Show ContentsLambtown History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Lambtown family

The surname Lambtown was first found in Durham where there is a township named Lambton. "Lambton Hall formerly stood here, and was the residence of the Lambton family until the death of William Lambton, Esq., at the close of the eighteenth century." 1 The first on record was John Lambton, Lord of Lambton, who lived about 1150. His successor was Sir Robert Lambton, Lord of Lambton in 1314. 2

His direct descendent was Sir William Lambton, a Royalist, who was a cavalry officer in the service of Charles I and was slain at Marston Moor. Now known as Lambton, Tyne and Wear, it is home to the legend of the Lambton Worm, John Lambton, heir to the Lambton estate and his quest to vanquish the giant worm (dragon.) From this legend, a Lambton curse for three generations, a song written in 1867, and an opera named "The Lambton Worm" by Robert Johnson survive.

Early History of the Lambtown family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lambtown research. Another 54 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1505, 1582, 1583, 1593, 1640, 1644, 1651, 1662, 1685, 1693, 1698, 1701, 1702, 1717 and 1724 are included under the topic Early Lambtown History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lambtown Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Lambtown family name include Lambton, Lampton, Lamton, Lambtone and others.

Early Notables of the Lambtown family

Notables of the family at this time include John Lambton (1505-1582); Robert Lambton (died 1583); Ralph Lambton (died 1593); Colonel Sir William Lambton (died 1644), who fought in the Battle of Marston Moor on 2 July 1644; and his...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lambtown Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Lambtown family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Lambtown surname or a spelling variation of the name include: James Lambstone, who arrived in Virginia in 1652.



  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.


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