LAMBERT, JOHN (1619-1683), English general in the Great Rebellion, was born at Calton Hall, Kirkby Malham, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. His family was of ancient lineage, and long settled in the county. He studied law, but did not make it his profession. In 1639 he married Frances, daughter of Sir William Lister. At the opening of the Civil War he took up arms for the parliament, and in September 1642 was appointed a captain of horse in the army commanded by Ferdinando, Lord Fairfax.
A year later he had become colonel of a regiment of horse, and he distinguished himself at the siege of Hull in October, Early in 5644 he did good service at the battles of Nantwich and Bradford. At Marston Moor Lambert's own regiment was routed by the charge of Goring's horse; but he cut his way through with a few troops and joined Cromwell on the other side of the field. When the New Model army was formed in the beginning of 1645, Colonel Lambert was appointed to succeed Fairfax in command of the northern forces. General Poyntz, however, soon replaced him, and under this officer he served in the Yorkshire campaign of 5645, receiving a wound before Pontefract. In 1646 he was given a regiment in the New Model, serving with Fairfax in the west of England, and he was a com missioner, with Fairfax in the west of England, and he was a com missioner, with Cromwell and others, for the surrender of Oxford in the same year.
When the quarrel between the parliament and the army began, Lambert threw himself warmly into the army's cause. He assisted Ireton in drawing up the several addresses and remonstrances issued by the army, both men having had some experience in the law, and being "of a subtle and working brain." Early in August 1647 Lambert was sent by Fairfax as major-general to take charge of the forces in the northern counties. His wise and just managing of affairs in those parts is commended by Whitelocke. He sup pressed a mutiny among his troops, kept strict discipline and hunted down the moss-troopers who infested the moorland country.
When the Scottish army under the marquis of Hamilton invaded England in the summer of 5648, Lambert, who was engaged in suppressing the Royalist rising in his district, was obliged to retreat. He then harassed the invaders until Cromwell came from Wales, and joined him in destroying the Scottish army in the three days' fighting from Preston to Warrington. After the battle Lambert's cavalry finally surrounded the Scots at Uttoxeter, where Hamilton surrendered on Aug. 25. He then led Cromwell's army into Scotland, where he was left in charge on Cromwell's return. From December 5648 to March 1649 he was besieging Pontefract Castle, and was thus absent from London at the time of Pride's Purge and the trial and execution of the king.
In July 165o Lambert went with Cromwell to Scotland as major-general and second in command, and had a share in the victory of Dunbar. He defeated the "Protesters," or "Western
Whigs," at Hamilton on Dec. 1, 165o. In July 1651 he was sent into Fife to force the Scottish army near Falkirk into decisive action by cutting off their supplies. This mission, in the course of which Lambert won an important victory at Inverkerthing, was executed with entire success, whereupon Charles II., as Lambert had foreseen, made for England. For the events of the Worcester campaign which followed see GREAT REBELLION. Lambert played a brilliant part in the general plan, and at Worcester he com manded the right wing of the English army and had his horse shot under him. Parliament conferred on him a grant of lands in Scotland worth LI,000 per annum.
In October 1651 Lambert was made a commissioner to settle the affairs of Scotland, and succeeded Ireton as lord deputy of Ireland on the latter's death in January 1652. Parliament, how ever, soon afterwards reconstituted the Irish administration, and Lambert refused to accept office on the new terms. Henceforward he began to oppose the Rump. In the council of officers he headed the party desiring representative government, as opposed to Harrison, who favoured a selected oligarchy of "God-fearing" men, but both joined in urging Cromwell to dissolve the Long parliament by force. At the same time Lambert was consulted by the parliamentary leaders as to the possibility of dismissing Cromwell from his command, and on March 15, 1653, Cromwell referred to him contemptuously as "bottomless Lambert." On April 20, however, Lambert accompanied Cromwell when he dis missed the council of state, on the day of the forcible expulsion of the parliament. Lambert now favoured the formation of a small executive council, to be followed by an elective parliament with powers limited by a written instrument of government. Some looked on him as a possible rival of Cromwell for the chief execu tive power, while the royalists for a short time had hopes of his support. He sat, with Cromwell, Harrison and Desborough, in the nominated parliament of 1653 ; when the unpopularity of that assembly increased Cromwell drew nearer to him. In November 1653 Lambert presided over a meeting of officers to discuss the constitutional settlement and the forcible expulsion of the nomi nated parliament. On Dec. 1 he urged Cromwell in vain to assume the title of king. On Dec. the parliament resigned its power to Cromwell, and on the 13th the officers consented to the Instru ment of Government, Lambert being one of the seven officers on the council which it created. In the foreign policy of the pro tectorate he advocated alliance with Spain and war with France (1653). He also strongly opposed an expedition to the West Indies.