American politician
William Beach Lawrence (October 23, 1800 – March 26, 1881) was an American politician and jurist who served as lieutenant governor of Rhode Island from 1851 to 1852 under Governor Philip Allen.
Early life.
Lawrence was born in New York City to Isaac Lawrence (1768–1841) and Cornelia Ann Beach (1777–1857). A member of the Philolexian Society, he graduated from Columbia in 1818 and was admitted to the bar in 1823, after studying at Litchfield Law School.
Career.
In 1826, he was appointed Secretary of Legation for Great Britain, and was made chargé d'affaires the year after. When he returned to the United States in 1829 he practiced law with Hamilton Fish, and worked on the executive committee to promote the building of the Erie Railroad.
In 1850, Lawrence moved to Rhode Island and was elected as lieutenant-governor of that state the next year. He then became acting governor in 1852, and served in Rhode Island's constitutional convention as well. After his time in politics, he wrote essays and books about international law, and he argued a case before the United States Supreme Court in 1873.
He also wrote a letter to the "Journal des Débats" in 1860 defending slavery for its uplifting of Black slaves under a superior race and criticized the French for their position on abolition by pointing to the imports that France, and the rest of the world, get in cotton from the United States. He became vice-president of the New York Historical Society in 1836.
Personal life.
In 1821, he married Esther Rogers Gracie (1801–1857), daughter of Archibald Gracie (1755–1829). Together, they had several children, including:
Lawrence died in March 1881 in New York City while seeking medical treatment.
References.
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External links.
 Media related to at Wikimedia Commons