Reverend Lorrin Andrews was born on April 29, 1795 in Connecticut. He graduated from Jefferson College and Princeton Theological Seminary. He married Mary Ann Wilson in 1827. Rev. and Mrs. Andrews were in the Third Company of missionaries sent to Hawai‘i by the American Board of Commissioners of Foreign Missions (ABCFM) arriving on March 30, 1828.
Rev. Andrews was assigned to the mission in Lahaina, Maui, established by Rev. William Richards in 1823. Andrews and Richards founded the Lahainaluna Seminary in 1831. Andrews was selected to run the school.
In 1842, Andrews left the ABCFM mission and in 1845, moved to Honolulu. Andrews was appointed by Oahu Governor Mataio Kekuanaoa to be judge of foreign cases despite the lack of formal law training. There were very few western lawyers in the Hawaiian Kingdom at that time. In 1846, Andrews served as secretary of the King's Privy Council.
In 1852, the first Hawaiian Kingdom Supreme Court was established with William Little Lee serving as Chief Justice and John Papa I‘i and Andrews serving as Associate Justices.
In 1854, Andrews was also licensed to conduct marriage ceremonies.
In 1855, Andrews resigned from the Supreme Court and became Judge of Probate Court.
On September 29, 1868, Andrews passed away in Honolulu and was buried at Oahu Cemetery.