Lawrence Sanderson

Lawrence Sanderson (c.1542-1611) was a landowner in Northamptonshire, Lancashire and Bedfordshire.

Lawrence (Laurence) Sanderson (Saunderson) is recorded as having been born at Furness Abbey, Lancashire and as aged 24 when he was ordained deacon in London in May 1567. This presumably means that he was born in the vicinity of the Abbey, as Furness Abbey itself was dissolved and its structure immediately ruined in 1537, about five years before his birth.

Statements about Lawrence’s descent from earlier generations of the Sanderson family appear in an article by Rev W D Sweeting. However, they should be treated with caution because they do not point to documentary evidence from earlier than the 17th century. Sweeting states that Lawrence was the tenth in descent from “Robert de Bedic, of Bedic, county Durham, living in the 11th century, whose descendant in the sixth generation, Alexander de Bedic, living in 1333, was the last to retain the territorial description, as his son was the first to use the patronymic by which the family has since been known, of Sanderson, or Saunderson, i.e., son of Alexander.” Sweeting’s article also mentions the grant of heraldic arms to Lawrence’s son John, quoting an extract from a letter written by Richard St George, Clarenceaux King of Arms in 1629, that stated that he had received testimony from Mr Samuel Saunderson, of the Bishopric of Durham, that John Saunderson, of Addington Parva in the county of Northampton was a younger branch descended out of his family. The Samuel Saunderson who testified about his relationship to the Little Addington branch was a son of Henry of Hedleyhope, county Durham and was buried at Lanchester in 1650.

Lawrence Saunderson matriculated as a sizar at Trinity College, Cambridge at Easter 1560 and was ordained deacon at London on 20 May 1567 aged 24. He was probably related, perhaps as a younger brother, to John Sanderson of Lancashire who had matriculated, also as a sizar, at Trinity in May 1554 and went on to a notable career, both at Cambridge and later as a catholic priest living in exile.

Lawrence Sanderson married Joan Mighton of Tempsford. The ceremony took place at Watford on 28 June 1568. Seven days earlier, Lawrence had been installed as vicar of the same parish.

Lawrence was appointed rector of Swineshead in 1570 and still held that living in 1589. It was at Swineshead that his six children were christened:

• Agnes (1570)
• Susan (1573)
• Judith (1576)
• John (1578/9)
• Joan (1583)
• William (1584/5)

Lawrence had ceased to be Rector of Swineshead before 23 October 1594, when Thomas Dawson was instituted to the living.

Lawrence signed his will on 8 December 1611 and was buried at Tempsford on the following day. The will was proved at Bedford Archdeaconry Court on 6 May 1612.

In 1585-6, Lawrence Sanderson, clerk and George Sanderson sold property at Swineshead to Thomas Michell and his wife Jane.

A document dated 16 May 1587 sets out the case that Thomas Sanderson of Furness, yeoman, and his son John Sanderson raised in the Court of Requests against Lawrence Sanderson, clerk of Swineshead. The dispute concerned a dwelling in Furness commonly called Rowes. It was alleged that two years earlier Lawrence had agreed to buy the property for £200 and paid £100, with the other £100 due to be paid a year later, but that the second instalment had not been handed over.

At a date that is not recorded, but during the period when Lawrence was vicar of Swineshead (i.e. 1570-1589/94), he was sued in the Court of Requests by John Shotbolte of Roxton, Bedfordshire. Shotbolte stated that Lawrence Sanderson held property consisting of a “messuage or tenement” and about seven acres of land at Roxton and had let it to him for twelve years or until Lawrence died or was deprived of his benefice. He said that it was agreed that he would carry our repairs to the house and set up a brewhouse on the property and that the rent due to Lawrence would be abated to allow for the cost of doing so. However, Shotbolte alleged that, although he had spent £40 in accordance with the arrangement, Lawrence had not kept his side of the bargain.

In 1596, Lawrence acquired the Manor of “Mossbury alias Sarnes” from William Woolascote junior and Ann his wife for the sum of £160. The Final Concord for the transaction was made on 7 June of that year and described the property as 80 acres of land, 20 acres of meadow, 12 acres of pasture and eight shillings worth of rent, with fishing rights in the waters of the Ouse and clay pits. The land was situated in Tempsford, Blunham and Everton.