Sarah
Hawkins Genealogy Site
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Somerset County Herald and Taunton Courier. Saturday 15 Apr 1950
Page 4 Column 4
Dramatic Moment in Taunton Hospital
First Meeting of Father And Son
An 80-year-old Boer War veteran, who is recovering from an operation in the Taunton and Somerset Hospital, and who until last week had not been heard of by his family for nearly half-a-century, saw his youngest son for the first time on Saturday afternoon.
Fifty years ago Mr. John LAMBERT joined General BRABANT's Regiment at Taunton and sailed for South Africa to fight the Boers, leaving his wife, one son and three daughters at their home, No. 1, Court, East Reach, Taunton. He expressed a wish that if another child, shortly to be born, was a boy, one of his Christian names should be Brabant.
THE GREETING
It was Mr. Edwin Brabant LAMBERT, of 12a, Bath Place, Taunton, who greeted his long-lost father in the hospital ward. “Hello, Dad, I am your youngest boy and I shall be 50 on May 27th,” were his first words. “I do hope you are getting better,” he added. They shook hands warmly and exchanged smiles, and as the old warrior raised himself up in bed he replied, “I'm pleased, very pleased, to see you, my son.”
Following unsuccessful efforts by his family to trace him, Mr. LAMBERT had been presumed dead long ago. Beyond saying that he had had a bad head injury, which affected his memory, he is very vague about his movements over the past 50 years, except that he is certain he had been to Mexico and that he was in Manchester for some months before he came to Taunton last December. Arriving a sick man, he collapsed in a cafe and was taken to the Holmoor House Infirmary. About a fortnight ago he was transferred to the Taunton and Somerset Hospital, near his old home, for an operation.
A TATTOO CLUE
He stated he was trying to trace his family and word reached his twin daughters in Birmingham, Mrs. R. MILLWARD and Mrs. H. RICHARDS. They visited Taunton and satisfied themselves that the old man was their father, who they just remembered having seen when they were about seven years old. They saw the name “E Manley” tattooed on his arm. His wife, who died about 25 years ago, was formerly Miss Elizabeth MANLEY, of Hemyock, Devon.
Mr. and Mrs. Edwin LAMBERT were accompanied to the hospital by their 13-year-old son, George, and after watching him intently his grandfather exclaimed, “I can see myself in that boy.”
When he leaves hospital he will live with members of the family. His elder son is Mr. John LAMBERT and the other daughter is Mrs. G. FOCKEDY, of Ghent, Belgium.
<NOTES: John LAMBERT, married
Elizabeth MANLEY
Elizabeth MANLEY daughter of John MANLEY and Mary
Ann COSENS, married John LAMBERT
Edwin Brabant LAMBERT son of John
LAMBERT and Elizabeth MANLEY, married Lilian Alice Merryfield
GILLARD>