"A Southern Branch of the Lawrence Family" has a chapter on Margaret Lawrence, another on the Phillips family, and another on  Thomas Lawrence which would interest you. There is very little  county history except that which relates to the family. The majority  of the book is about the branch  Margaret->Thomas->John->Thomas. He included chapters about the  maernal lines of each generation. Mr. Pritchett describes this family as mainly subsistence farmers who moved first south then    west.
           Robert Dean Lawrence wrote his book two years before Mr. Pritchett, in 1986. Bob was the coordinator of the Lawrence descendants who hired an English genealogist in an effort to find the ancestors of Margaret Lawrence. Bob's book is about the branch of the Lawrence family Margaret->Thomas->John->James. There is  nothing in his book about the Phillips family, but as a result of its  publication, Bob heard from a Phillips researcher.  The information  provided helped tie a lot of loose threads, and identify Thomas's father. Bob can probably give you the names and addresses of other Phillips researchers. His address is:
           Robert Dean Lawrence
           4508 So. Oak, Wichita, KS 67217.
You may also be interested in a book I found in the library at  Wilkes Co., NC. "The Genealogy of William Tobias Philips nee Alice (Elsie) B. Henson c 1770-1989 plus fourteen Generations 1653-1989" by Elza B. Cox 1989 Brown Printing & Publishing  Co., Jefferson City, Missouri 65101.
            I copied only the first seven pages which contain what looks to be  the ancestry of Thomas Lawrence through the Phillips branch. It  starts with John Phillips born about 1653 probably in England and died 1701 in Richmond County, VA. It looks like the book is  primarily about the descendants of William Tobias Phillips Jr.born c 1770 son of Tobias Phillips and Margaret "Peggy" Jennings. I didn't  copy this information, though. I don't have Mrs. Cox's address, but  you might find it through the publisher or the Wilkes Co. Genealogical Society. BTW, my branch of the Lawrence family is Margaret->Thomas->James. Unlike Bob's and Mr. Pritchett's family, my Lawrences were well educated and well off financially.
           My great grandfather and his brother attended university  and I have a copy of one letter that addresses him as Dr. Lawrence. He wasn't  a physician so this must have been a Phd. According to the census  they were not rich, but were more comfortable than most.   They had good sized farms and owned slaves. I haven't checked the schedules to find out how many slaves. I do know from the letters that they  worked in the fields and house along side the slaves. They settled in east Tennessee in the 1790's and remained there over 150 years.
           James Lawrence had other descendants in the 1800's who were doctors, lawyers, merchants, and teachers.
           Thanks for the information about the Descendants of Tobias Phillips.
           I have found that following the descent of ancestor's siblings three or four generations can be very helpful. Families seemed to move and  settle near other relations. I have made several connections though daughters' descendants who do not have the family name, so I welcome all information on the family. The WP6.0 file came though fine.
           Sandra Cole
           sandcole@traveller.com

Sandra Cole explains of the following letter; "The letter is not signed, and apparently was not mailed.  It was found in a large collection of family correspondence of John Lawrence's family from 1840 through 1870.  From the information in the letter, it can be assumed that John Lawrence wrote the letter.

The letter contains some inaccuracies, for instance, Lord Trent was really Henry Trent.  Other proff has been found for all the names except Baldwin, they remain elusive.  A group of Lawrence descendants pooled our money and
hired an English genealogist to find out more about Margaret Lawrence, but not much was found other than a Transportation Bond dated 9 March 1730.  Margaret and nine others were convicted of several thefts and larcenies and transported for
fourteen years.  The court documents for a short period of time surrounding March 1730 have been lost so the nature of the thefts is unknown.

The list of children of Thomas is iffy at best.  He apparently remained near his half brother during much of his adult life, so any information you can add on his half brother would be helpful in sorting through possible connections.

Dear Nephew,
Your letter arrived a few days ago.  The postmaster says he had been derelict of duty, I could not then attend to it.  John, your request almost shames me.
Our name comes to us a little out of the order of things.  My great grandmother called herself Lawrence and I have been told that she emigrated from Europe in the early part of the last century to old Virginia, and was there sold to a tobacco planter owning a plantation 8 or 10 miles from home for seven years to pay her passage.  Her master settled her at that out place, she being
almost his wife and remained there united.  She raised two sons.  John, I think was the eldest and Thomas was my grandfather.  He was uneducated but was a man of good mind.  He spelled his name Laurence.  But I, understanding he did
not know them to have been the letters used by his progenitors, altered it to Lawrence which sound is the same.  Thomas sometime before the Revolution moved from Kinwiddie County to Goochland County, Virginia where they lived when Uncle John
joined the army.  He then moved to Wilkes County, North Carolina where he died.
     His consort's maiden name was Lucy Wammac whose mother was a Puckey, whose mother ws the daughter of Lord Trent.  My mother was a Cate.  I am not aware how many generations there are of them in America or whether the name started here or not.  Grandmother's name was Baldwin who was a crop of what used to be called Low Dutch on a Walsh Lady.

I have been told that Great Grandmother sought every opportunity to come to America and consented to be sold.  No doubt server family oppression drove her.
But it seems to me the link is either broken or becomes very slender.  My recollection about Grandfather's brother is that some time after he was married and before the Revolution he being yet single went south I think to North
Carolina and if they ever heard of each other afterwards I am not aware of it.