I have just joined rootschat in order to join this conversation, which I stumbled across yesterday.
I am a Lambert living in Adelaide, South Australia. About 30 years ago my mother's car broke down near Auburn, a town approximately 100 kilometres north of Adelaide. As repairs would take a week, I went to collect my mother from relatives (on my father's side) living in Auburn. Uncle Alec, as we called him, was the brother of my grandfather, John Lambert, and I recall at least one other brother, Rowley Lambert. I expect all are now deceased. While there, Alec asked me if I knew how the Lambert family came to be living in the Auburn region, and then proceeded to tell me that an ADM Sir George Lambert was an ancestor who had been bequeathed land around Auburn, which was subsequently settled by his son, whom he described as a retired Lieutenant in the Royal Navy. It seems some of the ADM's memorabilia (swords and the like) had been handed down too, but Alec intimated that another forebear's fondness for alcohol had resulted in this being sold off. Pity!
Soon after returning to Adelaide I checked the ADM's credentials in the State Library, but it wasn't until a couple of years ago that I discovered something of his exploits, and those of his son VADM Rowley Lambert, through internet searches.
Understandably I found the earlier details of this conversation quite fascinating. I was unaware of the broader extent of the military Lamberts until yesterday. As a senior principal research scientist within the Australian Defence Department, it is astounding to discover so much military history in my ancestry, including the Australian aspects (Commodore of the Aust SQN, Lewis v Lambert case law). I was also unacquainted with the history associated with Weston House in Western Green, Thames Ditton. I deduced and looked up the now vacant area in Google Maps yesterday. I was last in London in 2010. I drove from Heathrow to Portsmouth where I worked for a week. Had I been aware of the Thames Ditton connection, I would certainly have stopped off!
I am naturally interested in anything else you may know, but equally am happy to provide any Australian information if it will assist. I have not kept in touch with the Auburn relatives and so am not sure of the current extent, but could make some effort to find out if it is of any value to you.