An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., The
Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL., 1893, pages 374-375
	
	JUDGE VINCENT D. LAMBERT, one of the Washington pioneers, was born in
Deptford, England, July 26, 1828, a son of John and Eliza Lambert, natives also
of that country. The father died in 1842, at the age of thirty-seven years, and
the mother in 1868, aged seventy years.
	Vincent D., the eldest of five children, received only a limited education,
having spent most of his time, after reaching a sufficient age, at the cooper's
trade. At the age of twenty-one years he was employed as ship cooper on a
whaling vessel, but at the expiration of his term of three years at that
occupation, he and a friend started for San Francisco. They made arrangements
with the Captain of a ship, obtained a canoe, and, with a party of five, started
for the vessel at night, but their light craft was overturned, throwing its
occupants in the ocean. They however clung to the canoe, and were safely landed
on board the ship. Once on board the ship all were stowed away for five days,
only taking chances to come out for refreshments occasionally. They at last set
sail, and once out of port they came out from their hiding, and landed in San
Francisco, in February, 1852. Our subject conducted a cooper shop from that time
until 1854, and in that year he invented the first axle grease ever put on the
market of San Francisco, called the Hucks & Lambert Axle Grease, Mr. Lambert
having taken Mr. Hucks as a partner. The latter afterward gained control of the
patent, our subject thus losing a patent and a business which ultimately became
very valuable. He then began agricultural pursuits in California, but, that
business proving unfruitful in pecuniary returns, he started for the Territory
of Washington, arriving in Walla Walla November 5, 1868. He immediately resumed
farming, in which he was again unsuccessful. Mr. Lambert next opened a cooper
shop in this city, and in 1880 was elected Justice of the Peace of Walla Walla,
since which time, with the exception of two terms as Police Judge of the city,
he has filled that position. In 1879 he was appointed Deputy Assessor of the
county, and he is now engaged in the pension and land business, having been
admitted to practice in that department in 1890. He has been very successful in
his pension claims.
	In 1847 Judge Lambert was married, in England, to Miss Sarah A. Payne, a
native of that country. After landing in San Francisco, our subject sent for his
family, from whom he had been separated three years. They have had eight
children, viz.: George, of Walla Walla; Mary, wife of Robert Greener; William,
of San Francisco; Sarah, wife of William Myers, of Walla Walla; Martha R, wife
of Henry Sanderson; Vincent, a resident of San Francisco; Anna L., wife of
Walter Codman of this city; and John, also of Walla Walla. The Judge is a
leading member of the Knights of Pythias, Columbia Lodge, No. 8, of Walla Walla;
has filled all the offices of his lodge, has served as Grand Master at Arms of
the Grand Lodge, and is now Grand Deputy of his order. Politically, he is an
ardent Republican, and religiously was formerly a member of the Methodist
Church, but of late years has become more independent in his views.
	
Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in September 2003 by Jeffrey L. Elmer
	
	
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