Born in Edinburgh on the 24th of February 1801, the son of Lieutenant Edward Lawrenson of the 89th Foot.
Cornet in the 13th Light Dragoons, 12th of November 1818.
Lieutenant, 13th Lancers, 6th of December 1821.
Lieutenant in the 4th Dragoon Guards, 26th of September 1822.
Captain (Unattached), 27th of August 1825.
Captain in the 17th Lancers, 15th of March 1827.
Brevet-major, 17th Lancers, 28th of June 1838.
Major, 17th Lancers, 31st of December 1839.
Lieutenant-Colonel in the 13th Light Dragoons, 27th of June 1845.
On to half-pay (Unattached), 23rd of June 1848.
Lieutenant-Colonel in the 17th Lancers, 18th of April 1851.
On to half-pay in the 6th Foot, 30th of September 1856.
Brevet-Colonel, 20th of June 1857.
Major-General, 6th of April 1860.
Colonel of the 8th Hussars, 22nd of February 1865.
Lieutenant-General, 25th of August 1868.
Colonel of the 13th Hussars, 10th of December 1868.
General, 2nd of November 1875.
Retired, and on to half-pay, 1st of October 1877.
Lieutenant-Colonel Lawrenson commanded the 17th Lancers at the affair of the Bulganak, battle of the Alma and the Siege of Sebastopol. (Medal and Clasps, the Sardinian Medal, 4th Class Order of the Medjidie and the Turkish medal.
Certificate signed by the Surgeon of HMS "Rodney" on the 5th of October 1855:
"I do hereby certify that Colonel Lawrenson 17th Lancers (who has been under my medical care for the past fortnight) suffers from chronic Dysentery and great debility and I consider him to be incapable of Military duty in consequence.
I further declare my belief that he will not be able to resume his duties and I recommend his immediate removal to England for the re-establishment of his health."
To which the reply was:
"Medical Board ordered, but is only authorised to proceed to Scutari by the Adjt. General to appear before a Board and to proceed to England if neccessary."
Sent sick "on board ship" on the 21st of October 1854 and was granted "leave of absence for the recovery of his health" on the 23rd.
"Horse Guards, 24th November 1854.
Sir, — I have the honour to signify to you the desire of the General Commanding-in-Chief that you attend at the Office of the Army Medical Board at No. 13 St. James's Place between the hours of 1 and 2 p.m. on Wednesday or Friday next for special examination in order that a report may be made upon your state of health for his Lordship's consideration.
I am, etc. etc.,
G. A. Weatherall,
DAG.
[To] Lieut. Col. Lawrenson, 17th Lancers, Fenton's Hotel, St. James's Street."
"Horse Guards, 27th of November 1854,
[PB: Dates?]"Horse Guards, 25th November 1854.
Sir — I have laid before the General Commanding-in-Chief the special report which has been made upon your state of health by the Army Medical Board and am directed to acquaint you that his Lordship is pleased to grant you leave of absence for four months from the 22nd inst. for the restoration of your health.
I am, etc. etc.,
R. B. Wood, AAG.
[To:] Lt. Colonel Lawrenson. Army and Navy Club.
"Horse Guards,
7th April 1855.
Sir, — I am directed to signify to you the desire of the General Commanding-in-Chief that you will attend the offices of the Army Medical Board at 13 St, James's Place between the hours of 1 and 2 p.m. on Wednesday next for a special examination in order that a report may be made upon your state of health for his Lordship's consideration
I am, etc. etc.,
W. A. Forster, DAG.
[To:] Colonel Lawrenson, 4 St. James's Place or United Services.
He returned to the Crimea, where he was Colonel commanding a Brigade, from the 6th of July to the 25th of July 1855.
As Brigadier-General he commanded the Heavy Brigade at the battle of the Tchernaya and up to its return to England in July of 1856.
Major-General (Temporary) commanding the Cavalry Brigade at Shorncliffe, and Dover Brigade, August 1856 — July 1856 and the Aldershot Cavalry Brigade from August of 1857 — July of 1860.
Inspector-General of Cavalry, Headquarters of the Army, April 1860 — November of 1863.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma and Sebastopol, the Turkish Medal, Sardinian War Medal and the 4th Class Order of the Medjidie.
"Horse Guards,
16th May 1855.
Sir, — Referring to my letter of the 10th inst, I have the General Commanding -in-Chief's command to desire that all officers entitled to receive the Crimean medal and now with their Depots to be ordered to attend in London for the purpose of being present on the parade on Friday the 18th of May 1855 at 10 o'clock precisely. Be pleased to acknowledge its receipt.
I am, etc. etc.,
G.A. Weatherall. AAG.
[To:] Officer Commanding the Cavalry Depots.
It is believed he was presented with his Crimean medal by Queen Victoria at aceremony on the Horse Guards Parade on the 18th of May 1855.
His name was written in on the roll appears in the Nominal Return of those present now in the PRO, but is shown on a similar roll which appeared in the United Services Magazine for June of 1855 and on that which appeared in theIllustrated London News of the 26th of May 1855.
Lived at the "Alexandra Hotel", St. George's Place, Hyde Park Corner, London, and this was where he died on the 30th of October 1883.
1881 Census
Alexandra Hotel, 16-18, St George's Place, London/
The 1881 Census Return shows him as a Guest at the Hotel, a General, Colonel of the 13th Hussars, aged 79 years, born in Edinburgh.
In his memoir,One of the Six Hundred on the Balaclava Charge, 1177 James Wightman refers to Lawrenson as follows:
"The 17th Lancers had been unfortunate in regard of their commanding officers. Colonel Lawrenson, who had brought us out, went sick the day after the Alma, during which battle he rode almost doubled-up, as we thought, with cholera. We did not regret him, as we considered he was just a little too extra-dainty for the rough-and-ready business of warfare.
When after the battle we and the 11th Hussars were sent forward after the retreating enemy, he called many a good soldier a coward for roughly handling any Russian soldiers who resisted capture.
An officer I tackled fired a pistol-shot at me point-blank, which carried away one of the rings of my horse's bit. I pulled quick on him, and felled him with the butt of my lance, for doing which Colonel Lawrenson called me a coward — a word hard to stomach — even from one's colonel."
TheUnited Services Gazette in recording his death at the age of 83 [sic] also stated that:
"he died on Monday the 30th of October at 3 a.m. after an illness of about eight days", and that "the funeral of Colonel Lawrenson took place on Monday the 5th of November at Hammersmith Cemetery with military honours. A detachment from the Depot at Canterbury formed the firing party."
In his will he left a personal estate of more than £44,000. Most of the money in his will was left to his to his two sisters and a niece in the form of annuities and legacies were made to friends and his groom.
He was buried in Square B2, Avenue North, of the Margravine Road Cemetery, on the 5th of November 1883, aged 81 years. No grave number is shown in the cemetery records. His tombstone consists of a massive slab of black marble and bears the following inscriptions:
"In memory of General John Lawrenson. Colonel, 13th Hussars. Born 2nd of February 1802 — Died 30th October 1883.
Also of Mary Duncan Lawrenson, sister of the above, born 11th of August 1896 — Died 4th September 1888.
Also of Georgina Margaret Lawrenson, daughter of the late Lieutenant-Colonel George S. Lawrenson, C.B. Bengal Horse Artillery, and niece of the above. Born 2nd of April 1824 — Died 18th of August 1903."
Next to this stone there is another of identical size and style, which records:
"In memory of Lawrenson Aynsworth, September 8th 1880 and of his mother, Jane Simpson Aynsworth, November 18th 1887."
Though almost certainly related, there is no indication as to what degree.