George Lambert, 2nd Viscount Lambert
Encyclopedia
George Lambert, 2nd Viscount Lambert, TD
(27 November 1909 – 24 May 1989) was a British
politician.
Lambert was the eldest son of long-serving Devon
Member of Parliament
, the Rt. Hon. George Lambert
. He was educated at Harrow School
and New College, Oxford
. During World War II
he was commissioned into the Royal Engineers
, but transferred to the Royal Artillery
in 1940. He became a Lieutenant-Colonel
and a War Office
liaison officer, visiting the Mediterranean
, India
and South-East Asia Commands.
After almost fifty years in Parliament, George Lambert senior stepped down at the 1945 general election
and was created Viscount Lambert
. Lambert younger stood successfully as a National Liberal
candidate in his father's seat, South Molton
. In 1950 the constituency was abolished and replaced by Torrington
, which Lambert continued to serve until his father's death in 1958, at which point he joined the House of Lords
. This prompted the Torrington by-election, 1958
and the Liberal Party
's first by-election gain in almost thirty years
He married Patricia (Patsy) Quinn in 1939. Quinn who was Anglo-Irish, came over from her family home Greystones House in Dalkey to be educated in England where she was at School with Vivien Leigh and they became lifelong friends. They had a son George who died in 1970 in a car accident and a daughter Louise.
In Parliament, Lambert spoke on agriculture matters. He sold the family estate in Devon in the 1970s and moved to Switzerland where he died in 1989 and Patsy, Viscountess Lambert, died in 1991.
His brother Michael who lived near Siena inherited the title but he died without issue in 1999 and the title became extinct.
Territorial Decoration
The Territorial Decoration was a medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Territorial Army...
(27 November 1909 – 24 May 1989) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
politician.
Lambert was the eldest son of long-serving Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, the Rt. Hon. George Lambert
George Lambert, 1st Viscount Lambert
George Lambert, 1st Viscount Lambert, PC was a long-serving British Member of Parliament .Lambert was first elected as Liberal MP for South Molton at a by-election in 1891. He was Civil Lord of the Admiralty 1905-1915. He lost his seat at the 1924 to the Conservative Cedric Drewe, but regained...
. He was educated at Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
and New College, Oxford
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he was commissioned into the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
, but transferred to the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
in 1940. He became a Lieutenant-Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
and a War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
liaison officer, visiting the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and South-East Asia Commands.
After almost fifty years in Parliament, George Lambert senior stepped down at the 1945 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
and was created Viscount Lambert
Viscount Lambert
Viscount Lambert, of South Molton in the County of Devon, was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1945 for George Lambert, who had been a Liberal Member of Parliament since 1891, with the exception for the 1924-1929 Parliament. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the...
. Lambert younger stood successfully as a National Liberal
National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)
The National Liberal Party, known until 1948 as the Liberal National Party, was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1931 to 1968...
candidate in his father's seat, South Molton
South Molton (UK Parliament constituency)
South Molton was a parliamentary constituency centred on the small town of South Molton in Devon, in the South West of England. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
. In 1950 the constituency was abolished and replaced by Torrington
Torrington (UK Parliament constituency)
Torrington was a county constituency centred on the town of Torrington in Devon. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1950 until it was abolished for the February 1974 general election....
, which Lambert continued to serve until his father's death in 1958, at which point he joined the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. This prompted the Torrington by-election, 1958
Torrington by-election, 1958
The Torrington by-election of 1958, in Devon, England, was the first gain by the British Liberal Party at a by-election since Holland with Boston in 1929....
and the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
's first by-election gain in almost thirty years
He married Patricia (Patsy) Quinn in 1939. Quinn who was Anglo-Irish, came over from her family home Greystones House in Dalkey to be educated in England where she was at School with Vivien Leigh and they became lifelong friends. They had a son George who died in 1970 in a car accident and a daughter Louise.
In Parliament, Lambert spoke on agriculture matters. He sold the family estate in Devon in the 1970s and moved to Switzerland where he died in 1989 and Patsy, Viscountess Lambert, died in 1991.
His brother Michael who lived near Siena inherited the title but he died without issue in 1999 and the title became extinct.