No record of his wife has been found, but we have identified three children; Nancy Agnes born about 1750, James born about 1752, and John born March 14, 1760. At various times the children's name were spelled Lamb, Lam, and Lamm. Manassah lived about one and one half miles south of Salisbury. He probably farmed and twice was appointed to oversee construction of local roads. When Manassah died in 1774, his son James and son-in-law Dennis Mahan, were the executors of his estate.

Wife: Unknown Children: Nancy Agnes, John, James

Rowen County Court Minutes of 1774 Rowen County, North Carolina Indentured servant Charlotte D'Armond was ordered to serve Manassah Lamb for an additional year for having given birth to an illegitimate child.

Near Salisbury, NC, on a jury in about 1761, and then he was superintendent for building some roads, twice.

He was a weaver. (316)(317) There were male weavers; some were travelers who visited on horseback during the year. If there was no lady of the house, or for some reason she was unable to weave, the visiting weaver would stop by and assist. He would work at Grandma's loom for weeks on ends. from Dave Lamm " Nov.4, 1774-John Lamb, son of Manassa Lamb deceased,apprentice to Timothy Brown until twenty-one, now being fifteen, is to be given the loom and tackling and fifteen pounds exclusive of what the law allows.

Maunus Lamb's sons, James and John, were both literate and each signed his name Lam as can be found in James Lam's will in 1817

(ca 1750-1823)

and John Lam's Affidavit in his Revolutionary War folder is signed. (1760-1842)

James Lam's sons, especially his son, James (1778-1862) began using the Lamm spelling perhaps to distinquish himself from his father, and that spelling has been perpetuated by his descendants to the present day. His sons, Moses and Alexander, seem to have alternated with using the Lamm spelling. Moses's marriage bond is signed Lamm, and Alexander's bond in 1823 as executor to his father's estate is signed Alexander Lamm. Clerks continued to use the Lamb spelling more times than not. This Lamm spelling first appears in the will of James Lam Sr. (ca 1750-1823), who names his son and best friend, James Lamm (1778-1861). Both spellings occurring in the same document.

John Lam (1760-1842) (Revolutionary War Soldier) ( brother of James Lam, Sr) had descendants in Crittenden County, Kentucky, who used the Lam spelling up to thru the 1850 Census. After that time, many began to change to Lamb. Whether there are any descendants of this family living today still using the Lam spelling has not been researched. There are descendants using the Lamb spelling.

All records located thus far indicate the Lam/Lamm/Lamb descendants from Rowan County, North Carolina, as Ulster Scot or Scot-Irish.

His Father was supposedly John Lam 24. 08 Dec 1705 Mc...zie. John, "in Cormilzie, its in that toune that he lives," a daug. Mary, bap. at Achendrain. Godfather:- John Lam.. alais McGillivi, commonly

He was born in Atrim Co, IRELAND. (294)(314) He Background. (315) The Scotch-Irish are lowland Scots, primarily Presbyterian, that were sent Northern Ireland (sometimes called Ulster) by King James in the early sixteen hundreds to work plantations, and to dilute the Catholic influence, a result desired by the Protestant King. They did not inter-marry with the Irish so remained ethnic Scots. Some became dissatisfied and began to migrate to America by 1700, with many settling in Maryland and eastern Pennsylvania. The Quakers and the Germans had settled there first and generally had most of the good land and all the political power. Because of this and other reasons, the Scotch-Irish began to move down the Shenandoah Valley to southwestern Virginia and later to the North Carolina frontier. Settlement on the west bank on the Yadkin River in North Carolina began in about 1745. This was a true wilderness area, a land populated only by a few hunters and trappers, and a lot of hostile Indians.

MANASSA LAMB (307)(308) (309)(310) Lamb: Sept of Clan LaMont in 1200.(311) "Lamb", a sept of Clan Lamont.

Somewhere in the late 1200s Richard Lamond sent his eldest son, Malcolm, to be tutored by the king of Scotland who had residence on the Isle of Butte at the Castle Rothsay. While Macolm was there as a king's courtier, learning military techniques and developing family alliances, the king went on vacation. While he was gone three other courtiers decided to go hunting. They sailed across to the Firth of Clyde near Castle Toward, the clan seat of the Lamonts, but insted of hunting they molested some of the always-beautiful Lamont women. This of course angered Richard and he sent his three youngest sons to deal with the matter. A running battle ensued from the Clan Castle to the tip of Ardyne Point, where the three brothers did in the three courtiers.

The brothers, of course, had no benefit from the king's training. When the word reached the king about what had happened he really had no choice, politically. He supported the three families whose sons had been killed and disenfranchised Richard of much of his land, dividing it among those who had suffered the loss. The three brothers found it necessary to flee for their lives, and change their names to escape pursuit. One fled to the north of Scotland, and assumed the name Landless. Another fled across the water to France and assumed the name Burdon.

The third brother fled south to England and assumed a diminutive of the clan name, Lamb. Malcolm never acceded to the chieftonship but just a generation later things had apparently cooled enough that most of the Lamont land was restored and the descendents of those who fled felt safe in returning.

The progenitor of Clan Lamont assumed the name "Laomain" which came from the Norse, meaning 'lawman'. It is interesting to note the Lamont sept name MacSorley is another way of saying 'son of Sommerled', the Norsemen who centered his operations on the Isle of Man. It is also interesting to note that in Njals [Neils] Icelandic Saga, a Gunnar Lambeson made landfall on the Mull Kintyre approximatly contemporary with Mac Fearchar's son, Laomain's time( progenitor of our clan) when he assumed his Norse name. All certainly interesting and more than coincidental.

The clan, however , traces its linage back through the line of the Ui Neils of Ireland . Notably Neil Glum Dubh (Neil Black Knee), the same family root from which Colm Cill or St. Columba sprang. The Lamonts are certainly descended from "Cowell" ( a nickname meaning shield) who was a younger brother of Fergus MacErc. Fergus conquered the southern pictish kingdom and took over their seat at Dunad. The Ui Neils are Milesians who trace ancestry to Milesius who came to Eire (Ireland) from Iberia or Spain prior to the Roman invasion of France.

The Clan Lamont

Clan Lamont Discussion Area Clan Lamont Contacts

Clan Lamont is one of the oldest of Scottish clans, with an oral tradition of descent stretching back to the Kings of Ireland. The name is derived from a chief in the 13th century, Sir Laumon, whose charter granting lands to the Paisley Abby, is still in existence. Few clans can document their existence at such an early date. Although the name comes from the 13th century chief, the clan is much older, being known as MacKerracher before Sir Laumon's time. Sir Walter Scott refers to him in Antiquary as "Lamon mor ", or the Great Lamont in English. Sir Laumon's mother is believed to have been a daughter of the great Somerled, ancestor of the MacDonalds. Tradition, supported by a genealogical work of 1682 found in Inveraray Castle, maintains that a son of Sir Laumaon, had to flee Cowal as a result of a murder; and founded the Lyons of Glamis. He took the name of Lyon from the Lamont arms, and chose as his arms, the reverse of the Lamonts, a blue lion on a silver field. As the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth, is a Lyon of Glamis, if this tradition is correct, the Queen Elizabeth II is a Lamont on her mothers side !

In the early 1300s, came a great down turn in the Clan's fortunes. Laumon's grandson, Sir John, supported the MacDougalls of Lorne against Robert the Bruce. The Lamonts of Ardlamont, however, who held their land as vassals of the High Steward in Bute, may have fought in Bruce's bodyguard at Bannockburn. When Bruce was secure on the Scottish throne the Lamont Chief suffered with the House of Lorne and the Clan's land was claimed by the king's loyal supporter, Campbell, Black Knight of Lochawe. By the end of the 14th century a great deal of the original territory of the clan had been lost ; and thus began a feud between the Lamonts and the Campbells which continued on and off for centuries in spite of considerable intermarriage .

In the 17th century wars of Montrose, Sir John, 14th chief. who had been knighted by King Charles. after much shilly-shallying, joined Argyll's Covenanting army and in the inglorious rout of that force at Inverlochy he and his brother were taken prisoner. He then threw in his lot with Montrose the Royalist general. Archibald, the chiefs brother, with Colkitto's fighting Irish, crossed Loch Long in boats provided by the Lamonts and landed at the Point of Strone. After defeating a Campbell force in the heights above the point the Royalist army mustered at Toward and then harried far and wide in the Campbell lands. The Lamonts had their share in this killing and plundering particularly in North Cowal, and they attacked the old tower of Kilmun and the bishop's house in Dunoon. Dunoon is a place of grim memory for the Lamonts. There the Campbells carried out one of the massacres which stain their clan's history.. In 1646 the Campbells made a concentrated attack on the Lamont castles of Toward and Ascog, and, when the garrisons surrendered under written guarantee of liberty, the Campbells ignored the terms of capitulation. The survivors of the defenders were carried in boats to Dunoon and in the church were sentenced to death. About 100 were shot or stabbed to death and another 36 of 'the special gentlemen' of the Lamonts were hanged from a tree in the churchyard and dead and dying were buried in pits. The Chief and his close kin were hustled away to Inveraray, where some were hanged The Chief and his brothers being kept prisoner for five years. It was 16 years before the ringleaders of the massacre were brought to justice, and Sir Colin Campbell was beheaded.. The Clan Lamont Society in 1909 raised a monument on the spot where so many met their deaths.

After 1646, the much reduced Clan Lamont had a fairly peaceful history, finally having the good sense or luck to not get involved with any more losing causes. We stayed out of both the 1715 and 1745 Jacobite uprisings. This may have been due to the fact that they were now pretty well surrounded by Campbells, who always sided with the English government (To their great profit).

With the destruction of the Clan system in 1745, the structure of Highland society was changed for all time. When the power of the Chiefs was eliminated, so was their need for dedicated clansmen to protect and expand the clan lands. The result of this, in time, was the infamous Highland clearances; where chiefs cleared the land of crofters, and substituted the more profitable sheep. As was the case with the Lamonts, some chiefs tended to He was King Vs Felkner Trail on 25 Mar 1763 in Rowan Co., NC. (290) COLONIAL RECORDS: [From MS. Records in Office of Secretary of State] NORTH CAROLINA By His Excellency William Tryon Esq, His Majesty'd Captain