Laurence was born on the 2nd of December 1889 at 177, High Street in Lowestoft, Suffolk. He was the sixth of eight children born to Henry Rackham, a Dairy Farmer, and his wife Constance Sophia (nee Balls). He was baptised a few weeks later on the 29th of December at St Peter's Church in Gunton, a suburb of Lowestoft. The family were still living in the High Street in 1891. However by March 1901 the family are recorded living at 'Turnpike', the location hasn't been identified but is thought to be in the area of Bellevue Park in Corton and closer to Woodlands Farm where his father was farming. By April 1911, at the age of only 22 years, Laurence had the tenancy of Hall Farm in Corton, which he ran with the help of his older sister Emily Georgina acting as housekeeper.

On the 22nd of September 1913, at Holy Trinity Church in Gisleham, Laurence married Constance Sophia Balls, the daughter of Samuel Balls a farmer of Gisleham. They initially set up home in a terraced house on Dene Road in Lowestoft, where their first child Constance was born in September 1914, but soon moved a short distance to a larger house at number 8 Station Road.  At some point during WW1, the family were evacuated to Kessingland, which is a few miles south of Lowestoft, where they lived in a house called 'The Homelands'. Their second child Margaret Kathleen was born on the 27th of March 1916.

As a farmer and a producer of milk, Laurence would probably not have been under pressure to enlist. However, Medal records show that he served as a Private in a theatre of war with the 9th Queen's Royal Lancers Regiment. He was possibly placed in a Cavalry Regiment because he was experienced with horses. The 9th Lancers had been in France since August 1914, however, as Laurence didn't receive either the 1914 or 1914/15 Star Medal, he must have joined them later. As a married man of 26 years in December 1915, he probably enlisted under the Derby Scheme, whereby his mobilisation would be deferred until all single men had been called up. Under that scheme he would have been mobilised on the 7th of April 1916, given some basic training and then sent out to join the 9th Lancers who were in the Somme region. The Regiment's War Diary shows them based well away from the front lines, with endless rounds of training and inspections and just a few minor actions. Cavalry charges on horses had become ineffective by this stage in the war because of the trenches, barbed wire and machine guns. He was demobilised on the 29th of January 1919. His name is included on the Roll of Honour engraving in Holy Trinity Church in Gisleham.

Shortly after returning home from the war, the family moved again, this time to 'The Chestnuts' in Black Street, Gisleham - a property that had been owned by his wife's parents Samuel and Mary Balls, who had just moved into Carlton Hall. Laurence and his family were still at 'The Chestnuts' in 1925.

Laurence's interest in horses continued and he became a well known breeder of 'Suffolk Punch' draught horses, winning many prizes at County Shows.

By 1929 the family had moved to Rookery Farm on the Beccles road near Carlton Colville. Laurence and Constance remained there until his death on the 8th of December 1959. Laurence was buried in the churchyard of St Peter's Church in Carlton Colville, Suffolk

Notes

(1) He seems to have used both forms of his first name. His birth was registered with the spelling 'Laurence' and he used that spelling when he completed the 1911 census form and on his marriage certificate in 1913. In later life it is more common to see it with the spelling 'Lawrence'.