Recently a person has been advancing theories on the Internet, trying to link the Lambert Family of Stanly Co. with various tribes of Indians. No evidence other than this person's family stories has been offered to substantiate these claims, and there is plenty of evidence to the contrary. In fact, the Lamberts have no indication of Indian ancestry whatsoever, and many aspects of this person's family stories can be easily proven as false. This section will first evaluate at some of these stories and conclude with some known information and some speculation about the Lambert family of Stanly Co.

Story:

"The story goes that my great great grandmother (Serena Lambert) was a full blood cherokee(tsalagi) indian. She married William Lambert, who was the son of George Washington Lambert. Serena's father was supposedly some type of tribal official as told by my grandmother, Fannie Lambert. The marriage of Serena to William Lambert was frowned upon because Serena was a full blood and William Lambert was only part Cherokee... My mother is still living and she spent most of her life with my great grandfather and he told her the same type of stories her whole life." (http://members.tripod.com/~vcassociates/lambert.htm, 1998)

Analysis:

This quote illustrates the danger of taking family stories at face value. In fact, every aspect of this particular family story is incorrect. Serena, the supposed full blood Cherokee, was actually Mary A. Serena Furr, the daughter of Allen Furr and Eva Fink Furr. The five children of William and Mary A. Serena Furr Lambert were listed as heirs in the estate record of their grandmother Eva Fink Furr, widow of Allen Furr (Estate File of Eva Furr, Cabarrus Co., 1906). Mary A. Serena Furr was listed with her parents Allen and Eve Fink Furr on the 1850 and 1860 Cabarrus Co. censuses. Allen Furr was not a Cherokee tribal official; his non-Indian ancestry through the non-Indian Furr family has been strongly established by many Furr researchers. For more details about his ancestry see Bill Furr's webpage at: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~furr/

Also, William J. Lambert was not the son of George Washington Lambert. Both William J. and George Washington Lambert were brothers, the sons of Jonathan and Nancy Lambert. This story teller, Fannie Lambert, got everything wrong.

Most beginning genealogists who have an experience where family stories turn out to be so wrong eventually develop a suspicion about grandpa's (or grandma's) tall tales. However, others cling to their family stories and continue their quest. This particular researcher, having found out that Mary A. Serena Furr Lambert was not an Indian, then turned his attention to other members of the Lambert family. Even though the family story about Mary A. Serena Furr Lambert was totally false, the only evidence he offers that the Lambert family were part Indian is family stories from the same people, Fannie Lambert and Martin L. Lambert (the great grandfather in the above quote), who have already been proven unreliable. If these two people have already told one false story, why should researchers accept their other stories as true? How reliable can Fannie Lambert's stories be if Fannie didn't even know that both her grandfathers William J. Lambert and George W. Lambert were brothers, not father and son?

Here is some of the argument he offered for the theoretical Indian ancestry of Nancy, wife of Jonathan Lambert:

Story:

"I cannot find a marriage bond for Jonathan nor Nancy, which may explain what my grandmother said about the union. They were probably married or not around 1838-1840 in an unknown location. It was told to me that there was an "illegal" marriage between the two due to Nancy being Indian. A state law that was enacted in that time (1839) stated that no one could marry a person of color, either mixed or full blood as far away as 3 generations. Therefore, they lived as white to avoid persecution. Keep in mind that this included Indians, blacks, mulattos, and any other person that the government would consider non-white." (http://members.tripod.com/~vcassociates/lambert.htm, 2000)

Analysis:

In fact, Montgomery County records for that period do not exist. The fact that no Montgomery Co. marriage records exist for anyone during that period is hardly evidence of a "forbidden marriage" between Jonathan and Nancy. You could as easily claim that everyone who married in Montgomery Co. during that time period had a "forbidden" marriage, because they are all undocumented. Keep in mind that the grandmother who told this story is Fannie Lambert, who also told the above false story about Mary A. Serena Furr being a Cherokee, and thus should be considered an unreliable source.

Fact: Jonathan and Nancy Lambert were legally married. Jonathan's estate file listed Nancy as Jonathan's widow (Estate file of Jonathan Lambert, Stanly Co., 1860). If Jonathan and Nancy Lambert had been illegally married, they would have been charged with fornication and adultery under North Carolina laws, just as Harris Melton and Ann Bird (and like other Stanly Countians engaged in non-marital sexual relationships) were charged. There is no record of such a charge against the Lamberts in the Stanly County court records, which indicates that their marriage was considered legal in Stanly County.

If Nancy had been Jonathan's concubine, then their children would have been illegitimate. Concubines and bastards were not legally permitted to inherit from their lover's or father's estate during this time period in North Carolina. Again, since Nancy and her children did inherit, and since Jonathan's estate file clearly listed Nancy as his wife, Jonathan and Nancy must have been considered legally married in Stanly County.

Genealogists often have to make a case based on indirect evidence, especially with female ancestors. The overwhelming preponderance of evidence, with no reliable evidence to the contrary, indicates that Jonathan Lambert's wife was Nancy Eudy, the daughter of Conrad Eudy (b. 1781, d. 1855) and Elizabeth Hatley (b. ca 1789, d. ?), daughter of Hardy Hatley and Isabelle Foreman. (For legates of Hardy Hatley, see Montgomery Co. Deeds, p. 148, April 3, 1838).

Fact: Nancy Lambert was named as one of Conrad Eudy's daughters in his 1852 will. (Stanly Co. Will Book 1, page 137, probated 1855).

Fact: There was only one Nancy Lambert on the 1850 and 1860 Stanly Co. censuses--Nancy, wife of Jonathan. She was born circa 1819.

Fact: The Conrad Eudy Bible, which was abstracted in the book "We Eudys", listed Conrad and Elizabeth Hatley Eudy's daughter Nancy as being born in 1819, which matches Nancy, wife of Jonathan, who based on census records was born circa 1819.

Neither the Eudy or Hatley families have any documented Indian ancestry at all. It is extremely unlikely that Nancy Eudy Lambert was even part Indian.

Nancy Eudy Lambert appeared on the 1870 Cabarrus Co. census with three of her children. Nancy probably died between 1870 and 1875, because when her son George W. Lambert married in 1875, his mother, Nancy, was listed as deceased on the marriage license.

Known information on Jonathan and Nancy Lambert's seven children:

1. William J. Lambert b. ca 1839. He was listed on 1850 and 1860 Stanly Co. censuses. He served in the Civil War in Co. H. 42nd Reg. and was paroled May 12, 1865. He married Mary A. Serena Furr in 1865 in Cabarrus Co. He was listed on the 1870 and 1880 Cabarrus Co. censuses. He married Rosa Furr, daughter of Chesley and Jane Furr, in 1892 in Cabarrus Co. He was listed on the 1900 Cabarrus Co. census. No further information after 1900.

2. John L. Lambert b. ca 1842. He was listed on the 1850 Stanly Co. census, but not in Jonathan's probate file or on the 1860 Stanly Co. census. He must have died between 1850 and 1860.

3. Wilson C. Lambert b. ca 1844. listed on the 1850 and 1860 Stanly Co. censuses. He served in the Civil War in Co. H. 42nd Reg. and was present until October 1864. No further information after 1864.

4. Omie Jane Lambert b. ca 1846. She was listed on 1850 and 1860 Stanly Co. censuses and 1870 Cabarrus Co. census with her widowed mother, Nancy. No further information after 1870.

5. Jonathan Lambert b. ca 1849 He was listed on 1850 Stanly Co. census and must have died before 1860 since he was not listed with Nancy's family on the 1860 Stanly Co. census or in the estate file of Jonathan Lambert, Sr.

6. Piety Elizabeth Lambert b. ca 1852 She was listed on 1860 Stanly Co. census and 1870 Cabarrus Co. census with her widowed mother, Nancy. No further information after 1870.

7. George W. Lambert b ca 1856. He listed on the 1860 Stanly Co. and the 1870 Cabarrus Co. censuses. He married Emaline Furr in 1875 in Cabarrus Co. He died circa 1879-1880 and thus did not leave a death certificate. His widowed wife, Emaline, was listed with her four children on the 1880 Cabarrus Co. census.

Suggestion for further research on Jonathan and Nancy Eudy Lambert's family:

Experienced researchers know that research can be difficult and time-consuming. The above research is incomplete in that more information might be found about Jonathan and Nancy Eudy Lambert and their children. Cabarrus Co. marriage records should be checked to find the marriages of Omie J. and Piety Elizabeth Lambert and their husbands' surnames. They should be followed on census records to see if they lived long enough to leave a death certificate. Also land and probate records of Conrad Eudy should be checked to see if there was any transfer of property to Jonathan and Nancy Eudy Lambert. Often people find it easier to believe an improbable story, than to do the work to prove or disprove the story.

Stories:

"I am still trying to locate information on my 3rd great grand mother Nancy Lambert who married Jonathan Lambert around 1840. I do not know nancy's maiden name...It was told to me that the marriage was forbidden due to her being Indian and Jonathan Lambert not being Indian. My grandmother told me this when I was younger and that is all that I have." (vcassoc1@idt.net to NCSTANLY-L, June 23 and 24, 1999)

and:

"The parents of Jonathan Lambert were John Q. Lambert and Mary Margaret Almond...The parents of John Q. Lambert were John William Lambert Sr. and Phida. Either Phida, John Q. or both were from Craven Co. NC. I am working on Phida's heritage and trying to see if she was of Tuscarora heritage, but that will be a difficult task. My reasons for this are that someone else once mentioned it, which sparked a good interest to check on. Plus, her first name is a bit unusual and no one has mentioned a maiden name for her...In any rate, Craven Co. was well known as Tuscarora territory, but they were removed to both New York and a reservation near the present town of Windsor in Bertie Co. NC. Others, simply moved towards the piedmont and according to the government, just died out. Oh really?" (http://members.tripod.com/~vcassociates/lambert.htm, 2000)

Analysis:

The two stories in the above quotes, both from the same person, contradict each other. In the first story, Jonathan Lambert was not an Indian. In the second story, Jonathan Lambert's grandmother is a possible Indian. If the family story is that Jonathan could not marry Nancy because he was not an Indian, why would you assume that his grandmother was an Indian? At least one of these stories has to be incorrect.

There are other problems with this source. For example, experienced researchers do not assume that an ancestor is an Indian because of an unusual first name, or because they cannot find the maiden name of a particular woman, or because they were in a particular location where Indians once lived. (Based on this last argument, all Americans would be Indians, because we all live on land where Indians once lived). This is an excellent example of how some people find "Indian" ancestors by locating the place where their ancestors lived on a map, finding out what Indian tribe lived near that location, and then assigning any female ancestor without a known surname to that tribe.

I've found no evidence that John Lambert Sr. and his wife Phida were ever in Craven Co. There is evidence that some of the Stanly Co. Lamberts were in Wake Co. There is a marriage bond for Thomas Lambert to Nancy Partin in Wake Co. in 1842. They later moved to Stanly Co. and appear on the 1870 and 1880 Stanly Co. censuses. There seem to be two initial possibilities for the location of John Lambert in 1800. The 1800 NC census listed two Lambert men who could have been John Lambert (b. ca 1772):

1800 NC census

John Lambart in Johnston County (page 765) 
1 male under 10 
1 male of 16 and 26 
1 female under 10 
1 female of 16 and 26

John Lambert in Chatham Co. (page 185) 
3 males under 10
1 male of 26 and under 45 
1 female under 10 
1 female of 16 and under 26

Fact: The 1870 Stanly Co. census listed Thomas and his wife Nancy Partin. Meanwhile Nancy, the widowed wife of Jonathan Lambert, was listed on the 1870 Cabarrus Co. census. The two Nancys thus cannot be the same person. This is another example of how this researcher makes unnecessarily speculative assertions about Indian ancestry that could easily be proven or disproven with a bit of research in primary sources. It took me about ten minutes to pull these two census records to prove that Nancy Partin Lambert and Nancy Eudy Lambert were two separate people.

Story:

"The parents of Jonathan Lambert were John Q. Lambert and Mary Margaret Almond. The parents of John Q. were John William Lambert Sr. and Phida...Nancy was born in NC, maybe near the mountains according to my grandmother. Jonathan's brother Thomas, lived in Wilkes Co as well as Haywood Co. NC ...therefore, giving Jonathan Lambert an avenue to the land of the Cherokee. Anyway, by the 1840's, he already had cousins living in various areas where the Cherokee were" (http://members.tripod.com/~vcassociates/lambert.htm, 2000).

Analysis:

The evidence shows that John Lambert (b. ca 1802, d. ca 1882) was not the father of Jonathan Lambert (b. ca 1820, d. ca 1860) or the father of Thomas Lambert (b. 1820, d. 1889). This illustrates the need to verify relationships between two individuals according to the existing evidence, instead of drawing conclusions without bothering to seek out evidence. This is why genealogists focus on evidence instead of legends. I also have never found John Lambert listed as John Q. Lambert, which was his son's name.

John Lambert's estate record (Estate of John Lambert, Stanly Co., 1882) listed the following heirs (information in brackets [] is from census or cemetery records and is not in the estate record):

1. Nathan Lambert [b. ca 1820]

2. William Lambert [b. ca 1824]

3. John Q. Lambert [b. ca 1840]

4. Dillie Tucker [also known as Delitha or Delia, b. ca 1826. She was the wife of Josiah Tucker and was widowed by 1880. The death certificate of Delitha's daughter, Mary Tucker, listed Delitha's maiden name as Lambert]

5. Adaline Herrin, wife of Julius H. Herrin [also known as Mary Adaline. b. ca 1835]

6. James M. Lambert [born 1862, d. 1938 the only child of Levi (son of John) and Mary Ann (Furr?) Lambert. James M. Lambert's death certificate listed his mother as Margaret Furr, His marriage record and the 1870 Stanly Co. census listed her as Mary Ann. Levi Lambert (b. ca 1843) enlisted in Co. H., 42nd Reg. and was killed in the Civil War on May 22, 1864.]

7. children of Irvin Almond [Piety Caroline Lambert (daughter of John) married Nelson Ervin/Irvin Almond (son of Pleasant and Barbary [?] Almond) in 1853 and had the following children: Levi (b. ca 1854), Mary (b. ca 1856), John Leonard (b. ca 1859) and Catharine (b. 1860), Piety C. must have died prior to 1871, when her husband, Nelson Ervin Almond, married again]

If Jonathan Lambert and Thomas Lambert were the sons of John Lambert (b. ca 1802, d. ca 1882), then Thomas (who was still living in 1882 in Stanly Co.) and Jonathan's living children would have been listed as heirs of John Lambert. An executor enters into a bond when he agrees to probate an estate. Probating an estate incorrectly by excluding heirs could result in the executor forfeiting that bond, and becoming the target of possible legal action by the excluded heirs. In addition, an examination of the 1830 Montgomery Co. census record of John Lambert (b. ca 1802) only listed two young males in John's household. The age categories of those two males match the ages of Nathan and William (John Q., Levi, or Robert were not yet born). There are no additional males that would match Thomas and Jonathan and this provides further evidence that Thomas and Jonathan were not the sons of John (b. ca 1802).

John had other children that must have died before 1882 since they are not listed in the Estate file of John Lambert. To see a list of these children, click here.

1. Elizabeth b. ca 1822 [She was listed on the 1850, 1860, and 1870 Stanly Co. censuses, not listed in her father's estate file so she must have died before 1882].

2. Jincy E. b. ca 1833 [She was listed on the 1850, 1860, and 1870 Stanly Co. censuses, not listed in her father's estate file so she must have died before 1882].

3. Emaline G. b. ca 1836 [She was listed on the 1850 and 1860 Stanly Co. censuses, but not listed on the 1870 Stanly Co. census or in her father's estate file so she must have died before 1882].

4. Leah b. ca 1838 [She was listed on the 1850 and 1860 Stanly Co. censuses, possibly listed as Laura on 1870 Stanly Co. census, listed in her own household on the 1880 Stanly Co. census with her nephew. She married in 1880 to Daniel F. Herrin, son of Darling and Lucinda [?] Herrin. Her parents were listed as John and Margaret, both deceased. Daniel F. Herrin married again in 1882, so Leah must have died between November 4, 1880 and April 2, 1882].

5. Robert F. b. ca 1844 [He probably died before 1860 since he is not listed on the 1860 Stanly Co. census]

Thomas Lambert lived in Johnston Co., NC in 1850 and Wilkes Co., NC in 1860. However, Jonathan Lambert and Nancy Eudy were probably married before 1839. Thomas Lambert married in Wake Co. in 1842 and probably had been living near Wake Co. prior to his marriage. He moved near Cherokee territory between 1850 and 1860. There is no evidence that Thomas was even near Cherokee territory around 1839 to give Jonathan "an avenue to the land of the Cherokee" to find a Cherokee bride. Since the relationship between Jonathan and the other Stanly Co. Lambert families is unknown at present, what Lambert cousins are being referred to in the above quote?

Just because John Lambert is listed as Jr. does not mean that his father was John Lambert, Sr. In earlier times, "Jr." and "Sr." were used to differentiate between men of the same name in the same area--whether they were related or not--with the Sr. being the older man and the Jr. being the younger man. So there is no guarantee that John Sr. (b. ca 1772) was the father of John (b. 1802).

There are serious problems with this researcher's conclusions concerning the Lambert family. Lambert individuals have been randomly assigned to incorrect parents with no attempt to prove relationships. In addition, the family stories and hypotheses about the Lamberts' supposed Indian ancestry fall apart under close scrutiny. It turns out that every single story offered by this person is full of holes and based on unreliable family members with a history of telling fictional family stories about fake Indian ancestors. In fact, there is no evidence whatsoever of any Indian ancestry in the Stanly County Lambert family.

SPECULATION CONCERNING THE LAMBERT FAMILY

The following is my own speculation and should not be taken as fact since it might be wrong. What is speculation is preceded by the words may, might, probably, or it is possible. This section is offered as a suggestion to keep in mind while doing future research.

It is possible that John and Phida Lambert were the parents of some of the following individuals, but more research is needed to confirm any relationships:

1. Jonathan Lambert (b. ca 1820, d. ca 1860), since Jonathan Lambert was living in John and Phida's household on the 1850 Stanly Co. census.

2. John Lambert (b. ca 1802, d. ca 1882) who married Mary (maiden name?) and possibly a Margaret (maiden name?).

3. Thomas Lambert (b. 1820, d. 1889) who married Nancy Partin in Wake County in 1842 (Wake Co. Marriages, 1770-1868, p. 172). Another possibility is that Thomas was the son of William (b. ca 1796) and Louisa Young Lambert. That Thomas named one of his daughters Louisa indicates a probable close connection with William and Louisa Young Lambert.

4. George W. Lambert (b. ?, probably before 1820) In November 1843, a judgement in the case of Michael Cook vs. George W. Lambert was granted against George W. Lambert and his security Jonathan Lambert (Garner, Abstracts of the Minutes of the Court of Pleas and Quarters Sessions of Stanly Co., 1841-1850, p. 31). It was common for family members to be securities for each other. George W. Lambert was listed on the 1841 Stanly Co. list in District #6 as the owner of 105 acres of land (SCGSJ, volume 6, number 2, page 267).

5. Piety C. Lambert (b. ca 1814-1817), who married Calvin Page in Cabarrus Co. in 1834, might be a member of the Stanly Co. Lambert family, especially since John Lambert (b. ca 1802) named one of his daughters Piety Caroline and Jonathan Lambert (b. ca 1820) named one of his daughters Piety Elizabeth. Two of Piety C. Lambert Page's sons were named George Washington Page and Jonathan M. Page. Two of Calvin and Piety's sons, Jonathan M. and Adam, moved to Stanly Co. Also Daniel Page, the son of George W. and wife Christina Barrier Page and grandson of Calvin and Piety Lambert Page, moved to Stanly Co. (See Stanly Co. Marriages for Jonathan, Adam, and Daniel's marriage records).

6. Nathan Lambert who married Dolly Goodman in Cabarrus Co. in 1826 (Cabarrus Co. marriages).

7. Frederick Lambert (b. 1806) who was listed on the 1830 Montgomery Co. census and who then moved to Mississippi, also might be a son of John and Phida Lambert since he named one of his daughters Piety and because of his presence in Montgomery Co.

8. William Lambert (b. ca 1796) who married Louisa Young in Wake Co. in 1819 (Wake Co. Marriages, 1770-1868, p. 172). A William Lambert was listed on the 1820 Johnston Co. tax list with no land and one white poll (Haun, Weynette P. Johnston Co., NC Taxables 1784-1820). This William Lambert was probably the William Lambert who married Louisa Young since Johnston Co. adjoins Wake Co. William and Louisa's son, William H. Lambert (b. ca 1822), was living with Thomas Lambert (b. 1820) on the 1850 Johnston Co. census, which suggests that there was probably a connection between William (b. ca 1796) and Thomas (b. 1820). Thomas could have been the brother of William (b. ca 1796). It is also possible that Thomas was William and Louisa's son. William H. Lambert married three times in Johnston Co. with one of those marriage records listed his parents as William and Louisa Lambert (Meldrum, Johnston Co., NC Marriages, 1764-1867, p. 97 and Ross and King, Marriage Registers of Johnston Co., NC, p. 68). There is also an 1849 bastardy bond in Cumberland Co. with William H. Lambert and William Lambert as bondsmen (Camin, North Carolina Bastardy Bonds, p. 85). William Lambert was listed on the 1850 Cumberland Co. census. William was remarried by 1850 to Charlotte (Adams?) so Louisa Young must have died before 1850.

9. Rebecca Lambert (b. ca 1795-1799) married to Pleasant Almond (b. ca 1799). I saw this couple on several Almond family websites and a family group sheet and thus have no citation or proof for that Rebecca was a Lambert.

The prevalence of the name "Piety" in these Lambert families suggests that it is possible that Phida, wife of John (b. ca 1772), might have actually been named Piety. "Phida" may be a misspelling of Piety.

John Lambert (b. ca 1772) might have resided in Johnston Co. before moving to Stanly Co. See the above 1800 Johnston Co. census entry. A John Lambert was listed on the Johnston Co. tax list for 1 white poll and no land on the tax lists of 1800, 1801, 1802, 1803, 1804, 1805, and 1807. John Lambert was listed as having 110 acres of land and 1 white poll on the 1809 tax list and 55 acres of land and one white poll on the tax lists of 1810 and 1811. (Haun, Johnston Co., NC Taxables 1784-1820). This John Lambert was included on the list of insolvents in 1801, 1804, 1810, and 1811 in the Johnston Co. Court Minutes (Haun, Johnston Co. Court Minutes, Books 6-9). The John Lambert (b. ca 1772) who lived in Stanly Co., like the John Lambert of Johnston Co., owned a very small amount of land (66 acres in 1841) and was delinquent at least once in paying his taxes. It seems unlikely that the two John Lamberts listed in nearby Chatham Co. on the 1820 census could have been the John Lambert (b. 1772) who moved to Stanly Co. since the Chatham Co. Lamberts owned large amounts of property and owned slaves, according Chatham Co. records and the 1820 census. It also seems possible that John Lambert had moved to Montgomery/Stanly Co. before 1840, since he was on the 1841 Stanly Co. tax list. Also that John Lambert (b. ca 1802) was listed as John Lambert, Jr. on the 1840 Montgomery Co. census, which implies that there was an unenumerated John Lambert, Sr. living in the county that year.

Suggestions for future research

Check tax lists, estate records, and land records to discover more information about John and Phida Lambert and their possible children. In 1841, John Lambert was taxed based on his ownership of 66 acres of land (SCGSJ, volume 6, number 2, page 267). 10 acres of that was sold in 1843 for non-payment of taxes in 1840 and 1841 (Abstracts of the Minutes of the Court of Pleas and Quarters Sessions of Stanly Co., 1841-1850, p. 22). When John died then his land should have been sold or divided among his heirs.

Copyright Leah C. Sims 2000