Whakakiia te rerenga e whai ake nei: I iriiria a Lawford i te 3 o Hurae 1757 i Portsea, te tama matamua a John Lawford o Gosport me Sarah Gover o Portsea. I uru ia ki te ope moana i te tau o tona tamarikitanga. mahi ia i roto i te whawhai ki Amerika, a ko te tuatahi te taikuta i runga i te 90-gun i te
Te Pakanga o te Saintes. I te Oketopa 1788 i whakahaua e ia te brig me te whakahau ia ia mo nga tau e rua e whai ake nei. Katahi ka riro i a Lawford te mana o te kaipuke 16-gun i te wa o te Spanish Armament a i te tuatahi i tu ki te Channel Ingarihi, i mua i tana wehenga ki Jamaica i te 22 o Oketopa 1790, i reira ia i noho ai i nga tau e rua e whai ake nei. I whakatairangahia ia ki te rangatira o muri i te pakarutanga o te pakanga me France i te tau 1793, a ka riro i a ia te whakahau o te 36-gun hou. I rere ia hei kaitiaki mo tetahi waka ki Ingarangi i te 5 o Hui-tanguru o te tau e whai ake nei, engari ko tana whakahau he poto noa iho i te mea i pakaru te "Convert" e toru ra i muri mai i runga i te takutai mai i te Rawhiti o te Rawhiti o Grand Cayman; i muri mai ka kiia ko te Wreck of the Ten Sail. Ahakoa i whakawakia e te kooti hoia hei hua o te hinganga o te kaipuke, i whakawakia a Lawford kaore ano te kaupapa i pa kino ki tana mahi. I noho tonu a Lawford ki te mahi ki te Royal Navy a i te marama o Hanuere 1798 ka riro i a ia te 64 o nga pupuhi. He poto tana wa i runga i a ia, ana i te Poutu-te-rangi ka tukuna e ia ki a Kapene John Bligh ka riro i a ia te rangatira o te kaipuke tawhito a Bligh, te 50-gun.