Mrs Lawton

In the novel The Clocks, Mrs Lawton is the maternal aunt of Sheila Webb, who raised her from infancy. They reside together in a flat on the ground floor of 14 Palmerston Road in Crowdean.

Inspector Hardcastle called on Mrs Lawton to seek background information on Sheila. After some initial reluctance, Mrs Lawton told the inspector that Sheila was an illegitimate child of her sister "Ann". Ann, who was some twelve years older than Mrs Lawton, had a successful career as a school teacher. The child would have meant the end of her prospects. Mrs Lawton, at the time a widow, her husband having died in the war, told her that she would help and adopted the child. Meanwhile the mother, Ann, continued her career, changing schools. There was also an idea of a year's exchange with a teacher abroad in Australia to further distance from potential scandal.

Mrs Lawton brought up the child, all the while telling her that both her parents had died. Mrs Lawton told the inspector the sister was probably alive but she was "clear cut in her decisions" and not particularly close to her, and that explained why she never kept in touch or enquired about how the child was growing. Mrs Lawton and Ann both had an income from their mother. Ann made over her share of the income to Mrs Lawton for her to use in bringing up the child. Mrs Lawton also toin ld the inspector that Sheila's full name is "Rosemary Sheila Webb". "Sheila" was chosen by Mrs Lawton and Ann's mother while Ann chose "Rosemary" herself.

At the time Mrs Lawton adopted Sheila, she was managing a sweet shop in Lincolnshire. Later, she came to Crowdean on holiday, liked it and settled down. She took up a job at Roscoe and West, a big firm of drapers in the town.