George Lambert, 1st Viscount Lambert, PC (25 June 1866 – 17 February 1958) was a long-serving

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

Member of Parliament (MP).

Birth and education

Lambert was born in

South Tawton South Tawton is a village, parish and former Manorialism, manor on the north edge of Dartmoor, Devon, England. An electoral ward bearing the same name exists. At the 2011 census the population was 1,683. In front of the church is a "Crosstree", ...

in Devon, on 25 June 1866, the son of George Lambert Gorwyn and his wife, Grace Howard. George Lambert Gorwyn (1818–1885), who is remembered today as a quarrelsome and much disliked man, had inherited farms in Spreyton and

Drewsteignton Drewsteignton is a village, civil parish and former manor within the administrative area of West Devon, England, also lying within the Dartmoor National Park. It is located in the valley of the River Teign, west of Exeter and south east of O ...

. He dropped the surname Gorwyn in the 1870s, becoming known merely as George Lambert. His wife, Grace Howard, was the daughter of a farm labourer from South Tawton, who had been his housekeeper. They married in 1866. Lambert was educated at Spreyton School and

North Tawton North Tawton is a small town in Devon, England, situated on the river Taw. It is administered by West Devon Council. The population of the electoral ward at the census 2011 was 2,026. History Romans crossed the River Taw at what is now Newla ...

Grammar School. He left school after his father's death in 1885, and commenced farming.

Political career

Lambert served as a

County Councillor A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries. Australia In the Australian state of New South Wales, county councils are special purpose ...

for Devonshire, 1889–1912, and as a County Alderman, 1912–1952. He was first elected as

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * Generally, a supporter of the political philosophy liberalism. Liberals may be politically left or right but tend to be centrist. * An adherent of a Liberal Party (See also Liberal parties by country ...

MP for

South Molton South Molton is a town and civil parish in the North Devon district, in the county of Devon, England. The town is on the River Mole. In 2021 it had a population of 6225. South Molton is a market town trading mostly in sheep and cattle. There wa ...

at a by-election in 1891. He was

Civil Lord of the Admiralty The Civil Lord of the Admiralty formally known as the Office of the Civil Lord of Admiralty also referred to as the Department of the Civil Lord of the Admiralty was a member of the Board of Admiralty who was responsible for managing the Royal N ...

, 1905–1915, "a post for which he had no obvious qualifications. 'A farmer sent to sea' was a jibe frequently heard in those days" (''The Times''). He lost his seat at the 1924 General Election to the

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

Cedric Drewe Sir Cedric Drewe (26 May 1896 – 21 January 1971) was a British Conservative Party politician. Early life He was the son of Julius Drewe, the English businessman, retailer, and entrepreneur. Political career At the 1924 general election, ...

, but regained it at the

1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...

general election. Although he began his parliamentary career as a Liberal, in 1931 Lambert had become a

National Liberal National liberalism is a variant of liberalism, combining liberal policies and issues with elements of nationalism. Historically, national liberalism has also been used in the same meaning as conservative liberalism (right-liberalism). A serie ...

supporting the Conservative Party, following a long period criticising

David Lloyd George David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. A Liberal Party (United Kingdom), Liberal Party politician from Wales, he was known for leadi ...

and opposition to the Labour Party. Lambert was made a Privy Councillor in 1912, and later the same year he was appointed to the Royal Commission on Fuel and Engines.''The Times'', ''loc. cit''. He was created Viscount Lambert when he stepped down as an MP in July 1945, after 48 years, 348 days in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

, the fifth longest-serving MP of the 20th century. His eldest son, the Hon. George Lambert, followed him as MP for South Molton, later Torrington, at the 1945 general election, and succeeded him as Viscount Lambert in 1958.

Personal life

Lambert was married on 30 August 1904 to Barbara Stavers, the daughter of George Stavers, a ship-owner of Morpeth, by whom he had two daughters and two sons.''Dod's Peerage'' (1954), p. 138. ''The Times'', ''loc. cit''. His daughter Margaret Lambert was a historian specialising in German history. He died, aged 91 years, at his home, "''Coffins''" in Spreyton on 17 February 1958. Lambert "was a good shot, and was also fond of a round of golf."

Arms

References

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lambert, George Lambert, George Lambert, 1st Viscount Lambert, George Lambert, 1st Viscount Lambert, George Lambert, 1st Viscount Lambert, George Lambert, 1st Viscount Lambert, George Lambert, 1st Viscount UK MPs 1886–1892 UK MPs 1892–1895 UK MPs 1895–1900 UK MPs 1900–1906 UK MPs 1906–1910 UK MPs 1910 UK MPs 1910–1918 UK MPs 1918–1922 UK MPs 1922–1923 UK MPs 1923–1924 UK MPs 1929–1931 UK MPs 1931–1935 UK MPs 1935–1945 UK MPs who were granted peerages Lords of the Admiralty National Liberal Party (UK, 1931) politicians Viscounts created by George VI