Charles Frederick Lawrence
Encyclopedia
Charles Frederick Lawrence (April 15, 1873 – June 29, 1940) was an antiquarian
who discovered a number of Neolithic
celts
in Middlewich
in Cheshire
, England
. C F Lawrence was also the clerk to Middlewich town council
, and wrote two histories of the town.
School
, and in 1893 married Hannah Ramsell of Sandbach
, at St. Mary's church, Sandbach. He was appointed the clerk to Middlewich Council in 1904 and remained in this position until retiring in 1938.
"Quite accidentally [Lawrence] realised his greatest antiquarian ambition when he found a Neolithic
stone celt among some stones which had been thrown out in digging in Lawrence Gardens. This led to a considerable amount of spare-time digging, with the result that some rudely-worked stones were unearthed in the underlying gravel, which have been pronounced to be Palæolithic
. These are now in the Grosvenor Museum
, Chester
. A beautifully chipped Neolithic spear-head of flint, of the shouldered form rarely found in England, a bone
needle, a done pin, two stone celts, and a bronze
-flanged socketed celt, have also been discovered, some of which are preserved at Chester, and others in the town." (Bygone Middlewich, 1905)
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
who discovered a number of Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
celts
Celt (tool)
Celt is an archaeological term used to describe long thin prehistoric stone or bronze adzes, other axe-like tools, and hoes.-Etymology:The term "celt" came about from what was very probably a copyist's error in many medieval manuscript copies of Job 19:24 in the Latin Vulgate Bible, which became...
in Middlewich
Middlewich
Middlewich is a market town in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is east of the city of Chester, east of Winsford, southeast of Northwich and northwest of Sandbach....
in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. C F Lawrence was also the clerk to Middlewich town council
Town council
A town council is a democratically elected form of government for small municipalities or civil parishes. A council may serve as both the representative and executive branch....
, and wrote two histories of the town.
Life
Charles Lawrence was the eldest son of John Lawrence, a builder in Middlewich. He was educated at the Church of EnglandChurch of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
School
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
, and in 1893 married Hannah Ramsell of Sandbach
Sandbach
Sandbach is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The civil parish contains four settlements; Sandbach itself, Elworth, Ettiley Heath and Wheelock....
, at St. Mary's church, Sandbach. He was appointed the clerk to Middlewich Council in 1904 and remained in this position until retiring in 1938.
"Quite accidentally [Lawrence] realised his greatest antiquarian ambition when he found a Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
stone celt among some stones which had been thrown out in digging in Lawrence Gardens. This led to a considerable amount of spare-time digging, with the result that some rudely-worked stones were unearthed in the underlying gravel, which have been pronounced to be Palæolithic
Paleolithic
The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...
. These are now in the Grosvenor Museum
Grosvenor Museum
Grosvenor Museum is in Grosvenor Street, Chester, Cheshire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II listed building. Its full title is The Grosvenor Museum of Natural History and Archaeology, with Schools of Science and Art, for Chester, Cheshire and North Wales...
, Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
. A beautifully chipped Neolithic spear-head of flint, of the shouldered form rarely found in England, a bone
Bone
Bones are rigid organs that constitute part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates. They support, and protect the various organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells and store minerals. Bone tissue is a type of dense connective tissue...
needle, a done pin, two stone celts, and a bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
-flanged socketed celt, have also been discovered, some of which are preserved at Chester, and others in the town." (Bygone Middlewich, 1905)