Sir James Bland Lamb, 1st Baronet (8 June 1752 – 13 October 1824), born James Burges and known as Sir James Burges, Bt, between 1795 and 1821, was a British author, barrister and Member of Parliament.

Background and education

Born James Burges, he was the only son of George Burges and Anne Whichnour Somerville. His father had distinguished himself at the

Battle of Culloden The Battle of Culloden took place on 16 April 1746, near Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. A Jacobite army under Charles Edward Stuart was decisively defeated by a British government force commanded by the Duke of Cumberland, thereby endi ...

by capturing the standard of Charles Edward Stewart and was later deputy paymaster in

Gibraltar Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...

.David Hill Radcliffe, 'Burges, Sir James Bland, first baronet (1752–1824)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 200
accessed 4 Aug 2014
/ref> He went to

Westminster School Westminster School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Westminster, London, England, in the precincts of Westminster Abbey. It descends from a charity school founded by Westminster Benedictines before the Norman Conquest, as do ...

and then entered

University College, Oxford University College, formally The Master and Fellows of the College of the Great Hall of the University commonly called University College in the University of Oxford and colloquially referred to as "Univ", is a Colleges of the University of Oxf ...

, in 1770 before studying law at

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, commonly known as Lincoln's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for Barrister, barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister ...

in 1773.

Political career

Burges first served in Parliament as Member of Parliament for

Helston Helston () is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated at the northern end of the The Lizard, Lizard Peninsula approximately east of Penzance and south-west of Falmouth, Cornwall, Falmouth.Ordnance Survey: ...

from 1787 to 1790. He then served as

Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs was a junior position in the British government, subordinate to both the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (UK), Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and since 1945 also to ...

between 1789 and 1795 before becoming a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

on 21 October 1795 and

knight marshal The Knight Marshal is a former office in the British Royal Household established by Henry III in 1236. The position later became a Deputy to the Earl Marshal from the reign of Henry VIII until the office was abolished in 1846. The Knight Marsha ...

of his majesty's household in November of the same year, where he played an important role in the coronation of

George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 29 January 1820 until his death in 1830. At the time of his accession to the throne, h ...

Writing and poetry

Burges was an ambitious and productive writer. He was well established; being a friend of William Cumberland and

John Graves Simcoe Lieutenant-General (United Kingdom), Lieutenant-General John Graves Simcoe (25 February 1752 – 26 October 1806) was a British army officer, politician and colonial administrator who served as the lieutenant governor of Upper Canada from 1791 u ...

; and a patron of Thomas Dermody. He was connected by marriage to

Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824) was an English poet. He is one of the major figures of the Romantic movement, and is regarded as being among the greatest poets of the United Kingdom. Among his best-kno ...

. He wrote music for Ode to the Passions by William Collins and wrote the prologue to

Vortigern and Rowena ''Vortigern and Rowena'', or ''Vortigern, an Historical Play'', is a play that was touted as a newly discovered work by William Shakespeare when it first appeared in 1796. It was eventually revealed to be a Shakespeare hoax, the product of promi ...

(1796). He exchanged poetry with royalty and wrote long poems. ''The Birth and Triumph of Love'' was published in 1796 and the 16,000 line poem was very poorly received. It was quoted as a project that was known for its lack of success. Despite the ignominy Burges still had a prestige and funds available where he could indulge his literary interests. He wrote an introduction for

William Henry Ireland William Henry Ireland (1775–1835) was an English forger of would-be Shakespearean documents and plays. He is less well known as a poet, writer of gothic novels and histories. Although he was apparently christened William-Henry, he was known ...

's Shakespearian forgery and Thomas Dermody stole money from him. Burges continued to publish poetry and he had a play in Drury Lane. Despite being championed by

, no other plays followed. He wrote an introduction to a later edition of the ''

Pilgrim's Progress ''The Pilgrim's Progress from This World, to That Which Is to Come'' is a 1678 Christian allegory written by John Bunyan. It is commonly regarded as one of the most significant works of Protestant devotional literature and of wider early moder ...

'' sequel, ''Progress of the Pilgrim Good-Intent in Jacobinical Times''. In this introduction he revealed that the true author of the work was his gifted sister Mary Ann Burges.

Family

Burges married three times; his first marriage to Elizabeth Noel, second daughter of

Edward Noel, 1st Viscount Wentworth Edward Noel, 1st Viscount Wentworth (30 August 1715 – 31 October 1774) was a British peer. Early life Edward Noel was born on 30 August 1715. Wentworth was the eldest son (of six sons and a daughter) of Sir Clobery Noel, 5th Baronet, of Kirkby ...

in 1777 produced no children. His second marriage to Anne, third daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Louis Charles Montolieu, Baron of St Hippolite produced the following children. * Charles Montolieu (1785–1864), 2nd Baronet. * Wentworth Noel (b. 30December 1792), an

ensign Ensign most often refers to: * Ensign (flag), a flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality * Ensign (rank), a navy (and former army) officer rank Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to: Places * Ensign, Alberta, Alberta, Canada * Ensign, Ka ...

in the

Coldstream Guards The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, monarchy; due to this, it often ...

, he was killed at the 1812

Siege of Burgos At the siege of Burgos, from 19 September to 21 October 1812, the Anglo-Portuguese Army led by General Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington tried to capture the castle of Burgos from its French garrison under the command of General ...

during the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1808–1814) was fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French ...

. * Somerville Waldemar (b. 7March 1794), an ensign in the

1st Foot Guards The Grenadier Guards (GREN GDS) is the most senior infantry regiment of the British Army, being at the top of the Infantry Order of Precedence. It can trace its lineage back to 1656 when Lord Wentworth's Regiment was raised in Bruges to protect ...

, lost a leg at the

Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (then in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium), marking the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The French Imperial Army (1804–1815), Frenc ...

in 1815. In 1821 he married Mademoiselle Melanie-Marianne Meray, daughter of Capt. Meray, of the French Army. * Clara Maria (d. 4February 1821). * Emilia Charlotte, who married Major-General Sir

Hugh Halkett Hugh Halkett, Royal Guelphic Order, GCH, Order of the Bath, CB, (30 August 1783 – 10 December 1863) was a British army officer who served in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. During his military career, he served in both the Brit ...

on 25May 1810. * Caroline Eliza Anne (d. 20November 1863). * Sophia Anne (d.11October 1858), who married Warburton Davies on 21December 1821. * Julia Octavia (d. 28October 1826). In 1812, he was married for the third time to Lady Margaret Fordyce, widow of

Alexander Fordyce Alexander Fordyce (7 August 1729 – 8 September 1789) was a Scottish banker, centrally involved in the bank run on Neale, James, Fordyce and Down which led to the credit crisis of 1772. He fled abroad and was declared bankrupt, but in time h ...

and daughter of

James Lindsay, 5th Earl of Balcarres James Lindsay, 5th Earl of Balcarres (14 November 1691 – 20 February 1768) was a Scottish peer, the son of Colin Lindsay, 3rd Earl of Balcarres and Lady Margaret Campbell, daughter of the Earl of Loudoun. He became the 5th Earl of Balcarres o ...

. The couple had no children.Major & Murden. A Georgian Heroine: The Intriguing Life of Rachel Charlotte Williams Biggs
/ref> On 25 October 1821 his name was legally changed to James Bland Lamb by Royal Licence.

Works

*Heroic epistle from Serjeant Bradshaw to John Dunning. 1780. *Considerations on the law of insolvency. 1783. *A letter to the Earl of Effingham. 1783. *Address to the country gentlemen of England. 1789. *Letters on the Spanish aggression at Nootka. 1790. *Narrative of the negotiation between France and Spain in 1790. 1790. *Alfred's letters: a review of the political state of Europe. 1792.
The birth and triumph of love. 1796.
*Richard the first: a poem in eighteen books. 2 vols, 1801. *The exodiad

Richard Cumberland Richard Cumberland may refer to: * Richard Cumberland (philosopher) Richard Cumberland (15 July 1631 (or 1632) – 9 October 1718) was an English philosopher, and Bishop of Peterborough from 1691. In 1672, he published his major work, ''De leg ...

]. 1807, 1808. *Riches, or the wife and brother: a play. 1810. *Songs, duets, etc. in Tricks upon travellers, a comic opera. 1810. *Dramas. 2 vols, 1817. *The dragon knight: a poem in twelve cantos. 1818. *Reasons in favour of a new translation of the holy scriptures. 1819. *An inquiry into the procrastination attributed to the House of Lords. 1824. *Selections from the letters and correspondence, ed. Hutton. 1885.

References

;Bibliography * *

External links

Catalogue of the papers of Sir James Bland Burges, mainly 1772–1824, with papers of the Burges and Head families, 18th–20th cent., Bodleian Library, University of Oxford
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lamb, James Bland 1752 births 1824 deaths Alumni of University College, Oxford Baronets in the Baronetage of Great Britain English dramatists and playwrights People educated at Westminster School, London Gibraltarian lawyers English male dramatists and playwrights English male poets Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Helston British MPs 1784–1790 Gibraltarian non-fiction writers Gibraltarian male writers Gibraltarian poets Gibraltarian dramatists and playwrights