Revd. George Augustus Lamb, D.D.
- Baptised: 6 Feb 1782, Rye, Sussex 3
- Marriage: Julia Louisa Bancroft on 25 Jun
1806 in Mary-le-bone Church, Middlesex 1 2
- Died: 30 Oct 1864, The Rectory, Iden, Sussex
aged 82 4
- Buried: 5 Nov 1864, Iden, Sussex 5
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George was a scion of the prosperous and
powerful Lamb family that dominated the politics of Rye in Sussex for
several generations. George's great grandfather, James Lamb (c.
1693-1756) was a successful wine merchant in the town who was elected
mayor of Ryde no less than thirteen times starting a "tradition" (more
accurately, a "monopoly"*) that his descendants enjoyed
culminating in Lamb family members securing the mayoralty on all but
three occasions between 1790 and 1820. The Lamb family's pre-eminence
in Ryde in the 18th century is also demonstrated by the fact that
George's great grandfather gave King George I shelter at Lamb House**
when he was driven into Rye Bay in a storm in 1726.
Little has been discovered about George's father except that he was
mayor of Rye on twenty occasions and its Member of Parliament in the
later years of his life. It is said that the Lamb family's financial
decline stemmed from the generous provisions of his Will (bequests of
£20,000 in cash & an annuity of £400) that could not be met without
mortgaging much of the family property.6 George, who was his father's executor, his
elder brother Thomas having died earlier, worked hard during his
lifetime to clear that debt, not helped, he wrote to a friend, by
family imprudence in investments. Nevertheless, much of the family's
wealth seems to have gone by the time George died in 1864 as his
personal estate amounted to under £800.7
George was educated at Westminster School leaving it for Oriel College,
Oxford, in 1799.8 He later won a
demyship (a half-fellowship) to Magdalen College and migrated there in
1800. During the years of his demyship (until he received his MA) he
was admitted as a BA in 1803 and an MA in 1806, ordained a deacon
(1804) and to the priesthood a year later.9 In May 1805, he was appointed Curate at Iden
in Sussex and in March 1807 was inducted as Rector (and also Rector of
the nearby parish of East Guldford with Playden).
At some stage, perhaps when he was a curate, George must have acquired
the advowsons of Iden and East Guildford with Playden and so was able
to "present" himself to the livings as their Rector in 1807. When
George sold the advowsons of these two benefices in July 1846, they
were described as follows:10 "The rectory of Iden, which is in the
diocese of Chichester, contains about 2,947 acres, of which the
auctioneer, Mr. Dixon, stated 2,518 were subject to tithes, and the
population was between 500 and 600. The income amounted to 967l. 16s.
It was sold for 7,500l. The population of East Guildford, with Playden,
was about 400, the former maintaining 2,800 acres and the latter 1,170,
out of 1,308 acres, subject to tithes. The joint income was 558l. 18s.,
liable to 30l. parochial rates. This fetched 3,940l."
Presumably, George retained the income from both
livings after this sale 11 but, of course, as the years went on he would
have needed a curate in both parishes.
George's father owned a house in Duke Street, London, and it seems
likely that George came to know Julia when he stayed there; meeting her
either at social gatherings or through attending services at Marylebone
Church where he and she were eventually married.
George inherited his father's real estate (houses, land, etc.) when the
latter died in 1819. That real estate would have included Lamb House in
Rye but that house may have been available to him earlier as his
parents lived at Mountsfield Lodge in the town before moving to the
village of Westfield. Whatever the case may be, after an initial period
in Rye in the early days of their marriage, he and Julia chose to base
themselves at Iden and Lamb House was let until 1832 when George sold
it to the then tenant. Owning a property in Rye allowed George to be
active in the town's political life and, despite his clerical calling,
it is reported that he was elected mayor there on five occasions.
Indeed, a petition to Parliament in 1825 described Rye Borough as being
entirely under George's control.12 After the Parliamentary Reform Act of 1832,
Lamb family members were excluded from holding office in the borough
which may explain why George decided to sell Lamb House that year.
Notes
* The cosy arrangement that gave the Lamb family
members such a hold on the Rye's civic appointments was, needless to
say, much criticised by other leading citizens in the town and it
eventually came to an end with the Parliamentary Reform Act of 1832.
**
Many years later, Lamb House was bequeathed to the National Trust and
the picture of George shown above is now displayed in it. The painting
is by an unknown artist and is undated but was probably painted some
time c. 1840.
George married Julia Louisa Bancroft,
daughter of Dr Edward Bancroft, M.D., F.R.S. and Penelope Fellows, on
25 Jun 1806 in Mary-le-bone Church, Middlesex.1 2 (Julia Louisa Bancroft was born on 25 Jan
1779 in Chaillot, Paris 13, baptised in Passy, Paris,13
died on 25 May 1851 in The Rectory, Iden, Sussex 14 and was buried on 31 May 1851 in Iden, Sussex
15.)
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Sources
1 Parish
Registers of England and Wales, St.
Mary-le-bone Church — Marriages — 1806 — No: 110. ...
The Reverend George Augustus Lamb Clerk of the parish of Rye in the
County of
Sussex bachelor and Julia Louisa Bancroft of this parish spinster were
Married
in this church by licence this twenty-fifth day of June in the year one
thousand eight hundred and six by me... William Dodson
This Marriage was solemnized between Us[signed ] ...Geo Augs Lamb,
Julia Louisa
Bancroft
In the Presence of[signed ]...Edwd Bancroft, Catherine Woronzow, Michal
Woronzow,
Elizth Dorothy Lamb.
2 Sun
(London), Thursday 26 June 1806, Page 4
- MARRIED. …
Yesterday, at St. Mary-le-bone Church, the Rev. George Augustus Lamb,
son of T.
P. Lamb, Esq. of Mountsfield Lodge, Rye, to Miss Julia Louisa, daughter
of Dr.
Bancroft, of Margaret-street, Cavendish-square.
3 Parish
Registers of England and Wales,
Parish Church of Rye - Baptisms - 1872. …
Lamb - Febr 6th - George Augustus Son of Thomas Phillips and Elizabeth
Lamb.
4 Sussex
Advertiser (Published at Lewes,
Sussex), Wednesday 2 November 1864, Page 2, Col E. …
IDEN. Death of the Rev. Dr. Lamb. - It is with much regret we announce
the
death the Rev. George Augustus Lamb, D.D. rector of Iden, Playden, and
East
Guldeford, which melancholy event took place on Sunday afternoon last
at his
residence at Iden. The deceased gentleman had been somewhat unwell for
a few
days, but was thought better Saturday evening. He, however, became
weaker on
the Sunday, and expired, as above stated, on the afternoon of that day.
at the
advanced age of 83. The rev. doctor, during his lifetime, took the
warmest
interest in all that tended to advance the welfare of his parishioners,
and he
will long be held in affectionate remembrance by a large circle of
friends.
5 Parish
Registers of England and Wales,
Parish Church of Iden - Burials - 1864 — No. 668. …
George Augustus Lamb D.D. - Iden Parsonage - Nov: 5 - 82 yrs 10mts - T
Nightingale.
6 The
National Archives, Kew (Formerly known
as The Public Records Office), PROB 11: Will Registers — 1819-1822 —
Piece
1624: Kent, Quire Numbers 1-50 (1820), Page 218 — Will of Thomas
Phillips Lamb
dated 4 August 1818.
7 Probate
Court (England and Wales), "Calendar
of Grants of Probate and Administration", Wills and Admons — 1865. …
LAMB The Reverend George Augustus D.D. - 14 January - Effects under
£450.
Resworn December 1877 under £800.
The Will of the Reverend George Augustus Lamb late of Iden in the
County of
Sussex Doctor in Divinity deceased who died 30 October 1864 at Iden
aforesaid
was proved at Lewes by the oath of the Reverend Thomas Davis Lamb of
West
Hackney in the County of Middlesex Clerk the Son one of the Executors.
8
"Westminster School Alumni" (Online
Catalogue for Westminster School's Archive & Collections — People
&
Organisations —
Link: http://collections.westminster.org.uk/index.php/actor/browse),
Lamb,
George Augustus, 1782-1864 — GB-2014-WSA-019272 Person 1782-1864.
9 Joseph
Foster Hon. M.A. Oxon, Alumni Oxonienses
- 1715-1886 (James Parker & Co, London - 1891), Page 810. …
Lamb, George Augustus, s. Thomas Philips, of Rye, Sussex,
arm. Oriel
Coll., matric. 8 July, 1799, aged 17; fellow Magdalen Coll. 1800-6,
B.A. 1803,
M.A. 1806, B.D. 1813, D.D. 1817, rector of Iden, Sussex, and of East
Guildford
with Playden 1807, until his death 31 Oct., 1864. See Bloxam, vii. 142.
10 Morning
Post and Gazetteer (London),
Saturday 11 July 1846, Page 6 Col D — Sale of Advowsons.
11 Jackson's
Oxford Journal (Oxford), Saturday, June 20,
1846, Front Page Col
D. …
THREE valuable PERPETUAL ADVOWSON is, and the RIGHTS of PRESENTATION to
the
very desirable RECTORY of IDEN, near Rye, and the TWO CONSOLIDATED
RECTORIES of
EAST GUILDFORD with PLAYDEN, adjoining thereto, in the County of
Sussex, and
the Diocese of Chichester, subject to the present incumbent's Life,
aged 65
years. … .
12 "The
News" (Published in London), Monday
23 May 1825, Page 5 Col B. …
USURPATION OF BOROUGH FRANCHISES.-The Rye petition to the House of
Commons, ...
... relate the following facts: "That the population of the town
consists
of three thousand persons; that of the present freemen twenty-four only
are
inhabitants; that the present Corporation are entirely under the
control and
influence of Doctor George Augustus Lamb, a Doctor of Divinity, and
incumbent
of a parish near Rye; that five others of the present corporation are
the
relations or the connections of the, said Dr. Lamb, by means of whom he
has
long managed and controlled the whole of the corporation of Rye, ...
...
".
13 Edith
Bancroft, "The Bancroft Family" (An unpublished family history of the
Bancroft family by Edith Bancroft (1862-1941) now in the possession of
J R U
Green (2023)), Page 79.
14 Sussex
Advertiser (Published at Lewes,
Sussex), Tuesday 3 June 1851, Page 7 - DIED. …
Lamb.- May 25, at the Rectory, Iden, the wife of the Rev. George
Augustus Lamb,
D.D., at an advanced age.
15 Parish
Registers of England and Wales,
Parish Church of Iden - Burials - 1851 - No. 462. …
Julia Louisa Lamb - Iden - May 31st - 72 years - Charles Stuart.
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