Thomas Phillips Lamb
(-1819)
Elizabeth Davis
(1755-1838)

Revd. George Augustus Lamb, D.D.
(1782-1864)
(Courtesy of the National Trust)

 

Family Links

Spouses/Children:
1. Julia Louisa Bancroft

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

  

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.)

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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