Contents [hide]

Lawes History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Lawes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The ancestors of the first family to use the name Lawes lived among the Boernician tribe of ancient Scotland. They lived near a hill. Lawes is a local name, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. There are many different categories of local surnames, some of which include: topographic surnames, which could be given to a person who lived beside any physical feature, such as a hill, stream, church or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. Lawes is a topographic name, and it comes from the Old English word, hlaw, which means hill.

Early Origins of the Lawes family

The surname Lawes was first found in Northumberland, where they were lords of the manor and seated from very ancient times.

Early History of the Lawes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lawes research. Another 131 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1595, 1602, 1645, 1662, 1671, 1686, 1729, 1761 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Lawes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lawes Spelling Variations

Boernician names that evolved in the largely preliterate Middle Ages are often marked by considerable spelling variations. Lawes has been spelled Law, Lawe, Lawes and others.

Early Notables of the Lawes family

More information is included under the topic Early Lawes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Lawes family to Ireland

Some of the Lawes family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lawes migration to the United States +

Some of the Boernician-Scottish Clan families who came to North America were Loyalists who went north to Canada after the American War of Independence. Families on both sides of the border went on to found two of the world's great nations. This century, families with Scottish roots have rediscovered their heritage through highland games and clan societies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Lawes or a variant listed above:

Lawes Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Francis Lawes, who arrived in New England in 1637 aboard the ship "John & Dorothy" 1
Mrs. Lidda Lawes, aged 49, who landed in New England in 1637 aboard the ship "John & Dorothy" 2
Miss Mary Lawes, who landed in New England in 1637 aboard the ship "John & Dorothy" 2
Nicholas Lawes, who landed in Maryland in 1651 1
Jeremy Lawes, who landed in Virginia in 1657 1
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lawes Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Holiday Lawes, who arrived in Georgia in 1738 1

Lawes Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Lawes, who arrived in New York in 1843 1

Lawes migration to Australia +

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

Lawes Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Lawes, British Convict who was convicted in Southampton, Hampshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 27th October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3
WIlliam Lawes, who arrived in Kangaroo Island aboard the ship "Rapid" in 1836 4
Peter Saunders Lawes, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lord Goderich" in 1838 5
Sarah Lawes, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lord Goderich" in 1838 5
William Ingram Lawes, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lord Goderich" in 1838 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lawes 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:

Lawes Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

William Lawes, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alma" in 1857
Sophia Lawes, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alma" in 1857
Harriet Lawes, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alma" in 1857

Contemporary Notables of the name Lawes (post 1700) +

Brigadier-General Herbert Joseph Lawes (1891-1964), American Commanding Officer of Letterkenny Ordnance Depot (1943-1944) 6
Lewis Lawes (1883-1947), American prison warden and an outspoken proponent of prison reform
Sir Nicholas Lawes, Governor of Jamaica from 1718 to 1722
Kaitlyn Lawes (b. 1988), Canadian gold medalist curler from Winnipeg, Manitoba, member of the Canadian Olympic team at the 2014 Winter Olympics
Jon Lawes, English Motoring Author
William George Lawes (1839-1907), New Guinea pioneer missionary
Sir John Bennet Lawes (1814-1900), 1st Baronet, an English entrepreneur and agricultural scientist
Courtney Lawes (b. 1989), English rugby union player
Henry Lawes (1596-1662), English composer
General Henry Lawes Luttrell PC (1743-1821), 2nd Earl of Carhampton, Irish politician and soldier

The Lawes 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: Compositum jus fasque animi
Motto Translation: A mind which respects alike the laws of mutual justice and of God.

Citations +

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)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) RAPID 1836. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1836Rapid.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LORD GODERICH 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838LordGoderich.htm
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, April 2) Herbert Lawes. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Lawes/Herbert_Joseph/USA.html