Career
In 1825 he arrived in Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania) (per the Elizabeth). He became acquainted with Sir William Jackson Hooker, the Regius Professor of Botany at the University of Glasgow and later director of the Botanical Gardens at Kew in London, from whose friendship he developed a passion as an amateur botanist, sending many specimens from the Colony to Kew, resulting in Hooker’s "Flora Tasmaniae" in 1860. Lawrence was Tasmania’s first botanist, and introduced Ronald Campbell Gunn to Hooker.
The native fuchsia mountain correa was named by Hooker Correa lawrenciana in honour of his young protégé.
Lawrence lived in a house "Vermont" which was built for him by his father near Launceston, later moving to his father’s estate "Formosa" as overseer. Lawrence died weeks later.
Twelve months ago poor Lawrence married a young and most amiable Lady, with whom he lived in the most happy state it is possible for mortals to enjoy in this world, and on 2 September last I left them, after a short visit both in the enjoyment of excellent health. Next day Mrs Lawrence was safely delivered of a daughter, but from delicacy of constitution, or too sudden an exposure after her confinement, she was in a few days seized with a fever which terminated fatally within a month, - fatally to Lawrence’s happiness and peace".
Lawrence died of an apoplectic fit a few weeks later, the coronial jury delivered a verdict of ‘died by a visitation of God’.