Alline Dawn Lawrie (b. 1938), former Australian politician, Member for Nightcliff (1974-1983), mother of Delia Lawrie
Delia Phoebe Lawrie (b. 1966), Australian politician, Leader of the Opposition (Northern Territory) (2012-)
... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Lawrie family +

Empress of Ireland

Mr. James Lawrie (d. 1914), British Assistant Steward from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 13

HMS Dorsetshire

Cameron Lawrie (d. 1945), British Assistant Steward aboard the HMS Dorsetshire when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 14

The Lawrie Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Repullulat
Motto Translation: It buds afresh.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/buffalo
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) RECOVERY from London 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Recovery.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
Force Z Survivors HMS Dorsetshire Crew List, (Retrieved 2018, February 13th), https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listdorsetshirecrew.html