# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Lambe, John (1566?-1647)

1904 Errata appended.
​LAMBE, Sir JOHN (1566?–1647), civilian, probably born about 1566, graduated B.A. at St. John's College, Cambridge, in 1586-7, and M.A. in 1590. In the interval he made a pilgrimage to Rome (Coll. Top. et Gen. v. 86). On his return to England he 'taught petties,' i.e. was undermaster in a school, and studied the civil and canon law. In 1600 he purchased the registrarship of the diocese of Ely; in 1602 he was admitted a member of the College of Advocates. About the same time he was appointed co-registrar, and shortly afterwards chancellor of the diocese of Peterborough. Thomas Dove [q. v.], bishop of Peterborough, made him his vicar, official, and commissary general, jointly with Henry Hickman, on 10 June 1615. In the following year he took the degree of LL.D. at Cambridge. In 1617 he was appointed by the dean and chapter of Lincoln commissary of their peculiars in the counties of Northampton, Rutland, Huntingdon, and Leicester. He had now established a certain reputation as an ecclesiastical lawyer, and in 1619 he was consulted by Williams, dean of Salisbury, afterwards archbishop of York, in reference to some delicate cases. A strong supporter of the royal prerogative, he carried matters with a high hand against the puritans in Northamptonshire, compelling them to attend church regularly on the Sunday, to observe holy days, and to contribute to church funds, imposing grievous penances on recusants, and commuting them for fines, and holding courts by preference at inconvenient times and places, in order that he might extort money by fining those who failed to appear. In 1621 the mayor and corporation of Northampton presented a petition to parliament complaining of these grievances, and the speaker issued his warrant for the examination of witnesses. The king, however, intervened to stop the proceedings, and during his progress through Northamptonshire knighted Lambe on 26 July at Castle Ashby. In 1623 Lambe was selected by his old friend Williams, now bishop of Lincoln, to be his commissary in that diocese. Williams's zeal began to cool, and at length in 1626 he refused to sanction some proceedings proposed by Lambe against some Leicestershire conventiclers. Lambe secretly informed the privy council against him. No immediate steps were taken against the bishop, but Lambe's information and the evidence were preserved for possible future use. Lambe was a member of the high commission court from 1629 until its abolition by the Long parliament, and was one of Laud's most active supporters throughout that period. In the autumn of 1633 he succeeded Sir Henry Marten [q. v.] as dean of the arches court of Canterbury. On 25 Feb. 1634–5 he was appointed commissary of the archdeaconries of Leicestershire and Buckinghamshire. In 1637 he was commissioned to exercise ​ecclesiastical jurisdiction within the county of Leicester during the suspension of Bishop Williams. On 26 Jan. 1639-40 he was appointed chancellor and keeper of the great seal to Queen Henrietta Maria. He was one of the first to suffer the vengeance of the Long parliament. The parishioners of Waddesdon, Buckinghamshire, whom he had compelled to maintain two organs and an organist at a cost of 15l. a year, petitioned for redress, and on 1 Feb. 1640-1 Lambe was summoned to appear before a committee of the House of Commons to answer the charge. He made default, was sent for 'as a delinquent,' and on 22 Feb. was produced at the bar 'in extremity of sickness both of body and mind.' He made formal submission on 6 March, and was released on bail. At the same time he was harassed by proceedings in the House of Lords by the widow of one of the churchwardens of Colchester, whom he had excommunicated in 1635 for refusing to rail in the altar, and by a certain Walter Walker, whom he had unlawfully deprived of the office of commissary of Leicester. The house found both charges proved, and awarded 100l. to the widow and 1,250l. to Walker. It was even contemplated to impeach him along with Laud (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1640-1, p. 479). He fled to Oxford, where he was incorporated on 9 Dec. 1643. His property was sequestrated (Commons' Journal, iii. 149) . He died according to Wood (Fasti Oxon. ii. 58) 'in the beginning of the year 1647.' Lambe had two daughters, both of rare beauty, one of whom married Dr. Robert Sibthorpe [q. v.]; the other, Barbara, was second wife of Basil Feilding, afterwards earl of Denbigh [q. v.]
[Baker's Hist. of St. John's Coll. Cambridge, ed. Mayor, p. 520; Coote's Civilians; Petyt's Misc. Parl. pp. 161 et seq.; Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1619-23 p. 280, 1628-9 p. 445, 1633-4 pp. 155, 246, 337, 1634-5 pp. 215, 523, 1637 pp. 335, 399, 1639 p. 452, 1639-40 p. 379, 1640-1 pp. 282, 456-7, 479; Laud's Works, v. 546; Rushworth's Hist. Coll. i. 420; Whitelocke's Mem. p. 8; Cases in the Courts of Star-chamber and High Commission (Camd. Soc.), pp. 221, 254; Coll. Top. et Gen. vii. 365; Collins's Peerage (Brydges), iii. 274; Hist. MSS. Comm. 4th Rep. App.; Wood's Athenæ Oxon. iii. 550.]
J. M. R.
Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.177 N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
| Page | Col. | Line | |
| | | 36-37 | Lambe, Sir John: omit married . . . . the other, |
| | | 39 | after Denbigh [q. v.]. insert Lambe's sister married Dr. Robert Sibthorpe [q. v.]. |