Our Approach
Purpose of the Association
The Lawton and Allied Families Association preserves and perpetuates the legacy Rev. Pierre Robert and of Joseph and Sarah Lawton. We learn from and teach the family’s legacy to our descendants, we build lasting relationships among ourselves and we seek to preserve our monuments including sites, buildings, historic records and cemeteries.
Our Story
Membership
All individuals who are descendants of Rev. Pierre Robert, and of Joseph and Sarah (Robert) Lawton are eligible for membership.
Spouses and special friends of the family association may also be counted as members without voting privilege.
Brief History
The Lawton and Allied families association was begun in 1839 by Sarah [Robert] Lawton of Mulberry Grove Plantation in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. She and her husband, Joseph Lawton were descendants of two pre-revolutionary families. Joseph’s father, Captain William Lawton was a planter on Edisto Island. Sarah Robert was the great grand-daughter of Pierre Robert – the founder and leader St. James Santee - the French Huguenot settlement which he established near Georgetown, SC in 1686. Most members’ line comes through one of Joseph and Sarah’s children. The association has met annually since 1839.
Annual Meeting
The association meets annually to renew friendships and learn from one another. Our meetings are usually held in spring or summer at locations in the Lowcountry which are significant to the family’s history. We usually have a speaker covering a topic important to the family. We share information about our ancestors and renew our friendships.
Related Organizations
Because of the Robert Family connection, members are normally eligible for membership in the Huguenot Society of South Carolina and the First Families of South Carolina. [Note, however that these organizations have their own separate requirements for membership.]
We share a common history and many relationships with the Robert Family Association of Louisiana. On occasion members, of the Robert family association hold their annual meeting with us.
Tax-Exempt Status
The association is recognized as a 501(c)(3) private foundation by the IRS and a non-profit association by the State of South Carolina.