Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 32.djvu/295

Lawson engraved by John Saddler for the 'Art Journal' for January 1880. Lawson married in 1879 Constance, daughter of John Birnie Philip the sculptor, and after spending the honeymoon in Switzerland took up his residence at Heathedge, Haslemere, Surrey, where he finished a large picture, begun some time before, called 'The Voice of the Cuckoo.' which contained portraits of the daughters of Mrs. Philip Flower. This appeared at the Grosvenor Gallery in 1880, in company with 'The August Moon.' which was painted at Blackdown, near Haslemere, and presented to the National Gallery by his widow in 1883, in fulfilment of the artist's wish. His contribution to the Royal Academy in 1880 was 'A Moonlight Pastoral.' His next works were Yorkshire views, painted for Mr. Henry Mason of Bingley. Of these, 'Wharfedale' and 'In the Valley of Desolation,' a view near Bolton, were exhibited in the Grosvenor Gallery in 1881, while 'Barden Moore.' together with 'The Pool.' appeared at the Royal Academy.

Lawson's health, which had for some time been failing, broke down towards the close of 1881. He went to the Riviera, but while there he painted only one picture, 'On the Road to Monaco.' which appeared with 'The Storm-Cloud, West Lynn, Worth Devon,' and 'September' in the Grosvenor Gallery in 188a. The last works which he contributed to the Royal Academy were 'Blackdown, Surrey.' and 'The Doone Valley, North Devon.' After returning to England Lawson suffered a relapse, and a visit to Eastbourne proved of no benefit. He died at West Brompton, of inflammation of the lungs, on 10 June 1882, and was buried at Haslemere. Lawson's work was always poetic and original, although deeply influenced by the realistic and impressionist tendencies of his time. A portrait of him, etched by Hubert Herkomer, R. A., from a water-colour drawing made by the artist in 1876, is prefixed to Mr. Gosse's memoir. Mrs. Lawson has been from 1874 a frequent exhibitor of water-colour drawings of flowers at the Royal Academy and other exhibitions.  LAWSON, GEORGE (d. 1678), divine, became rector of More, Shropshire, before 22 April 1686. He was a supporter of the parliament, and accordingly retained his rectory during the Commonwealth. Lawson wrote to Baxter on the appearance of the latter's 'Aphorismes of Justification,' 1649, and Baxter valued his criticisms; 'especially,' he writes, 'his instigating me to the study of politicks ... did prove a singular benefit to me.' Baxter says that he had seen in manuscript arguments by Lawson in favour of taking the engagement. His religious views inclined to Arminianism. He was buried at More 12 July 1678.

Lawson wrote: 1. 'Examination of the Political Part of Hobbes's "Leviathan,"' London, 1657, 12mo. 2. 'Theo-Politica, or a Body of Divinity,' London, 1659, 8vo; 2nd ed. 1705, commended by Baxter. 3. 'Politica Sacra et Civilis.' London, 1660, 4to. 4. 'Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews.' London, 1662, fol. 5. 'Magna Charta Ecclesiæ Universalis.' London, 1686, 8vo : 3rd ed. 1687.

Lawson, who was certainly not a Yorkshireman, must be distinguished from George Lawson (1606-1670) of Moreby, son of George Lawson of Poppleton, Yorkshire, who became rector of Eykring, Northamptonshire, and who may be identical with the George Lawson who was ejected as a royalist from the vicarage of Mears Ashby, Northamptonshire, by the parliamentarians (, Attempt, ii. 296), and then became schoolmaster at Houghton Conquest, Bedfordshire.  LAWSON, GEORGE, D.D. (1749–1820), Scottish associate clergyman, born at the farm of Boghouse, in the parish of West Linton, Peeblesshire, on 13 March 1749, was the second son of Charles Lawson, by his wife Margaret Noble. His father was a carpenter as well as a farmer, and able to bestow a fair education upon George, the only one of his six sons who survived childhood. George was studious, and disinclined to manual labour, and his parents, intending him for the ministry, placed him under the care of the Rev. John Johnstone, secession minister at Ecclefechan, Dumfriesshire, afterward's Carlyle's pastor. Lawson proceeded to the university of Edinburgh, and later studied divinity under John Swanston of Kinross, and John Brown (1722-87) [q. v.] of Haddington, successively professors of theology in the associate secession (burgher) church of Scotland. He was licensed as a preacher in his twenty-second year, and receiving a call from the congregation of burgher 