Their eldest daughter Elizabeth also met an unfortunate death, falling from a horse whilst riding in the park at Castle Howard, Yorkshire.
Lawson was High Sheriff of Cumberland in 1689 and although he had succeeded to the family estate the previous year he quickly sought, and was granted, permission to live outside the county.
1690 the House of Commons received a petition from the bailiff and burgesses of Cockermouth contending that the return of Lawson had been illegal due to his serving as sheriff at the time of election.
[2] After his defeat at the 1695 election, Lawson began to travel, spending a month in Ireland in 1697 and in June 1699 he journeyed to France.
One interesting anecdote worth mentioning (and afterwards told of J. C. Curwen); is that whilst representing Cockermouth Sir Wilfrid appeared in the house of Commons dressed as a Cumberland labourer, with a loaf of bread under one arm and a skim-milk cheese under the other, thus illustrating the inability of the agricultural classes to bear increased taxation.