DIIIMAX, JOHN GEORGE bAmirroic, Earl of, an English statesman, was the son of William Henry Lambton, esq., of Lambton hall, county of Durham, and was born at the family seat, 12th April, 1792. The Lambton estate was not very large, but had been in the possession of the family since the 12th c., the male issue having never once failed during all that period. The antiquity of the family, however, exercised no nar rowing influence on' his were markedly radical. Hewas educated at.
Eton; and when only twenty years of age, married at Gretna Green a Miss Harriet Chol mondeley, who died in the course of a few years. In 1814, he was returned for his native county, and though lie did not speak on many questions, he took part in all the more important debates, opposing the corn-law bill of 1815, the additions made to the in comes of the royal dukes, the indemnity bill of 1818, the six repressive bills brought in by government to coerce the people after the great reform meeting at Manchester in 1819, etc. Two years after, he submitted to the house of commons a scheme of parlia
mentary reform, which of course was not accepted. In 1828, he was raised to the peer age, with the title of Baron Durham of the city of Durham. He was one of the four persons who drew up the reform bill, and supported it in the house of lords. In 1833, lord D. was dispatched on a mission to Russia. On his return to this country, his " advanced liberalism" was proclaimed at a dinner given to lord Grey at Edinburgh, in 1834, and in various other parts of the country. After a second mission to Russia, he was appointed governor-general of Canada, where he arrived in May, 1839; but on account of a misunderstanding with the home government, he took the extraordinary step of returning to England in the course of half a year, without either being recalled or obtaining the royal consent. D. died at Cowes, Isle of Wight, 28th July, 1840. He left a son, the present earl, of Durham, and three daughters.