Elizabeth Lawrence née Osborne (1860–1942)
Paternal step-grandmother

In 1884 Elizabeth married Charles Lawrence, H.E.’s paternal grandfather. At the time of their marriage Charles’s 5 year old illegitimate son, Albert Bates, was still living with his maternal grandmother. Elizabeth was born in Clifton, Buckinghamshire. Her father, Thomas, was born in Sharnbrook, her mother, Ann, came from Turvey in Bedfordshire and was a lace-maker.

H.E. was fascinated by the story of the Heugenot lacemakers, forced to flee persecution in the Low Countries, and collected bobbins as well as stories about the working lives and traditions of lace-makers.

H.E. writes about lace-making in the essay, 'The Lace-Makers'