Early 1830’s Grimes county pioneer settler Jared Groce knew a good man when he saw one. One of these men was Martin Byrd Lawrence. Groce gave Lawrence the equivalent of 100 acres just over the hill to the east of his Retreat land grant in southwest Grimes County as evidenced by a deed recorded in Volume M, page 385, Grimes County.
Lawrence had a valuable trade. He was a tanner and established the first tannery in Texas in 1833 that included a saddler’s shop and shoe shop adjacent to Groce’s Retreat. Water was a necessity and the flowing waters of nearby Beason Creek fit the need. He also operated a saw mill.
Lawrence was the only son of George Lawrence and his wife. George and his brother Asa fought in the Revolutionary War to be captured by the British, taken to England and held prisoners of war until the Colonies won independence. The brothers stayed in England and were sea captains, but after Asa was lost at sea, George gave up maritime life, returned to America and married Elizabeth Byrd of Virginia. They lived near Knoxville, Tennessee and then relocated to Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
Lawrence, born on November 23, 1794, grew up and married Mariah Hart Davis, a first cousin of Jefferson Davis, who later became President of the Confederate States of America. To this union were born 12 children. Lawrence and his wife lived at Cape Girardeau following their marriage and later in Hempstead County, Arkansas where he first established a tannery.
In 1832, the lure of new land brought Lawrence and his family to Texas. They first settled in Austin’s Colony on the San Bernard River. Fearing the Indians and Mexican Army, they shortly moved north to Groce’s Retreat where it seemed safer. But incidents still did occur and Lawrence and his son, George, were in the party who tried to rescue Cynthia Ann Parker from the Indians. Martin and his son George also joined General Sam Houston’s Independence Army in January 1836. Houston became a personal friend and frequent visitor in the Lawrence home.
Lawrence died in November 1851 at the age of 57 years leaving his widow Mariah and children. He is buried on the hill above where the homestead had been built in what today is a small ‘hidden’ cemetery in a small grove of vine entwined trees surrounded by pasture a good mile off any roadway. There are only five known burials in what is locally known as the Lawrence Cemetery. Also buried there include Lawrence’s wife, Mariah, who died in August 1867 at the age of 63 years; a son Algernon Robert Lawrence, born June 1846, who died in June 1869 at the age of 23 of wounds received in the Civil War. Algernon’s burial is the last known in this cemetery.
Two small girls were the first to be buried in this cemetery. Sarah Elizabeth Lane, daughter of Harvey and Elizabeth (Shaw) Lane, born April 1837, who died at the age of 2 years in July 1839. Sallie Betsey Bennett, daughter of Charles A. and Pauline N. (Lawrence) Bennett, died November 28, 1868 at the age of 4 years, 9 months, 15 days. (The Bennetts lived at Courtney.) This grave of the grandchild of the Lawrences, is surrounded by an iron picket fence and covered by a slab inscribed with doves and flowers. A lamb is at the head of the gravestone with an urn engraved “Sallie” as well as a poignant poetic verse: “ Sallie is dead, a child as sweet and fair as an opening rosebud in the morning air. Bound her pure urn let darknest cypress wave, Youth could not save her from an early grave. She was lovely, she was fair, and for awhile was given; An angel came, and claimed his own, and bore her home to heaven.”
Lawrence and his wife Mariah had five sons who served in the Civil War. The second son, Groce, was killed in the Battle of the Wilderness. The others were the eldest son, George, and then Edward, Ludwell and Algernon. George married Sallie Howell and reared a large family near Groce’s Retreat. Edward and Ludwell never married and were known around the region as Uncle Ned and Uncle Lud. As mentioned earlier Algernon died at the age of 23 of wounds suffered in the Civil War. -0-
(Below, Linda Evans tells in her own words the exhilarating story of how she and her husband located the Lawrence Cemetery in October of 1994.)
Lawrence had a valuable trade. He was a tanner and established the first tannery in Texas in 1833 that included a saddler’s shop and shoe shop adjacent to Groce’s Retreat. Water was a necessity and the flowing waters of nearby Beason Creek fit the need. He also operated a saw mill.
Lawrence was the only son of George Lawrence and his wife. George and his brother Asa fought in the Revolutionary War to be captured by the British, taken to England and held prisoners of war until the Colonies won independence. The brothers stayed in England and were sea captains, but after Asa was lost at sea, George gave up maritime life, returned to America and married Elizabeth Byrd of Virginia. They lived near Knoxville, Tennessee and then relocated to Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
Lawrence, born on November 23, 1794, grew up and married Mariah Hart Davis, a first cousin of Jefferson Davis, who later became President of the Confederate States of America. To this union were born 12 children. Lawrence and his wife lived at Cape Girardeau following their marriage and later in Hempstead County, Arkansas where he first established a tannery.
In 1832, the lure of new land brought Lawrence and his family to Texas. They first settled in Austin’s Colony on the San Bernard River. Fearing the Indians and Mexican Army, they shortly moved north to Groce’s Retreat where it seemed safer. But incidents still did occur and Lawrence and his son, George, were in the party who tried to rescue Cynthia Ann Parker from the Indians. Martin and his son George also joined General Sam Houston’s Independence Army in January 1836. Houston became a personal friend and frequent visitor in the Lawrence home.
Lawrence died in November 1851 at the age of 57 years leaving his widow Mariah and children. He is buried on the hill above where the homestead had been built in what today is a small ‘hidden’ cemetery in a small grove of vine entwined trees surrounded by pasture a good mile off any roadway. There are only five known burials in what is locally known as the Lawrence Cemetery. Also buried there include Lawrence’s wife, Mariah, who died in August 1867 at the age of 63 years; a son Algernon Robert Lawrence, born June 1846, who died in June 1869 at the age of 23 of wounds received in the Civil War. Algernon’s burial is the last known in this cemetery.
Two small girls were the first to be buried in this cemetery. Sarah Elizabeth Lane, daughter of Harvey and Elizabeth (Shaw) Lane, born April 1837, who died at the age of 2 years in July 1839. Sallie Betsey Bennett, daughter of Charles A. and Pauline N. (Lawrence) Bennett, died November 28, 1868 at the age of 4 years, 9 months, 15 days. (The Bennetts lived at Courtney.) This grave of the grandchild of the Lawrences, is surrounded by an iron picket fence and covered by a slab inscribed with doves and flowers. A lamb is at the head of the gravestone with an urn engraved “Sallie” as well as a poignant poetic verse: “ Sallie is dead, a child as sweet and fair as an opening rosebud in the morning air. Bound her pure urn let darknest cypress wave, Youth could not save her from an early grave. She was lovely, she was fair, and for awhile was given; An angel came, and claimed his own, and bore her home to heaven.”
Lawrence and his wife Mariah had five sons who served in the Civil War. The second son, Groce, was killed in the Battle of the Wilderness. The others were the eldest son, George, and then Edward, Ludwell and Algernon. George married Sallie Howell and reared a large family near Groce’s Retreat. Edward and Ludwell never married and were known around the region as Uncle Ned and Uncle Lud. As mentioned earlier Algernon died at the age of 23 of wounds suffered in the Civil War. -0-
(Below, Linda Evans tells in her own words the exhilarating story of how she and her husband located the Lawrence Cemetery in October of 1994.)
