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William Lambert and Mary Foreman © Born on the 8th June, 1811, the son of Robert Lambert & Sarah, William was privately baptized on the same day as his birth and received into the congregation of St Mary, Wimbledon, on the 30th June1. It is not known why William was baptised the day he was born, it may have been he wasn’t expected to live. Born only a few months after his parent’s marriage, maybe he was premature and very small. Nothing more is known of William until he marries Mary Foreman, after Banns, in the Parish of St Lukes, Chelsea, Middlesex, on the 31st January, 18362. William stated he was a Bachelor and Mary was a Spinster and both are recorded as being of the Parish. They were married by John W Lokwood, the Rector. Both William and Mary signed their names, and the witnesses were Samuel & Jane Foreman, it is not known what, if any, what the relationship was to Mary. There is no information to indicate why Robert & Mary married in Chelsea, but we can speculate. Chelsea started life as a small Saxon village, the name being derived from the Saxon words ‘çealc’ meaning chalk & ‘hythe’ meaning landing place for boats. Chelsea remained rural and served London to the east as a market garden until the mid-16th Century when it had become the fashionable place to live for the upper classes. In 1536 Henry VIII built a manor house in Chelsea, but it was demolished in 1760. In 1647, the Society of Apothecaries of London founded a Physic Garden at Chelsea, this was followed by the New Spring Gardens around 1660, and in 1742 Ranelagh House opened its gardens to the public. Since then the area has been known for its magnificent gardens and of course in more recent times for the annual Chelsea Flower Show. All of these garden establishments would have needed numerous gardeners for the upkeep of the grounds, as well the larger estates houses may also have employed gardeners, so it can be imagined that possibly Robert Lambert worked at one of these gardens before his marriage, and possibly Mary’s family were involved in the marine trade. Census records3 indicate Mary was born around 1812, either in Dover or Margate, which are both in Kent, but to-date no record of a baptism has been located. Dover is on the south-eastern coast of Kent, almost opposite Calais, France. Dover’s name originated with its river, the River Dour deriving from the Celtic Dubrās ‘the waters’, via its Latinised form of ‘Dubris’. Because of its proximity to the sea, Dover has always had a strong link to maritime activities and been of great strategic importance to Britain, having had long control of the English Channel. As well as the massive castle, Dover's history as a military and garrison town can be seen in the extensive remains of its Roman forts, Napoleonic forts and of the more recent war defences. Approximately 20km north of Dover, Margate sits on the eastern most tip of Kent. Recorded as ‘Meregate’ in 1264 and as ‘Margate’ in 1299, the name is thought to refer to a pool gate or gape in the cliffs where pools of water are found. Like Dover the town’s history is tied closely to the sea and it has proud maritime traditions. Margate was a ‘limb’ of Dover in the ancient Confederation of Cinque Ports, this is an historic series of coastal towns that was originally formed for military and trade purposes. William, age 30, occupation Gardener, and Mary, age 28, appear in Wimbledon on the 1841 Census3, living at The Lodge, Cannizaro House, Wimbledon Common. The record indicates William was born in Surrey, but Mary was born in another county. With William & Mary is son William age 3, a Jane Clark age 5 and a Robert Lambert age 15, thought to be William's younger brother. Built in the 18th Century, Cannizaro House is today an up-market Hotel. By 18513, William and Mary's address is simply recorded as Wimbledon Common, and their family had grown with the addition of Robert, age 12; James, age 10; Elizabeth, age 8; Mary, age 3; Martha, age 2; and Jane, age 3months, she married William Rickman Ainsworth 1878. Also recorded is a visitor, Henry Freeman, age 3. William's occupation is now recorded as Labourer and his birthplace is given as Wimbledon, Mary's place of birth is recorded as Margate, Kent. The 1861 Census3 shows the family is still in Wimbledon, although they are now at Model Cottages, South Road, also recorded with William, age 50 & Mary, age 48, are children: Robert, age 21; James, age 1; Elizabeth, age 17; Martha, age 12; and Jane, age 11. Visitor Henry, age 14, is also still there. William's birthplace remains recorded as Wimbledon, but his occupation is now recorded as Gardener, and Mary's birthplace is now recorded as Dover, Kent. William & Mary are still in Model Cottage, South Road, at the time of the 1871 Census3. William is recorded as a 60year old Gardener and Mary is aged 59, both his and Mary's place of birth are recorded as in the previous Census. With them are son James age 26, with his wife Jane age 20, and a 2year old Mary recorded as Daughter, presumably the daughter of James & Jane. Mary died at 4 Model Cottages, Ridgeway, Wimbledon on the 29th July, 18764. She was 64years old, the cause of death was recorded as Chronic Bronchitis and the Informant was Sarah Warner of South Road, who was present at the death. It is assumed Mary was buried in Wimbledon, but the location is unknown. William, a Gardener, age 70, is recorded as living with his daughter Martha at 18 Thornton Road, at the time of the 1881 Census3. He is listed as a Lodger, also in the house is Mary E Lambert, age 11, recorded as William's daughter, but more likely to be Martha's daughter, and his grandson Henry F Lambert, age 2, Henry is believed to be Martha's son. William died on the 4th January, 1890, at 12 Goodenough Road, Wimbledon, Surrey4. He was 78years old, his occupation is given as Gardener, the cause of death was Chronic Bronchitis and Exhaustion. The Informant was his daughter Martha, also of 12 Goodenough Road, who was present at his death. It is also not known where William is buried, but again assumed to be Wimbledon.
References:
2. Parish Marriage Record via Ancestry.co.uk https://www.ancestry.co.uk 3. UK Censuses via Ancestry.co.uk https://www.ancestry.co.uk 4. Death Certificate
Other Sources: Brief History of Chelsea, A http://www.localhistories.org/chelsea.html Brief History of Dover, A http://www.localhistories.org/dover.html Kent Past -The History of Margate http://www.kentpast.co.uk/margate.html
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