Major-General John Lambert (1619-1684)

Major-General John Lambert (1619-1684), Parliamentarian and Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, a restitutional small uniface oval silver portrait medal, by Stuart, after Thomas Simon [1653], his bare head left, with short, curled hair, his name behind, LAMBERT, 25 x 22mm (MI 405/39, var.; Platt II, pp. 182-83), contained in its original and delightful shagreen case, this with an old inked label, "M G Lambert". Extremely fine, toned and very rare.

John Lambert was born in Calton Hall, Kirkby Malham, Yorkshire in 1619. He served under General Thomas Fairfax. He fought in several battles before, in 1647, he was placed in command of the Northern Forces. In 1652 Cromwell appointed him Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Under the military rule imposed in 1655 Lambert ran the Northern District from York. He was opposed to Cromwell being appointed Lord Protector and refused to take the oath of loyalty. He resigned from office and retired to Wimbledon where he spent his time painting and gardening. In 1659 he attempted to organise resistance to the restoration of the monarchy and marched against Monk. However his army was to desert him and he was imprisoned in the Tower then exiled to Guernsey where, after spending 24 years in prison, he died on Drake's Island in February, 1684.

Provenance: Bt. D. Fearon, April, 2006; ex Papillion Collection, Bonhams, 25 March, 1998 (lot 36).