Notes for Michael Lawrence: Michael's secular name was Michael Lawrence but his baptismal name was "Johann Michael Lorenz" as listed on the baptismal record at St. Michael's and Zion Lutheran Church, North Fifth and Appletree Alley, Philadelphia, on 28 February 1797. He was baptised on that day with his cousin Margareta Hotz, daughter of Johann and Elisabeth Hotz. Apparently named after his maternal grandfather, Michael Hotz, in the German tradition for second sons. Michael's uncles Philip and Daniel Hotz were both victuallers in and around Callowhill street. Michael became a victualler due to his father's death when Michael was 14 years old and his widowed mother turned to her own family for help as well as the Lawrence family. Michael & Catharine first lived with Michael's mother at (223?) North 8th Street, the third house south of the Southeast corner of 8th and Callowhill in the 1820 Census. (Found by looking up the addresses of Michael's neighbors on the Census in the 1820 Phila. Directory) Mary Lawrence is listed as "near 191 N 8th" in the 1817 directories. She moved there from 83 N 6th on August 11, 1816 per Philadelphia County School Children Enumerations. (LDS film #963383) Michael showed up on the census in 1820 but didn't appear in the Phila. Directory until 1823 and is listed as "victualler James St.". James Street was the victualler area in Philadelphia. In the 1820 Census there is a girl between the ages of 10 & 15 living with Michael and Catharine. She is probably one of Michael's younger sisters Anna, Elisabeth or Kitty. Michael's name doesn't appear on the 1830 Census. However, he did live in Spring Garden in Philadelphia as proven by all the city directories of the era. The "Michael Lowman" listed in Spring Garden on page 314 is actually Michael Lawrence. Except for an unknown 15 to 20 year old male, and a 10 to 15 year old female, all six of the family are accounted for in the proper age ranges. Michael's widowed mother who was 66 years old at the time also lived with him. There was no Michael Lowman in the 1820 or 1840 Census anywhere in Phila. There was also no Michael Lowman listed in any Philadelphia Directory of the era, though there was an Andrew Lowman, labourer at Type Alley, who was on the 1830 Census as Andrew Loman on Spring Garden page 291.
Michael's name was listed in the land purchases in Indiana for Switzerland County. Possibly bought for him by his brother William, whose land it adjoined in Center Square, Switzerland County, Indiana. As follows: Name: MICHAEL Lawrence Date: 07 Nov 1837 Location: OH, Document #: 5707 Serial #: OH1490__.175 Sale Type: CASH ENTRY SALE Acres: 75.3200 Meridian or Watershed: 1ST PRINCIPAL Parcel: Township 3 N, Range 3 W, Section 13 (Note: Michael's name does not appear in the 1837 Philadelphia city directory, indicating he and his family were possibly living in Indiana. May 1837 was the beginning of the largest financial depression in America to that time. By the summer of 1837, no less than 90 per cent of the Eastern factories had shut down. Caused by bank failures.)
From 1844 to 1846 Michael is listed as "Capt. of Watch" in the Phila. Directory. A person who in Colonial times made sure everyone attended church, but who in the mid 19th Century was more like a policeman. On page 341 of the 1842 Gospill's city directory it states that in Spring Garden there were "2 Police Officers, 12 Watchmen, a Captain and Lieutenant of Watch." In 1849 Michael is listed as a "Porter-house" in the Phila. Directory. A porter-house was a place that sold beer and porter and sometimes chops and steaks, according to Webster's dictionary. From 1844 until 1855, he lived at 37 Ridge Road (Avenue) This address was described in the following Public Ledger obituaries: Oct. 11, 1849 "above Callowhill" and August 20, 1853 "above Tenth street". Spring Garden District 1, was below Noble and was extended to 11th Street for the 1850 Census. So this address had to be on the East side of Ridge Avenue, between Callowhill and Noble, West of 10th Street. That piece of property is a triangle which runs 150' on Noble, 200' on 10th from Noble to Callowhill and 200' on Ridge from Noble to Callowhill. There is a cinder block restaurant and parking lot there in 1997, which was probably built in the 1960's. (The Phila. & Reading Railroad line on Noble was built sometime before 1860 as it shows on an 1860 map of Philadelphia.) 37 Ridge Road was probably what is since 1857, 919 to 927 Ridge Avenue, at Wood Street. Those addresses are where Michael's son Albert and his son Theodore had butchering businesses in the 1860's. In 1856, the year he died, his address was 263 North 24th Street (obituary: above Coates), Philadelphia. (Coates in 1844 was described as from river to river above Green. Presently it is Fairmount Avenue.) Son Edward's address in October, 1855 was 24th Street above Pratt (Aspen) as stated by Rev. Andrew Manship, as copied from his 1855 Marriage Records in application for Civil War Widow's pension by Mary Ann (Etley) Lawrence, son Edward's widow. According to Michael's obituary in the Public Ledger on July 7, 1856, invited to the funeral were "members of Industry Lodge No. 131 A.Y.M., and the Order in general." It also states he died "suddenly". According to burial returns in Phila. Archive: "Lawrence, Michal 7/6/1856 58 Y" "Oddfellows Cholera Dr. Small"Michael was interred originally at Oddfellows Cemetery at Islington Lane, Phila. with his wife Catharine, son Edward Lawrence, Mary Ann Etley Lawrence, George C. Evans (baby), and daughter Annie M. (Lawrence) Hoskins. There are also several other unidentified people buried in their cemetery lot. There might also have been a Rose Lawrence died 11/9/1857 buried with them. There were tombstones on their graves at Oddfellows. Reinterred to Lawnview Cemetery on Limekiln Pike, Phila. on July 25, 1951 according to a note on the back of a letter sent to Lillian Phelan on June 21, 1951 from the Odd Fellows (Near Broad & City Line Ave.) Susquehanna section, plot 2-26. Cemetery record states Michael was 58 yrs old when he died, and was buried on 3/8/1851 (incorrect), Catharine was 57 yrs old and buried on 2/8/1851 (year incorrect), George C. Evans was 7 weeks old and buried 7/17/1887, Mary A. Lawrence (Edward's wife) was 61 yrs old (incorrect) buried on 4/4/1918 and Annie M. Hoskins, no date, sister. There were no markers or monuments at Lawnview Cemetery for the Lawrence family, until 1999 when a bronze marker was set for Edward & Mary Ann (Etley) Lawrence, recognizing Edward's Civil War service.
In his estate administration, Michael is said to have less than $100.
In John F. Watson's "Annals of Phila. & Penna. in the Olden Time" Vol. I page 279, written by 1842, published 1857, copyright 1877 by J. M. Stoddard & Co.: "In the days of my youth, the barbarous sport of bullbaiting was but too frequent on the commons in the Northern Liberties. Happily, however, they have been quite laid aside for the last thirty years. They were got up and supported by the butchers, a class of men much more ferocious and uncivilized than now." (Probably referred to 1700's-1810.)
In the 1824 Phila. Directory is the following: "Victuallers Society - Meets at 269 Vine Street, Annual election on the first Tuesday in January."
Michael Lawrence (b. 19 February 1797, d. 06 July 1856)
Notes for Michael Lawrence: