Amanuensis[i] Monday
Darling, McAllister, Lamb
By Don Taylor
The 1894 Last Will and Testament of Edward Lamb shows the rift that occurred in the Lamb family. Sometime between 1861 and 1871, the Lamb family blew apart. During the 1871 Census, Edward was enumerated living with his mother and two sisters. His wife, Isabella, and son, Edward, went off to parts unknown, to be found in 1881 in Lancashire. His daughter Margaret left Westmorland and headed to Workington, Cumberland, England, where she married. She then emigrated to the United States in 1884. His son, James Cooper Lamb, appears to have had a stint in jail, cleaned his act up, and joined the military, where he was when Edward completed his will. So, although his wife, daughter, and two sons were living, he gave everything he had to James.
Edward Lamb’s Probate Document*
BE IT KNOWN that at the date hereunder written the last Will and Testament of Edward Lamb of Sanford in the parish of Warcop in the county of Westmorland, farmer, deceased, who died on the first day of November 1893 at Sanford aforesaid and who at the time of his death had a fixed place of abode at Sanford aforesaid within the District of the Counties of Cumberland and Westmorland was proved and registered in the District Probate Registry of Her Majesty’s High Court of Justice at Carlisle and that Administration of the personal estate of the said deceased was granted by the aforesaid Court to James Cooper Lamb of Linen Hall Barracks in the city of Dublin Sergeant in the 4th Royal Dublin Fusiliers, son of the said deceased, the sole executor. Named in the said will he having been first sworn well and faithfully to administer the same.
Dated the 10th day of July 1894
Gross value of Personal Estate £22.10.0
33rd SectionExtracted by John Bell
Solicitor Appleby.
Edward Lamb’s Will*
This is the Last Will and Testament of me, Edward Lamb of Sanford in the parish of Warcop in the county of Westmorland, Farmer. I appoint my son, James Cooper Lamb sole executor of this my will I give and bequeath all my money, securities for money nd all my household stores and articles of consumption, linen, furniture and other effects of household use or ornament articles and implements of every kind and description and all other goods and chattels of which I may be entitled to dispose by this my will to the said James Cooper Lamb for his own use absolutely I give and devise my to freehold messuages or dwelling houses situate at Sanford in the township of Sanford in the parish of Warcop in the said County of Westmorland with the yards, gardens and appurtenances hereunto belonging and the field thereunto adjoining commonly call or known by the name of Mosey Dale and also all that my open and unenclosed Dale situate in Sanford Mise in the said township of Sanford and Parish of Warcop to the said James Cooper Lamb absolutely and I give devise appoint and bequeath all other my real and personal estate whatsoever and wherever and whether in possession reversion remainder of expectancy unto my said son James Cooper Lamb for his own use absolutely and I declare this only to be my last Will and Testament in witness whereof I the said Edward Lamb have herein to set my hand this eighteenth day of August one thousand eight hundred and ninety three.
Signed and declared by the said Edward Lamb the {
testator as and for his last will and testament in the {
presence of us, present at the same time, who at his {
request, in his presence and the presence of each other{
have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses {
the works “all my having first been inserted between { the third and fourth lines from the top hereof. {Est. Lonsdale Nankon of Appleby Solicitor
Mary Lamb, SanfordOn the tenth day of July 1894 Probate of this will was granted at Carlisle to James Cooper Lamb, the Executor.
Discussion
James Cooper Lamb owned a house and land freehold in Sanford from 1895 until he died in 1898, even though he was in the military and stationed in Ireland.
Follow-up
Determine exactly what property was Edward Lamb’s that transferred to his son in 1894.
Endnotes
[i] John Newmark started the “Amanuensis Monday” category in 2009 on his Blog, Transylvanian Dutch and many bloggers have followed suit using the tag. Google provides the following meaning for amanuensis: “A literary or artistic assistant, in particular one who takes dictation or copies manuscripts.”
* Images available through GOV.UK — Probate Search — Service — “Find a will” — https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/#wills
