Frederick N. Lawrence
Frederick Newbold Lawrence | |
|---|---|
| Born | Error: Invalid birth date for calculating age Bayside, Queens, New York, U.S. |
| Died | December 24, 1916 (aged 82) |
| Occupation(s) | Financier, stockbroker |
| Known for | President of the New York Stock Exchange, President of the Union Club of the City of New York |
Frederick Newbold Lawrence (February 28, 1834 – December 24, 1916) was a prominent American financier who held leadership roles as president of both the Union Club of the City of New York and the New York Stock Exchange.
Early life
Lawrence was born in Bayside, Queens to Edward Newbold Lawrence (1805–1839) and Lydia Ann (née Lawrence) Lawrence (1811–1879). Following the passing of his father, his mother remarried her cousin Cornelius Van Wyck Lawrence, a distinguished public figure who served as a U.S. Representative, mayor of New York City, and Collector of the Port of New York. This union produced several half-siblings, including Van Wyck Lawrence and James Ogden Lawrence.
His ancestry traces back to early influential settlers such as John Lawrence and John Bowne, both Quakers and foundational figures in Queens. On his paternal side, his grandparents were merchant John Burling Lawrence and Hannah (née Newbold) Lawrence; his maternal grandparents were Effingham Lawrence and Anna (née Townsend) Lawrence. Notably, his uncle Effingham Lawrence holds the distinction of serving the briefest term in the U.S. Congress, lasting only one day in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Career
After completing his education, Lawrence embarked on a career in brokerage at a young age. He became senior partner at the stock exchange firm Lawrence & Smith, which ceased operations approximately a quarter-century before his death.
Lawrence held the office of President of the New York Stock Exchange from 1882 until 1883. Politically active within the Democratic Party, he also served as Supervisor of Flushing. During the Civil War period, he commanded the 15th Regiment of the New York National Guard. He joined the Union Club in 1881 and later presided over it from 1907 through 1912.
Personal life
In 1855, he married Elizabeth Boyce (1835–1894), daughter of Charleston merchant Lee Boyce. In 1847, he constructed a residence known as the Oaks in Queens overlooking Oakland Pond in what is now Oakland Gardens—a name derived from this estate. The couple had four daughters who became well-known figures within society:
- Lillie Lawrence (1857–1920), who wed Brigadier General Charles Hedges McKinstry.
- Mary "Tibbie" Lawrence (1859–1942), who first married stockbroker Frank Worth White in 1878; following his death, she remarried Foxhall Parker Keene in 1892 (their marriage ended in divorce in 1909). Keene was son of James Robert Keene, a former president of the San Francisco Stock Exchange.
- Elizabeth Lawrence (1862–1906), who united with J. Henry Alexandre in marriage in 1887; Alexandre was prominent in steamship operations with the Alexandre Line.
- Virginia Lee Lawrence (1864–1891), who married Lewis Meredith Howland of Howland & Aspinwall in 1883.
Elizabeth passed away at their residence in Bayside in 1894. Frederick Newbold Lawrence died on December 24, 1916, at his newly constructed townhouse located on West 52nd Street in Manhattan. He was interred at the Lawrence Burying Ground in Bayside.
Descendants
Through his daughter Virginia, he was grandfather to Elizabeth "Elsie" Lawrence Howland (1885–1973), who married Justice Frederic Kernochan—son of J. Frederic Kernochan and Mary Stuart Whitney Kernochan—in 1910.