John Lambert (civil servant) facts for kids

Sir John Lambert KCB PC (born 4 February 1815 – died 27 January 1892) was an important British lawyer and government official. He helped create many laws that shaped society in the 1800s.

Early Life and Becoming a Lawyer

John Lambert was born in 1815. His father was Daniel Lambert from Milford Hall, Salisbury. John went to Downside School, which was a Catholic school in Somerset. After finishing school, he became a solicitor in Salisbury. A solicitor is a type of lawyer who gives legal advice and prepares legal documents.

Building a Church

In the 1840s, John Lambert played a big part in building the first Catholic church in Salisbury city centre. This church was called St Osmund's.

Mayor of Salisbury

In 1854, John Lambert was chosen to be the Mayor of Salisbury. This was a very special event because he was the first Roman Catholic mayor of a cathedral city since the Reformation. The Reformation was a time long ago when there were big changes in religion in Britain.

Helping the Country with New Laws

In 1857, John Lambert started working for the government. He became an inspector for the Poor Law Board. This board helped manage support for people who were struggling.

Supporting People During Hard Times

In 1863, a big problem happened called the Lancashire Cotton Famine. Many people who worked with cotton lost their jobs. John Lambert was asked to help create ways to support these people. His work led to new laws like the Union Relief Aid Acts and the Public Works (Manufacturing Districts) Act 1864. These laws helped provide aid and jobs.

Writing Important Government Laws

Over the next few years, John Lambert helped write several important laws for the British government.

• He worked on the Reform Bill of 1866 for Lord John Russell's government. This bill aimed to change who could vote.
• He also helped create the Reform Act 1867 for Benjamin Disraeli. This law made it possible for more people to vote.
• He worked on the Irish Church Act 1869 and the Landlord and Tenant (Ireland) Act 1870 for William Ewart Gladstone's government. These laws dealt with important issues in Ireland.
• He also designed a plan for the Metropolitan Poor Act of 1867, which helped poor people in London.
• He served on many government groups that studied different issues.

Leading a Government Department

In 1871, John Lambert became the Permanent Secretary to the Local Government Board. This was a very important job, like being the top leader of a major government department. He stayed in this role until he retired in 1882.

Honors and Other Interests

John Lambert received several special honors for his hard work and dedication.

• He was made a CB (Companion of the Order of the Bath) because William Ewart Gladstone suggested it.
• In 1879, he was made a KCB (a higher honor) after Benjamin Disraeli recommended him.
• In 1885, he became a member of the Privy Council. This is a group of important advisors to the King or Queen.

Love for Church Music

John Lambert was also very knowledgeable about church music. He helped bring back the singing of plainchant, which is a very old style of church music. For his work with church music, he received a gold medal from Pope Pius IX.

Starting a Publishing Company

With a publisher named James Burns, John Lambert started a Catholic publishing company. It was first called Burns & Lambert and later became Burns & Oates.

Later Life

Sir John Lambert passed away in January 1892. He was buried in the graveyard behind St Osmund's Church in Salisbury, the church he helped build.