Lawson, William Stockwell., 1848-1923

These papers refer to five generations of the Lawson family, originally of Leeds and later of Nottingham. The main focus of the papers is John Lawson (1878-1969) who was brought up in Leeds and trained as a pharmaceutical chemist working at Bostock and Sons in Ashton-under-Lyne, Manchester, Hayes Cuningham and Robinson, Dublin and the Daisy Company Limited in Leeds before being asked by Jesse Boot to join Boots as a manager. Lawson moved to West Bridgford upon employment with Boots and remained in the city with his wife Faith Winifred Clokie (1880-1974) for the rest of his life, apart from a brief spell when he moved to be with his daughter in Wembley. Outside of work he was a very active Methodist, teaching in the Sunday School and was chairman of West Bridgford UDC for a number of years.

John Lawson (1845-1911), the father of John Lawson (1878-1911) was also born in Leeds. Aged 15 he joined William Cook, paperhanger as an office boy. At 18 he began travelling on behalf of the company as a salesman until he became more actively involved in his brother's carpet business in 1874. On 2 Feb. 1871 he married Sophia Parker Gardner (1842-1925), the niece and adopted daughter of Councillor Thomas Parker of Woodhouse Carr. He was also notable in Methodist affairs in Leeds.

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