Lawrence Edward Carroll Lawrence Edward Carroll, attorney and counselor at law, was born in Lamont county, Mich., August 15, 1852. His father, Richard Carroll, was a native of county Louth, Ireland, and the mother, whose maiden name was Mary O’Brien, was also a native of the Emerald isle, born in county Westmeath. These parents were married in the old country and lived there until 1832, at which time they immigrated to the United States, locating in Kent county, Mich. Richard Carroll was by trade a blacksmith. He followed that vocation both in his native isle and after coming to Michigan, but in his later years gave some attention to agricultural pursuits. He reared a large family—twelve in all-of-whom the subject of this review was the ninth in order of birth. Lawrence Edward Carroll remained with his parents until sixteen years old, at which early age he began working for himself, receiving as his only remuneration, for quite a while, the clothes he wore, and the food which kept him alive. Endowed by nature with strong mental powers, young Carroll devoted all his leisure moments to study, and during winter seasons attended the public schools, in which he made unusual progress. When seventeen years of age he obtained a teacher’s license, and for several successive years taught school in the county of Ottawa, reading law in the meantime, as opportunity would admit. By careful husbanding his savings he was enabled to enter the law office of Hughes, O’Brien & Smiley, in Grand Rapids, where he pursued his legal studies for some time, resorting to teaching in the winter in order to defray his expenses. In 1871 he became a student in the office of Norris & Blair, and such was his progress that one year later he was formally admitted to the bar of Kent county and at once entered upon the active practice of his profession in the town of Whitehall, Muskegon county. He remained at that place for a limited period, devoting a part of his time to teaching, and then for a short time was again in the office of Norris & Blair, Grand Rapids.

Transcriber: Barb Jones
Created: 14 August 2006