Lawrence Brockett facts for kids

Lawrence Brockett (born August 13, 1724 – died July 12, 1768) was an English scholar and teacher. He lived during a time when England was growing and changing a lot.

Early Life and Family

Lawrence Brockett was the youngest of five sons. His parents were Lawrence Brockett and Anne Clarke. He grew up at Headlam Hall, a large country house near a place called Gainford, County Durham in County Durham. This house had been built by his great-great-grandfather, Henry Birkbeck.

Education and Career

Lawrence Brockett went to Scorton Grammar School and then to Trinity College, Cambridge in 1743. He earned his first degree in 1747. In 1749, he became a "fellow" at Trinity. This meant he was a senior member of the college, often teaching and doing research.

Brockett also worked as a tutor for a young man named James Lowther (1736–1802). Lowther later became the 1st Earl of Lonsdale.

Connection to the King

James Lowther married the daughter of John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute. This is important because John Stuart had been the tutor for King George III when the King was young. Stuart even became the King's first Prime Minister (the head of the government) from May 1762 to April 1763.

In 1762, a professor named Shallet Turner passed away. King George III chose Lawrence Brockett to take his place as the Regius Professor of Modern History at Cambridge University. This was a special job that didn't require a lot of work, but it was a great honor. After Brockett died, another famous scholar named Thomas Gray took over this position.

His Final Days

Lawrence Brockett died on July 12, 1768. He had a riding accident while returning to Cambridge from a place called Hinchingbrooke, near Huntingdon.

He was buried in a special way, following an old family tradition. His burial happened at night in Gainford, with torches lighting the way. This was probably the very last time such a "nocturnal burial" (burial at night) happened at that church. There's an old stone cross at Gainford church that has his name carved on it, remembering Lawrence Brockett.

People who were alive back then remembered how serious and quiet the torchlit procession was as it moved slowly from Headlam Hall to his final resting place.