Lambert Family

[Kaybron]

My father's mother was a Lambert from Croydon, Surrey.  I have recently made contact with a person connected to the Lambert family.  In one of her emails she mentions the family were gypsies.  I have found most of the family back to 1841 and in all census apart from 1851.  The family certainly did travel around a bit.  They can be found in Portsea Hampshire, Sussex and also in Surrey.  In 1861 they are living in a tent, with their entry the last one on the page for that particular district.  Occupations given include Hawker, Flower Hawker, Chair Carver, Basket Maker, Umbrella Maker.  I have done a bit of reading on Gypsies on various sites and would just like an opinion from "Rootschatters" on the likelihood of the family being Gypsies.   
Regards Kaybron

[rob g]

hi, kaybron, there are lamberts  in the romany people, and all the trades you mention are ones that gypsy folk did. also the areas you mention have lots of travellers living and moving around them.so the likelyhood is very strong that there is a connection.as to the person saying they were gypies i am a full blood romany and can say that it is a bit like any ethnic group,times and jobs alter but but your blood cannot. ie if you were asian born in britain, you would be as british as the next man, but still asian, same thing for romany folki. cushty bok ,(good luck in romany) in tracing any gypsy roots. if there is any thing about traveller life past or present, you wish to ask, feel free.  rob g

[Kaybron]

Thanks rob g for your reply.  I guess I was a bit surprised when someone who had been looking into the family for a while told me this.   I never realised that there was so much information on the internet about gypsy folk and it is all very interesting to read.   Up until a couple of months ago I knew very little about my father's maternal grandparents/great grandparents and it is quite exciting when putting their tree together. 
Regards Kaybron

[kewsmith9]

Thanks rob g for your reply.  I guess I was a bit surprised when someone who had been looking into the family for a while told me this.   I never realised that there was so much information on the internet about gypsy folk and it is all very interesting to read.   Up until a couple of months ago I knew very little about my father's maternal grandparents/great grandparents and it is quite exciting when putting their tree together. 
Regards Kaybron

Hi there I have Lambert in my family They were smiths Most Lamberts are usually wood carvers tin smiths scrap metal folk horse dealers and breeders My Grandfather was Alfred Edward lambert There was Minnie (sissy) Lucy who married her cousin George lambert Then there was Freddie,Charlie,joseph and William (uncle bill )Danny There were more children but I think they didn't make past infancy .Alfreds father was Charles lambert and he's farther was Eddie Jesse lambert in Cheshunt there is A horse statue made from scrap metal this was made for my grt uncle bill As he loved his horses .💗

[jillt]

It was a surprise to me to find that my great grandparents were travellers/gypsies and now I would like to find out more. My great grandfather was William Blake, a hawker who married Elizabeth Davis, also a hawker. Going back from there leads me to the Lambert family that you have also found, William Lambert, married to Esther Campbell.

I've reached a dead end now, did you ever get any further?

Jill

[Kaybron]

Hi Jillt, Yes I have done quite a bit of research on the Lambert family and do have some information on the family. 

When was Elizabeth born and when did she marry William Blake?

Regards Kaybron

[jillt]

Thank you for your prompt reply Kaybron.

My grandfather was James Blake, mother Elizabeth Davis (b  1867, probably Brighton) James' father was William Blake, a hawker. Elizabeth's father was  Job Davis (b 1842, Surrey), a hawker. Job married Elizabeth Lambert Campbell (b 1844, Brighton). Elizabeth Lambert Campbell's father was William Lambert. Her mother was Esther Campbell.

I have more if you need it!

Thanks for your interest.

Jill

[Kaybron]

Hi jillt,  As you have done some research I guess you are aware of William Lambert and Esther Campbell's children:
William (1840)  Joshua (1843)  Elizabeth (1844)  Sophia (1845)  Thomas (1848)  Sampson  (1852)  Henry  (1855)  Aaron  (1857)  Eliza  (1862)   
Your connection to the William and Esther is through Elizabeth and mine is through Joshua.  Joshua Lambert/Campbell was my great great grandfather and William Lambert was my ggg grandfather.   

I don't know if you are aware that William and Esther separated before the 1871 census was taken and this caused a division in the family.  Some of the children of William and Esther changed their names and went by Campbell and others still used Lambert as their surname.

I did discover that the family were gypsies.  There was an inquest into the death of Eliza Lambert in 1862.  I found a newspaper write up of the inquest and this states that the family were gypsies and were at the time were living in a caravan and in Croydon.  They lived on some vacant land set aside for gypsies and paid rent for the use of the land.

Up until finding this article I was uncertain if the Lambert family were gypsies.

Regards Kaybron

[Kaybron]

Hi jillt,

Once you have made another post we will be able to send personal messages.  I can then give you my email through a personal message and you can give me yours through a personal message.  We will then be able to communicate directly and exchange files without having to work through Rootschat and also any posts we make will not be seen by others.

We have to do it this way as Rootschat does not allow people to post their email addresses directly onto this site where others can see.

The personal message works through the green icon on the left side of the page just under where it states the number of posts you have made.

Regards Kaybron