Lambert family, probably of Boston, is one of my biggest
brickwall mysteries in my family tree.
My 5th great grandmother, Elizabeth Lambert (about 1775 –
1834) was described as a Boston debutante by her grandson, Governor John Owen
Dominis of Hawaii. However, I am unable
to find out anything about her LAMBERT family except for one tantalizing
clue. She had a possible sister, Sarah,
who married a John DARKE/DARGUE in 1796.
Elizabeth named her eldest daughter, Sarah Dargue Jones (about 1794 –
1875) after this sister.
Elizabeth and Sarah Lambert would have been born in Boston
around the time of the Boston military occupation by British troops prior to
1775. They probably were not even born in Boston at all. Civilians fled Boston during the occupation. In 1768 the British had deployed two
regiments, or 2,000 soldiers, to restore order. A fleet of British war ships crowded the harbor,
which was closed. Then, in 1775, the
British retreated from the battles of Lexington and Concord to Boston, which
was held under Seige by militas and the Continental Army. Most civilians fled, or at least sent their
wives and children out of the city. Most
of those left behind were Loyalists. If
the Lamberts were here before or during the military occupation and the Seige,
where did they go during the conflict? This
might be where Elizabeth and Sarah were born, or where their parents
married.
Bostonians reclaimed Boston after “Evacuation Day” on 17
March 1775 when the British fleet departed Boston Harbor with troops and
Loyalists aboard. Citizens returned to
Boston to rebuild the city, which had been ransacked. The population of Boston in 1765 had been
about 15,000 people. The number of
people in Boston fell by 2/3 during the 1770s to a low of less than 6,000.
In 1793 Elizabeth Lambert married Owen Jones, the son of a
British customs official. Were they
loyalists? I have no proof one way or another.
They had eight children, six daughters who all married well, and two
sons who died young. One son died as a
young child, the other died unmarried at sea. My Lambert lineage daughters out, and my 4th
great grandmother was Catherine Plummer Jones (1799 – 1828) who also died young
after giving five children to her mariner husband, Levi Younger, of Gloucester.
The Lamberts and the Joneses lived in Boston’s North End
neighborhood. Owen Jones lived on Ship Street, Hanover Street, and Tileston Street. Records were found in the New North North
church and at the 2nd Baptist Church.
Interestingly, Elizabeth (Lambert) Jones’s obituary was
carried in the Nantucket Inquirer on
11 February 1834. Did she have relatives
on the island of Nantucket?
Unfortunately, It is difficult to find vital records or any
other type of information on Boston families during and before the
Revolutionary War. And LAMBERT and all
its spelling variations were very common.
There were many LAMBERT families in Boston and other parts of
Massachusetts. I have had some luck searching church records, newspapers, and other sources.
If anyone has a clue as to the identity of this LAMBERT
family, please leave a comment or email vrojomit@gmail.com
My LAMBERT genealogy:
Generation 1:
Unknown Lambert; married and had two daughter (probably more children) 1.) Elizabeth 2.) Sarah
Lambert born about 1776 and died 3 September 1796, married on 1 Dec 1793 to
John Darke/Dargue
Generation 2:
Elizabeth Lambert, born about 1775, died 6 February 1834 in Boston; married on 11
May 1793 at the 2nd Baptist Church, Boston, Massachusetts to Owen
Jones, son of Owen Jones and Ann Unknown.
He was born about 1678 in Wales, and died 22 April 2850 in Dorchester,
Massachusetts. Eight children.
Generation 3:
Catherine Plummer Jones, born about 1799, died 2 May 1828; married on 23
October 1816 in Gloucester, Massachusetts to Levi Younger as his first
wife. He also married Jane Unknown, who
died 26 November 1845 in Boston; and
Margaret Unknown, who died 21 February 1895. Five chidren.
Generation 4: Mary
Esther Younger, born 17 Feb 1826 and died 7 January 1913 in Boston. Eight children.
Generation 5: Mary
Katharine Emerson m. George E. Batchelder
Generation 6: Carrie
Maude Batchelder m. Joseph Elmer Allen
Generation 7: Stanley
Elmer Allen m. Gertrude Matilda Hitchings (my grandparents)
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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Surname Saturday ~ LAMBERT of Boston", Nutfield Genealogy, posted January 21, 2017, ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/01/surname-saturday-lambert-of-boston.html: accessed [access date]).
I have got Lombards/Lumbards/Lamberts, etc in my tree as well, and they are a nuisance! I am fairly confident that I descend from Jedediah L (1640-?) and Hannah Wing (1642-1682) of Barnstable MA, through his son Thomas (167--1736), but I have a great deal more research there to prove anything conclusively.
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