The following letter was sent to Pascal from his father Isaac Benjamin Lawrence: July 1858 - My dear son, I have just received your letter dated May the 9th in which you gave me great satisfaction to hear you were all well. We are enjoying good health; we have good health generally in our county. I like this part of the country better than anywhere I've ever lived except the mountains of Virginia. Good crops were made here last year and they are quite promising so far, this year, although it is very wet now, and is raining. We had a dry June and most of the people had their crops clean and were ready for the rains. We have a very convenient country here now, by being blessed with railroads. The city of Jackson is only 55 miles away and we are 12 miles from a railroad station. We not have 2 railroads running through Jackson. We can leave here in the morning, go to New Orleans and back the next day. We will soon have a railroad from here to Holly Springs, running through Yalobusy County near Coffeeville. We will also have a railroad soon finished, running east to Mobile, Alabama. Albert and Jessie are making a crop at my home. I am engaged in preaching all the time. I can see the work of the Lord preparing under my preaching and I feel thankful for God for his Grace, which sustains me through we have a cold time in some places. I should be glad to see you and family, but if you cannot come to see me, or more here, I do not expect to see again. If Ilive to see Sept. 17, I will be 59 years old and I cannot except to live much longer; but I want you to prove faithful, and meet ..... how we are, for health and peace will abound forever, thank the Lord for the plan of salvation. I have not heard from your Uncle Davenport since last winter. They were all well then. I received a letter from one of the boys. The boys have written several times. He lives at Fairley Post Office, Hot Springs County, Arkansas. Catherine lives at Hot Springs Port Office, Arkansas. I have mislaid the letter we got from Martha. She lives in Arkansas and I cannot remember the place. Your sister Catherine can give you the information about her. You asked me to write you above the boys and their families. You asked me to tell you your age. I will do so and give mine and the ages of the other children. My age, Isaac Benjamine Lawrence, b. Sept. 17, 1799; Catherine, b. Nov. 7, 1821; Pascal, b. Dec. 14, 1823; Crawford, b. Mar. 23, 1826; Martha, b. Sept. 17, 1828; Albert b. May 10, 1830; Benjamin, b. Sept. 1, 1831; Elizabeth, b. May 15, 1833; John, b. May 2, 1835; Jessie b. July 28, 1837, Levicy Ann, b. June 18, 1839; Susan, b. Oct. 9, 1841; Nancy Milba, b. Oct 16, 1845; Margaret Luncindy, b. Feb. 24, 1845; James Thomas, b. Sept. 30, 1848; Isaac Bass, b. Dec. 17, 1850. Write me as soon as you get this letter. I will try to get the boys to write about themselves and families. Your loving father until death, Isaac Lawrence. (This letter is now in possession of John Samuel Lawrence, Rt. 4, Lufkin, Texas.)
Records of Pascal Lawrence and family (he b. Dec. 14, 1823) were taken from Bible belong to him. It was published in 1850 by the Pinney Company of Buffalo, NY and purchased by him in 1855. At the death of Pascal, the Bible passed to his son James Henry Lawrence, and at the latter's death passed to his son, William Edgar Lawrence, 205 Haskin St., Lufkin, Texas, and is now in his possession as of Feb. 18, 1957.
Pascal was born in Virginia and grew up in the days when men had roving minds and he, like others, thought there were greener pastures farther on. So at the early age of 17, he and his younger brother, Crawford, mounted their horses and rode away. They landed in what is not Monroe, Louisiana. Pascal, having a talent for carpentry and other things, helped to build the first houses in Monroe, Louisiana. In the dense forest, he helped to hew out and construct for others, as well as for himself a home in this new land where they sought livelihood. Pascal and his first wife, Elizabeth lived at Bossier Parish, Louisiana and traded at Menden, Louisiana, which was about 6 miles from their home. Ten children were born to them, five of which died shortly after. Thinking the location was the cause, the family moved into Texas in 1868, Feb. 10. They lived a few months in Shelby County, Texas, later removed to Tyler, Texas, in Tyler County. In 1833, they removed to Sabine County, Texas, where they lived until their deaths.
After Elizabeth died, Pascal married a second time to Caroline Travis.
Pascal was licensed to preach on Nov. 8, 1873, and the following is a copy of the license taken from his Bible and from the ....
We, the Baptist Church of Christ at Union Hill Church, do certify that our beloved brother, Pascal Lawrence, has been licensed to preach. In Conference, Nov. 8, 1873, A.D., Elder Thomas Gibson, Moderator. I, Elliott, Church Clerk. (This license is registered in Tyler County, Texas).
Pascal Lawrence was a great believer in going to church and he always attended wherever he might be, and his family attended with him. He died in Sabine County, Texas on Oct. 30, 1891 and is buried in Gravel Hill Cemetary, at Antioch Baptist Church. His two wives are also buried in this cemetary in Sabine County, Texas.
She and her husband lived in Broadus, Texas as of June 15, 1957.
Married Oct. 10, 1850, Rev. H. S. Cole, officiating minister. Witnesses were: Bettie Williamson, Henry Pascal Bilbro, and Gus Taylor. Record may be found in Rankin Co., Mississippi, Marriages in the History and Archives, Jackson, Mississippi, Book D -p 226.
Jessie Lawrence entered the War Between the States in 1861. Served until its close under Joseph E. Johnston. Mustered out at end of the war. Jessie joined Old Liberty Baptist Church, Rankin Co., Mississipp in 1876.
All information given herein on the Jessie Lawrence family has been taken from his Bible. Its text conformable to that revised version of 1611, commonly known as the Authorized Version, published in Philadelphia, PA by A. J. Holman and Co., and purchased by Jessie Lawrence, and is now in the possession of his daughter, Mrs. Ada Lawrence Slade, Goshen Springs, Rankin Co., Mississippi as of 1957. Bible was patented in 1891.
Never married.
Isaac Bass Lawrence, merchant, planter, and for 20 years, Justice Judge of Beat Two, Rankin Co., Mississippi, Deacon of Mt. Pisgah Church from young man until he removed to Jackson, Mississippi, in 1910. He always took an active part in all civic and religious movements in his community, being ever on the alert for progress. He died November 24, 1930 in Jackson, Mississippi and is buried by the side of his wife in Fannin, Rankin Co. Baptish Cemetery, Mississippi. Tombstones mark their graves.
Isaac Bass Lawrence and Exer Williamson were united in marriage by Rev. Ellis in Florence, Mississippi, in the presence of the Whittington family on Dec. 10, 1868, as shown in the records of Rankin Co., Mississippi.
Married at Fannin Baptist Church, Rankin Co., Mississippi by Rev. J. Cammack, Rankin Co. Record Book 580. They removed to Jackson, Hinds Co., Mississippi, February 7, 1920. In June 1957 Jeffie Clara Lawrence Slaughter resided at 435 Deselle St., Jackson, Mississippi.
Information on the Lawrence family was obtained from Jeffie Clara Lawrence Slaughter. She is the author of a manuscript on the families of "Slaughter, Lawrence, McDowell, Turner, and Williamson.