The Lamb Family Online
The Lamb Family History
The story of the Lamb Family of Canada and the United States begins in the 1850's with the arrival of Joseph Lamb and his younger brother, John.  These two men were both born in Ireland, but the family is not Irish.  Two clues point to Scotland as the homeland of the Lamb Family.  First, the Lambs were Presbyterian, the religion of Scotland.  Second, the name Lamb originated in the Shetland and Orkney Islands off the north coast of Scotland.  In all likelihood, a Lamb ancestor was convinced to settle in Ulster (northern Ireland) by the promise of free land.  For reasons not fully known Joseph and John left the land of their birth, and after a journey of as much as ten years, eventually reached Canada.  The exact route that they followed to Canada is not known, nor are the exact dates.  Family legend and circumstantial evidence piece together the following story.

 
In 1849 Joseph and John Lamb were forced to leave their home in County Donegal, Ulster, Ireland.  The two brothers had acted as co-signers on a promissory note for a relative.  When the deal failed, the brothers were left with only one alternative: emigration.  It seems that their destination was Quebec City; however, due to a storm at sea, the destination was changed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.   In Philadelphia the brothers found employment as groundskeepers for a judge.  Here Joseph and John Lamb met two sisters, Maria and Margaret Wilson. Maria and Margaret Wilson were the daughters of Andrew and Mary Wilson of County London/Derry, Ulster, Ireland.  The sisters apparently worked as domestics on the judge’s estate.  Soon Joseph and Maria married (probably in 1852 or 1853); later, in 1856, John and Margaret married.  Sometime after 1855, however, it was decided that the two couples would leave Philadelphia and move to Canada.   The destination in Canada was the “Huron Tract”  on the newly opened frontiers of Canada West as this is where other members of the Wilson family intended to settle.

 
In the late 1840's the government of Canada West (now the province of Ontario) decided to encourage settlement in an area of land north-west of Guelph called the "Huron Tract."  The Wilson and Lamb Families were among the many who were convinced to make their way to the "Counties of Bruce, Grey, Wellington and Huron."  To get there they would first have made their way to Guelph.  Here, one went north to Durham on the Garafraxa Road.  From Durham one commenced westward on the Durham Road  to Buck's Crossing (now Hanover) and the Saugeen River.  After crossing the Saugeen one had arrived in the Township of Brant, in the County of Bruce,  seventy miles from Guelph, some four hundred and fifty miles from Philadelphia, and almost four thousand miles from Ireland.
The Settlement of Canada West
This advertisment first appeared in the Canada Gazette  on July 31, 1852.

Crown Lands Department

Quebec, 30th July, 1852 
NOTICE is hereby given, that the School Lands in the Counties of Bruce, Grey, Wellington and Huron are now open for sale to actual settlers on the following terms, viz:

 The price to be Ten Shillings [$2.00] per acre, payable in Ten equal Annual Instalments, with interest: the first instalment to be paid upon receiving authority to enter upon the land.  Actual occupation to be immediate and continuous; the land to be cleared at the rate of five acres annually for each hundred acres during the first five years; a dwelling house, at least eighteen feet by twenty-six, to be erected; the timber to be reserved until the land has been paid in full and patented, and to be subject to any general timber duty thereafter; a license of occupation, not assignable without permission, to be granted; the sale and license of occupation to become null and void in case of neglect or violation of any conditions; the Settler to be entitled to obtain a Patent upon complying with all the conditions; not more than two hundred acres to be sold to any one person on these terms.

 
Tracing the movements of Joseph and John Lamb before 1859 is quite difficult, as there are only a handful of clues to help clarify the mysteries - and some clues serve only to deepen the mysteries.  The first fixed date at which the Lamb brothers can be placed in Canada is August 22 nd 1859, the date on which John Lamb purchased his property, Lots 36 and 37, Concession 2 North of the Durham Road (NDR).  The second fixed date is April 17th 1860 when Joseph made a down payment on Lot 38, Concession 2 North of the Durham Road.  The property that the Lamb brothers came to own, however, had a prior history.

 
On September 2nd 1857 Andrew Wilson wrote a letter to the Crown Land Agency.   This letter, combined with a signed document, established his claim to Lots 36 and 37, Concession 2 NDR.   The documents indicate that he had occupied one of the lots for as many as five years, and the other lot for three years.  Moreover, he claims to have made “a chopping of twenty acres, with eight acres cleared, and built a good log home.” If this letter can be believed Andrew Wilson was in Brant Township as early as 1852.  For whatever reasons, Andrew Wilson was either denied ownership, or withdrew his claim, allowing John Lamb the opportunity to buy the property. On July 11th 1857, James A. Wilson -the brother of Maria and Margaret- wrote his own letter to the Crown Land Agency.  In his letter, James established his right to Lots 38 and 39, Concession 2 NDR.  Again there is the possibility that James A. Wilson was either denied or withdrew his claim to Lot 38 as Joseph Lamb purchased Lot 38 from the Crown.  (James A. Wilson was successful in his attempt to purchase Lot 39.)

 
The most puzzling aspect of this story, though, is that the Wilson family had not settled in Philadelphia.  As early as 1833 Andrew Wilson, his brother James, and his sister, Isabel (Mrs. Thomas Todd), had settled in Welland County in the Niagara Peninsula.  If the Wilsons lived in Welland Country, this gives rise to the obvious question: how did Maria and Margaret Wilson come to be in Philadelphia?  Any answer is purely speculative, but one possibility comes to mind. It is possible that on their way to Canada -in the 1830’s- the Wilson family also passed through Philadelphia.  If this is true, then it could be possible that some members of the family remained in Philadelphia when other members of the family continued on to Welland County.  Perhaps Maria and Margaret had done nothing more than move to live with relatives in Pennsylvania.  Once there they encountered the Lamb brothers, who were on their way to Canada.  As the Wilsons in Welland had grown tired of the damp climate there, they had already begun to move to Bruce County.  Perhaps, then, Andrew Wilson was reunited with his daughters, and met his sons-in-law, at the same time.

The Family of Joseph Lamb

After their arrival in Canada, Joseph and Maria probably lived with her family until such time as they could purchase their own property.  This happened on April 17th 1860 when Joseph made a down payment on the fifty-acre farm located on Lot 38, Concession 2 NDR in Brant Township.  This transaction gives rise to yet another mystery.  Records from the Archives of Ontario state that Joseph made an initial down payment followed by five annual payments of $20.00, and should therefore have received his patent in 1866.  However, he did not receive his land patent until September 23 rd 1870.  The records of the Township of Brant record that by 1861 the farm had 7 acres of cleared land, and a log house and a log barn.
Joseph and Maria had three children: Joseph W., James Andrew (Jim), and Mary E. Lamb.  Two or these children, Joseph and Mary, died in childhood.  It is possible that Joseph -born in 1854- was actually born in Philadelphia.  His death occurred on January 8th 1856, possibly in Philadelphia, or possibly in Brant Township.  The only clue is that his name is included on the Joseph Lamb Family gravestone in the Town of Walkerton Cemetery.  Mary died on October 31st 1867, and is buried in the Town of Walkerton Cemetery. 

 
The only child of Joseph and Maria Lamb to reach adulthood was Jim Lamb.  Like his father, Jim Lamb became a farmer.  On March 1st 1879, he purchased Lot 39, Concession 2 NDR from his uncle, James A. Wilson.  As his father aged, Jim also took over the farming of Lot 38, the site of the Lamb Farmhouse.  Upon the death of Joseph Lamb, in 1904, Jim took full ownership of Lot 38, giving him a combined farm of 100 acres.
On October 13 th 1880, Jim married Sarah Florence Hettrick.  She was born in Ireland in 1855, and has sailed to Canada in 1869.  Jim and Sarah raised a family of three: Norma Maria Elizabeth, Walter James, and Florence Mary Lamb.  In addition to these three children, Jim and Sarah had a daughter Josephine Louise Hettrick (Hettie) Lamb who died in childhood.

In 1934 the farm of Joseph and Jim Lamb passed out of the Lamb family name when Jim sold his property to Walter Rowand, and retired.  He and Sarah both lived into their eighties.  They are laid to rest together in the family plot in the Town of Walkerton Cemetery.

 
The eldest of Jim and Sarah’s children was Norma Lamb.  She trained as a nurse at the Stratford, Ontario hospital.  In 1916 she married George Laurence (Mac) McClennan.  Mac worked for the Bank of Montreal, eventually retiring in Guelph.  Norma and Mac had no children.  They are laid to rest together in the Guelph Cemetery.
Walter Lamb studied at Queen’s University, and became a teacher of mathematics.  He also served during World War One, achieving a rank of Major.  He married Margaret Christina Grainger in 1921, and had two daughters, Nancy and Norah.
The youngest child of Jim and Sarah Lamb was Florence.  Like Walter, she became a teacher, teaching near Walkerton and in Toronto.  In 1927 she married Henry Orr Waddell.  He had graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in civil engineering, and worked for the Canadian National Railroad.  Florence and Henry had two children, Joan and Jim.

The Family of John Lamb

After their arrival in Canada, John and Maprobably lived with other members of the Wilson family as well.  On August 22nd 1859 John Lamb made a down payment of $40.00 on property in the Township of Brant.  This farm -consisting of 100 acres of land- was located at Lots 36 and 37, Concession 2 NDR, immediately next to his brother’s farm.  As mentioned above, though, records from the Archives of Ontario indicate that it was actually John Lamb’s father-in-law, Andrew Wilson, who first settled and began to clear this land. 

The township records of 1861 state that this farm had 15 acres of cleared land, and one log house.  Once again, though, there is a mystery.  Records state that John made ten annual payments of $10.00, and received the patent for his farm on September 23rd 1870.  Even with a down payment of  $40.00, this does not equal the $200.00 that the farm should have cost.
John and Margaret Lamb raised a family of four children: Thomas Wilson, John Todd, Anna Elizabeth and Mary Ellen Lamb.  It would seem that they prospered, and lived relatively long lives.  John and Margaret are laid to rest together in the John Lamb Family Plot in the Town of Walkerton Cemetery.

 
In keeping with family tradition, Tom Lamb became a farmer.  In 1878 he leased Lot 36 from his father.  On June 24th 1879, however, Tom went further and purchased Lot 40 Concession 2 NDR.  On November 3rd 1881 he married his neighbour, Jean Thompson Rowand.  (Jean Rowand was the daughter of Andrew and Elizabeth Rowand.  The Rowands had emigrated from Scotland, and were also early settlers of Brant Township.)  Tom and Jean Lamb had five children, only two of whom survived to adulthood: Beatrix Vivian Elizabeth, Margaret Victoria, Frederick Carlyle, Charles Leslie, and Arthur Wilson Lamb.  Beatrix and Margaret both died of diphtheria in 1887; Arthur died of diphtheria in 1894.
Fred Lamb initially began to farm, but chose instead to pursue higher education.  He eventually became a surveyor for the province of Saskatchewan.  On December 17 th 1913 he married Margaret May Consay.  Fred and Margaret had three sons: John Alexander (Jack), Robert Consay (Bob) and Thomas Wilson (Tom) Lamb.

Jack married Aline Marie O’Connor; they were the parents of Kathleen Marie, Lorraine Norma, Frederick Charles (Ric), Garry Alexander, and Elizabeth (Betty) Lamb.

Bob married Barbara Imhofe; they are the parents of David Stephen, Elizabeth Margaret (Betsy), and William Alexander (Bill) Lamb.

Tom Lamb never married.
 
Charley Lamb also became a farmer, working first with his father.  In October of 1912, however, Charley purchased his own property: Lots 38 and 39 on Concession 3, NDR.  In 1916, when Tom Lamb passed away, Lot 40 of Concession 2 was left to Fred Lamb.  For the sum of $665.00 Fred sold this land to his younger brother, giving Charley a total of 150 acres of farmland.  On September 29th 1925 Charley married Edna Matilda Wahn.  They lived on their farm until 1958, when they retired to a home in Walkerton.  Charley and Edna had no children.  They are laid to rest together in the Town of Walkerton Cemetery.

 
 
The second son of John and Margaret Lamb was John Todd Lamb.  Once again, farming was the chosen occupation.  On November 20th 1883 John T. purchased Lot 36 from his parents for the price of $1.00.  On October 29th 1885 John T. married Elizabeth Rowand.  (She was the sister of Jean Rowand, Mrs. Tom Lamb.)
John T. and Elizabeth Lamb raised a family of three sons: Garrett John, Roy Andrew and Thomas Gordon Lamb.  John T. Lamb eventually inherited Lot 37 from his parents, and farmed this property until he passed on to his son, Roy.  John T. and Elizabeth Lamb are laid to rest together in the Lamb Family Plot in the Town of Walkerton Cemetery.

 
Like his cousin Fred, Garrett Lamb decided to forgo a life of farming for a university education.  He would eventually graduate with a degree in mining engineering.  As a mining engineer, he worked in several communities in northern Ontario.  On August 1st 1916 Garrett married Emma Luella Fraser.  They had a family of four: Elizabeth, Thomas Fraser, Barbara Rowand, and Laurence John Lamb. Elizabeth married William Gordon (Bill) Allcock; they are the parents of William Fraser (Bill), James Edgar (Jim), Marion Patricia, Margaret Elizabeth and John Stuart Allcock.

Fraser served as a pilot during World War Two.  He was listed as Missing in Action following a raid over Bremen, Germany on the night of June 25th-26th 1942.

Barbara is married to Thomas Gillespie.

Laurence married Florence Catherine MacMillan; they are the parents of Thomas Garrett (Tom), Barbara Anne, and Ellen Marie Lamb.

 
Roy Lamb married Jessie McNally of Brant Township.  They lived on the Lamb Family farm in Brant until 1944, when they moved to Owen Sound.  Jessie and Roy raised a family of five children: John William, Harold Andrew, Ellen Elizabeth, Garrett Arthur, and Gordon Roy Lamb.  They are buried together in the Lamb Family plot in the Town of Walkerton Cemetery. John married Helen Doreen Ball and had six children: Barbara Ellen, John Roy, Bruce William, Robert Douglas (Bob), David Glen, and Terrence John Lamb.

Andy married Eileen Ella Dietz; they are the parents of Gregory Charles and Garrett Andrew Lamb.

Ellen married James Campbell (Jim) McLean.  Ellen and Jim had six children: Nancy Ann, Mary Elizabeth, Dorothy May, Thomas Roy, Katherine Louise, and Judith Elaine McLean.

Arthur married Daisy Margaret Wright; they have one daughter, Elizabeth Margaret Lamb.

Gordon is married to Susan Neudorf.  They have two children, Stephen Roy and Deanne Marie Lamb.

The other websites to visit are:
The Lamb Family Main Page
The Index Page