Elisha Lawrence was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 Federalist Party politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

, who represented Monmouth County

Monmouth County, New Jersey

Monmouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 630,380, up from 615,301 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous municipality is Middletown Township with...

 in the New Jersey Legislative Council

New Jersey Legislative Council

The New Jersey Legislative Council was the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature under the New Jersey Constitution of 1776 until it was replaced by the New Jersey Senate under the Constitution of 1844.-History:...

, the precursor to the New Jersey State Senate, from 1780 through 1783, from 1789 through 1792 and in 1795. He served as Vice-President of Council

Vice-President of Council

The Vice-President of Council of the New Jersey Legislature would succeed the Governor if a vacancy occurred in that office.-List of past Vice-Presidents of Council:...

 from 1789 through 1792, and again in 1795.

As Vice President, he was the acting governor

Governor

A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...

 of New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

 from July 25, 1790, when governor William Livingston

William Livingston

William Livingston served as the Governor of New Jersey during the American Revolutionary War and was a signer of the United States Constitution.-Early life:...

 died, to October 30, 1790. He was succeeded as governor by William Paterson.

A resident of Upper Freehold Township

Upper Freehold Township, New Jersey

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 4,282 people, 1,437 households, and 1,198 families residing in the township. The population density was 91.4 people per square mile . There were 1,501 housing units at an average density of 32.0 per square mile...

, Lawrence was serving as a Justice of the Peace

Justice of the Peace

A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...

 as early as 1788, and sat with the County Board of Justices and Freeholders, the precursor to the Board of Chosen Freeholders

Board of Chosen Freeholders

In New Jersey, the Boards of Chosen Freeholders are the county legislatures in each of that state's 21 counties.- Origin :New Jersey's system of naming county legislators "freeholders" is unique in the United States...

, the governing body of the county. He was Chairman of the Board from May 1795 to May 1796.