Sir John Lambe

On January 15th, 1614-15, the King sold it to Edmund Dumeld and John Babington, of London, and the transaction is thus recorded on the Patent Roll : —

[The King grants inter alia] " all those separate Rectories of the Parish churches of St. Giles and St. Edmund, in or near Northampton, and the tithes and ecclesiastical rights pertaining to the same Rectories, and all tithes of corn and hay (bladorum et feni) in the fields of Northampton, together with the advowson of the church of St. Giles and the Rectory and advowson of St. Sepulchre's, in the same town."

A month later (Feb. 17th, 1614-15), the purchasers re-sold these advowsons and Rectories, (together with those of Cold Ashby), to Sir John Lambe, of Northampton.

Sir John Lambe was the son of John Lambe and Elizabeth Aylett of Coggeshall, Essex, and is said to have been born in 1566.

He was educated at St. John's College, Cambridge ; B.A., 1586 ; M.A., 1590. After taking his degree, he taught for some years as an usher in various schools.

In 1600, he became Registrar of the Diocese of Ely, and two years later, Co-Registrar of Peterborough, and shortly

Patent Roll, 1 Henry IV.

Patent Roll. 12 James I., part 15, M. 24.

Domestic State Papers. James I. Vol. LXXX.

PATRONS AND ENDOWMENTS. 63

afterwards Chancellor of the Diocese. From this time forward he devoted his life to the study and practise of Ecclesiastical Law, and attained to a considerable celebrity. In 1616, he was admitted to the degree, LL.D. He was " a strong supporter of the royal prerogative, and carried matters with a high hand against the Puritans in Northamptonshire, compelling them to attend church regularly on Sundays; to observe Holy Days, and to contribute to Church Funds."

He was also accused of imposing grievous penances on Roman Catholic Recusants, and commuting them for fines ; of holding Courts by preference at inconvenient times and places, in order that he might extort fines for non-attendance.

In 1621, the Mayor of Northampton presented a petition to Parliament complaining of these grievances, and the Speaker issued a warrant for the examination of witnesses. The King, however, intervened to stop the proceedings, and on his progress through Northamptonshire, knighted Lambe on July 26th, 1621, at Castle Ashby.

In 1629, Sir John Lambe became a member of the High Commission Court, and was for many years one of Archbishop Laud's most active supporters.

In 1633, he succeeded Sir Henry Martin as Dean of Arches, and on Jan. 26, 1639-40, became Chancellor to Queen Henrietta Maria.

He was one of the first to suffer the vengeance of the Long Parliament. He was summoned to appear at the bar of the House of Commons to show cause why he had compelled the rate-payers of Waddesdon to maintain an organ and organist contrary to law. Failing to appear, he was sent for as a Delinquent, and produced at the bar on Feb. 22, " in extremity of sickness both of mind and body," but was released on bail (March 1st).

Proceedings were also taken against him in the Lords for compelling the churchwardens of Colchester to erect altar-rails ; and for unlawfully depriving a certain Walter Walker, of the commissary ship of Leicester. The house compelled him to pay £100 to the widow of one of these Colchester churchwardens ; and £1250 to Walker. It was even proposed

64 PATRONS AND ENDOWMENTS.

at one time to impeach Lambe, together with his friend, the Archbishop, but the idea was eventually dropped. Lambe fled to the King at Oxford, and was incorporated there 9 Dec, 1643. He was reduced to great straits, and in 1645, was "in want of a dinner." In 1646, after the surrender of Oxford, he petitioned Parliament to be allowed to compound for his estates.* The business dragged on for many months, and before it was settled the old man died, doubtless of a broken heart, Dec. 1646.

Sir John married Ann (elder daughter of Sir Thomas Crompton), by whom he had two daughters, Barbara and Mary.

• (1) Barbara, the elder, was one of the beauties of the Court of Charles I., and married Basil, Lord Feilding, afterwards Earl of Denbigh. She died in April, 1641, and was buried in Westminster Abbey.
• (2) The second daughter died at the age of seventeen, and was buried at Rothwell, 16 Nov., 1638.

Sir John Lambe died intestate, but his estate was administered by his niece and heiress, Susan Hill, daughter of Edward Lambe, of Rothwell, and wife of John Hill, Vicar of Rothwell.

On January 26, 1646-7, John and Susan Hill presented before the Committee for compounding, particulars of Sir John Lambe's estate. At his death he was found to be " seised in fee of the Tower close and garden with appurtenances and a shop in Northton, of the yearly value of £y, and of the advowson of the Vicarage of St. Gyles and St. Sepulchers there. "

After negotiations extending over nearly three years, the commissioners passed their report on October 1st, 1649, and the executors were allowed to compound for the estates by paying a fine of £6284

Four years later (Michaelmas, 1653), they sold the advowsons of St. Giles' and St. Sepulchre's to Peter Whalley and

• Diet, of Nat. Biography. See also Northants Notes and Queries (New Series). I. 168-171.

■f Calendar for Compounding. G. 203. f. 393. + Ibid.

The son of WILLIAM & AGNES AYLETT, William Aylett was a yeoman and his will was written July 27, 1581. He requested to be buried in the churchyard of Rivenhall or Kelvedon. He made bequests to the poor in different parishes. To his wife, MARGARET: land called More Land in Kelvedon, £100, cattle, half of the moveables, and a tenament called Graces. .... To John, Thomas, EDWARD & Susan Lambe, the children of my daughter ELIZABETH, deceased, late the wife of John Lambe: £6.13.4 each.

• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Apr 14 2017, 1:31:05 UTC