David Thompson has submitted the following:-
Born on 24 March 1892, at Colton, the son of Edward Maule Lawson-Smith, of Colton Lodge, Tadcaster, Yorkshire, BA, JP, and his wife, Ethel Mary, daughter of the late General Sir William Davies.
Educated at Warren Hill, Eastbourne; Stubbington (Foster's); Royal Naval College, Osborne (Cadet 1902-03); Repton; and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
Gazetted 2nd Lieutenant, West Yorkshire Regiment, 3 September 1913 and promoted Lieutenant in October 1914.
Went to France in September 1914, and was killed in action near Bois Grenier.
Lawson-Smith was mentioned in Field Marshall Sir John (later Lord) French's Despatch of 20 November 1914 (London Gazette 17 February 1915), for gallant and distinguished service in the field.
The National Probate Calendar (available via Ancestry.co.uk) records Probate having been granted in London on 24 March 1915 to Edward Maule Lawson-Smith for ‘Effects’ valued at £38. There's also a separate entry for Probate granted at Llandudno, on 15 September 1943, to Hugh Leslie Creer, Chartered Accountant, and Ernest Gilmore Harvey, Solicitor, for ‘Effects’ valued at £2,200-14s-0d.
One of two sons lost: See, also, Lieutenant Thomas Edward Lawson-Smith (13th Hussars, attached to the 11th [Prince Albert’s Own] Hussars; Died 1 November 1914).
The land on which the Amble War Memorial stands was given by Edward Maule Lawson-Smith, second son of Reverend Edward Lawson of Longhirst. This land, which was part of a large estate at Amble and Togston, was inherited by him in 1862 from his ancestor, Mr. G. T. Smith. In 1880 Edward Lawson also adopted the Smith surname. His two sons are mentioned on the Memorial dedication panel; they were killed within twelve days of each other in 1914.
John Lawson-Smith is remembered at Amble, by inference, on A13.01
