The Baths of  Alltyferin

The Lambert Family

       The Lambert family that formed a close relationship with the Baths of Alltyferin came from the Alsace region, now a part of France. Originally a German principality it, along with its neighbour Lorraine, had been annexed to France during Louis XIV 's wars of conquest in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The Franco-Prussian war of 1870 resulted in its return to German rule only to be lost again to France in the Armistice of 1918 and then lost and returned to France during World War II. Ethnically German, many of the principal families emigrated with the initial conquest only to be replaced by immigrating French. Others adapted, even going to the extent of changing their surnames from German to French variants.  Rich in mineral wealth and natural resources the area became an important European industrial center, as it remains to this day.

      Much of the early ancestry of the Lambert family remains in obscurity.  What follows is what has been gathered from various sources:

- Martin Lambert ; born abt. 1630 married Unknown who bore:

- Charles Lambert married Anne Pinet who bore:

- Charles Lambert married Genevieve ? who bore :

 Phillipe Charles , Marie Rosine , Anne ,Claudine , Charles Guillaume, François, Paul Aleon, Elizabeth, Ursule

         It was claimed by their descendant Charles Joseph Lambert that they are descended from French aristocracy in that certain of his forebears' coats of arms contain the coronet of a Marquis. However, this has not been verified. What may be more certain, given the positions one of his antecedents held, is that they were probably of the French minor nobility. The French class system was very different from that of the English. Only a noble could own land in France and if you owned land you WERE noble.  Though exempt from most taxes and accorded rights and privileges far above those of ordinary men,  they were forbidden any form of manual labour or trade. Instead their ranks were expected to furnish military officers, clergy and, above all, the Royal civil service. As the fortunes of the monarchy ebbed and rose so too did the fortunes of the minor nobility, for they were very dependant on the granting of pensions and positions from which they could derive an income.  Thus we have as "Maître des Postes" (Postmaster):

       Charles Guillaume Lambert, born 1723, the second son of Charles and Genevieve Lambert. Charles married Anne Sybille Müƒsel and had by her three sons:  

- Phillipe Charles LAMBERT b. 2 Aug. 1753, at Lauterbourg d. 1830 married Elizabeth de MAZARDE

                       - Joseph Mattieu LAMBERT b. 1759 (of whom this work treats)

                       - Louis LAMBERT

      On June 20, 1789 the members of the Estates Géneral meet in a tennis court and swore an oath not to adjourn until they'd given France a new constitution; the French Revolution had begun. Through July and August of that year there were widespread uprisings in which the peasants sought to destroy the rights and privileges of the nobility. The Alsace region was one of the principle areas in turmoil. Owners of seigneurial rights had their homes pillaged and burned in an effort to wipe out documents related to deeds and debts. Royal and seigneurial forests had their trees cut down and manufacturing facilities owned by the Royal government were destroyed. When caught by the mob anyone of noble birth was forced to renounce their titles.

       It is said that Charles Guillaume Lambert was executed at some point during the revolution, however this has not been confirmed. Nevertheless, his son Joseph took an active part in what was to follow.

       JOSEPH MATTIEU LAMBERT was born 27 Nov. 1759 in the town of Lauterbourg, in the then province of Alsace. Until 1789 he was a Doctor of medicine and "avocat" (possibly advisor) to the Sovereign Counsel of Alsace.

    The Conseil Souverain d'Alsace was instituted by Louis XIV in 1698 as the region's highest judicial court and was dissolved in 1789 by order of the National Assembly. Interestingly, one of its Magistrates during this period was a Jacques Lambert.

      In Dec. 1789 the province of Alsace ceased to exist, to be replaced by the departments of the Upper and Lower Rhine. The administration of the Bas-Rhine was assigned to an elected General Counsel ( Conseil Général ) who's preliminary session took place at the Strasbourg Intendant's Palace on July 8, 1790. An executive directory was chosen from amongst the members and Joseph was given one of the positions ( Membre du Directoire du Bas-Rhine ). The first full session of the General Counsel took place on the 3 Nov., 1790. Joseph held his position on the Directory of the Assembly until Oct. 1791 after which he became a substitute / replacement ( suppléant ) until Aug. 1792; in case a sitting member could not attend.

      After the events of 1789 France was in a political state bordering on chaos. The King, Louis XVI, still maintained theoretical control over the National Assembly and exerted a powerful influence over many of its members. The extremist revolutionaries wanted him ousted. Many of the French aristocracy had already fled to neighbouring countries and in an effort to join them and reassert his control from outside the country, Louis attempted to escape with his family in June of 1791. His capture and humiliating return to Paris gave impetus to his enemies. A new constitution was adopted, dissolving the National Assembly and instituting the Legislative Assembly over which Louis XVI would have less control.

      Joseph was elected as a substitute (deputé suppléant) to this body on Sept. 1, 1791 and assumed a seat on Oct. 20. The Legislative Assembly lasted from Oct. 1, 1791 to Sept. 20 1792 during which time the King's powers were rapidly eroded leading to the Royal families arrest in August of 1792 and his eventual execution on January 21, 1793. The Legislative assembly also oversaw the beginning of what was to become known as the "Terror", with mass arrests of suspected royalists and the massacre, from Sept. 2 - 5,  of political prisoners held in Paris prisons. Joseph's part in these events is unknown. He appears to have occupied himself on committees charged with reorganizing France's postal system for on June 30 and July 17, 1792 he presents his committee's proposals ( Comité de L'Ordinaire des Finances) for reducing postal privileges and the abolishment of the Royal Posts. The proposals are adopted and decreed on July 18.

      There were no political parties as we would recognize them during this period. Members of the various assemblies formed loose alliances based on mutually held principles and self-interest. The dominant group during Joseph's time in the Legislative Assembly were the "Girondins". They were widely described as the "intelligentsia" of the Revolution with many lawyers and highly educated men counted amongst their number. They pursued a dual policy of eliminating the monarchy and exporting the revolution to other European countries; the latter resulting in the declaration of war on Austria in Apr., 1792.

The Girondins power collapsed in June of 1793 during the rule of the National Convention. Many of its members were arrested and later executed, while the rest fled. The question raised is whether Joseph was affiliated with this group.

        Austria lost its first major campaign against the French Republic at the battle of Jemappes on November 6, 1792. In Sept. 1793 Austrian forces invaded the Alsace, but were forced to withdraw in late December. Some 40 to 50 thousand Alsatians fled with the retreating Austrians, preferring to become refugees than victims of the reign of terror. Louis de St. Just, a name second only to Robespierre as an instigator of the horror that was pervading France, was given full power in the Alsace as Représentant en Mission. A policy of forced assimilation of the German speaking portion of the population was instituted from 1793 - 4. Mass expulsion of ethnic Germans from the frontier with Germany and into France was put into effect causing another mass exodus into Germany.

        Charlotte Joachim gave birth to Joseph's son, Charles Joseph Émile Lambert on 31 Dec. 1793 at Bruchal, Jülich, Bavaria. Was Joseph with her? Why did they leave France ?

         It is part of the family legend that Joseph was strung up to a lamppost by a mob and only saved by a friend cutting him down. Thereafter, it is said, he lost his ardor for the revolution and fled to Switzerland. As Charlotte was not married to Joseph at the time of their first child's birth and there was no reason for them not to have done so, even in Bavaria, it suggests that they had been parted for much of 1793. The Girondins fell in June and what is claimed to have happened to Joseph is certainly something that would have befallen an associate captured by a Parisian mob. It's also possible that Charlotte fled the Alsace with her family as refugees. Nevertheless, they were reunited and married in Lauterbourg on 18 Mar., 1794. St. Just had by this time returned to Paris, but the Bas Rhine was still undergoing political and social disruption in accordance with his decrees. Joseph's return at this time may suggest that he was provided protection by other members of his family who were in a position to do so.

          The "Terror" ended in July 1794 with the beheading of Robespierre, St. Just and their associates. A reversal of their policies and the suppression of the radical element of the revolution followed. The surviving Girondins were re-admitted to the Convention in Dec. of 1794. For the next five years the French republic came to rely increasingly upon the military for its survival, both from external and internal enemies. Napoleon Bonaparte seized power in Dec. 1799.

          Under Napoleon, Joseph returned to political life. From 1800 until his death he was a member of the Bas Rhine General Counsel (Conseiller Généraux du Bas Rhine). It is said he was also a scientific advisor to the Emperor.  In May 1814, after the abdication of Napoleon and the entry into Paris of Louis XVIII, Joseph is appointed assistant administer of the Wissembourg division of the Bas Rhine ( sous-préfet de L'arrondissement de Wissembourg ). At his death on Sept. 22, 1822 he was a Justice of the Peace for the township ( canton ) of Lauterbourg and a Chevalier (Knight) de L'Ordre Royal de la Légion d'Honneur.

          Joseph's wife, Charlotte survived him by 20 years dying 9 Sept. 1842 at Lauterbourg. Together they had two sons :

                           Charles Joseph Émile Lambert of whom this work treats

                                  André Eugène Lambert,  born 1 Aug. 1797, married June 21, 1825 at Rastatt, Baden Elizabetha (Lyzette) Meyer, died 7 May, 1854 at Lauterbourg. 

                               André-Eugène, pharmacien, was on 17 Nov 1833 elected conseiller général du canton de Lauterbourg, and re-elected regularly up to his death.  He was Juge du Paix à Lauterbourg, and also a titulaire de la Order de la Légion d’Honneur.

                             André-Eugène LAMBERT’s son Charles François LAMBERT (born 24 Jul 1826) married Marie le PETIT.              On his father’s death in 1854 he replaced him as conseiller général du canton de Lauterbourg, serving until 1870.  In 1864 he moved to Kientzheim, Haut-Rhin where he was the mayor from 1865 – 1869.

                              André-Eugène LAMBERT’s daughter Anne Françoise Reine Eugénie LAMBERT married François CAMILLE, Baron de SALOMON de Blotzheim (1819-1861), advokat in Kolmar dann in Altkirch, bügermeister in Blotzheim and conseiller général du Haut-Rhin.   They had 3 daughters.  On 21 Feb 1903, she died at Fribourg, Switzerland and on 26 Feb 1903 was buried at Blotzheim (Haute Alsace), near Basle, France.

                           The  story of  Charles Joseph Émile Lambert ; his education, his emigration to Chile, South America and his making his fortune there, his relationship to the Baths of Alltyferin and the lives of his descendants will be given in Part Two of the Lambert Family.