An American Family History

Lawrence Waters was born in 1602 in England. His parents were James Waters who was born in 1572 in St. Botolph, Aldersgate, London, England, and Phebe Manning who was born in 1571/72 in London, England.

Lawrence Waters may have come to Massachusetts in 1630 in the Pelham. There were 42 persons in this company, including the John Waters family of five.

He married, Ann Linton, in 1635. Their children and life together are described in detail in the section on Lawrence and Ann Linton.

He was a carpenter. He was a proprietor of Watertown in 1636-1637.  He received additional grants of land in Watertown on July 25, 1635, Feb. 28, 1636, June 26, 1637, and May 10, 1642.

He was one of  three men sent to make purchase sure for settlement of Lancaster (Nashaway Plantation) in 1643. In 1647 there were at least three permanent settlers on the  plantation of Lancaster, Richard Linton, Lawrence Waters and John Prescott, all from Watertown.

In 1651 he testified before the Court in Cambridge in the slander case of Elizabeth Hall and George Whaley.

On March 15, 1653 Lawrence signed the first laws and orders of Lancaster. On September 20th the same year, he was one of the signers of the agreement with John Prescott, blacksmith, regarding the building of a corn mill in Lancaster.

On March 9, 1654, he was one of the 25 townsmen present at a town meeting. On May 10, 1654 he was one of the signers of the petition to the General Court for the setting up of a township at Lancaster.

He was a soldier in King Philip's War, but in October, 1662 he was released from ordinary training by paying five shillings a year to the military company.

He became a freeman in 1663.

He became blind before his death. He died on December 9, 1687 when he was 85 years old during the resettlement of the town of Lancaster.