Lambert, JOHN

Lambert, JOHN, one of the chief soldiers in the great Civil War, was born in the parish of Kirkby Malham, in Yorkshire, September 7, 1619, studied at the Inns of Court, but on the outbreak of the war became a captain under Fairfax, and thereafter showed such conspicuous capacity and courage that he rose rapidly in rank. At Marston Moor he led Fairfax's cavalry on the right wing, was commissary-general of the army in the north after the formation of the 'new model' (1645), major-general of the northern counties (1647), helped Cromwell to crush Hamilton at Preston, captured Pontefract Castle in March 1649, after a three months' siege, and was thus absent from London during the trial of the king. In 1650 he went with Cromwell to Scotland as major-general, led the van at Dunbar, next traversed Fife and defeated the opposing army at Inverkeithing, followed Charles through the western shires to Worcester, and on the day of Cromwell's 'crowning mercy' commanded the troops on the eastern bank of the Severn. He took a prominent part in the installation of Oliver as protector, but actively opposed the proposition to declare him king. He was unable to take the oath of allegiance to the Protector, and became completely estranged from him. After his death he became the head of the cabal of malcontent officers which overthrew the feeble administration of Richard Cromwell. Lambert was now looked upon as the leader of the Fifth Monarchy or extreme republican party; suppressed with considerable vigour the royalist insurrection in Cheshire, August 1659; and two months afterwards, dismissing the remnant of the Rump Parliament, virtually governed the country along with his officers under the title of the 'Committee of Safety.' Monk frustrated his designs; he was sent to the Tower, tried in 1662, and banished to Guernsey, where he died in 1683.