William Laurence III (1734-1766) and
Deborah Turner
My fourth great grandfather William Laurence III was born in 1734, in Lancaster County Virginia. We do not know his father's name, but will refer to him as William II. A William Laurence served in Col. William Eaton's militia regiment, Granville Co. NC, in Oct 1754. Littleton Spivey and Henry Fuller, neighbors of Lawrence, were in the same company.
Records indicate that William III married a Deborah Turner in 1756. I believe that she was originally either Deborah Spivey or Deborah Fuller, married first a Turner; then after his death married William Laurence. In 1766 William III died, leaving the widow with four sons and one daughter, which she reared without remarrying. Both the Fullers and Spiveys lived near her and were executors/witnesses to her husband’s will. She appears to have lived on the farm/plantation next to her father and brothers, so had them for support. One of her sons, Abraham, is known to have fought in the American Revolution. I have long considered Deborah Laurence a strong feminine role as she reared her children alone.