Major Earle and Captain Lambert

A portrait of Major Arthur Maxwell Earle of the 57th (The West Middlesex) Regiment of Foot and Captain Rowley Lambert of the Royal Navy. The photograph was taken in Naples in September 1861, according to an inked inscription on the album page.

Born on 23 April 1828 at Bredwardine in Herefordshire, Rowley Lambert was the son of Admiral Sir George Robert Lambert. In 1848 he became a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy. He served in the Black Sea during the Crimean War. Promoted to Captain in 1855, he was given command of HMS Scylla and then later HMS Liverpool. On 5 February 1863 he married Helen Elizabeth Campbell, daughter of James Campbell of Hampton Court. Between 28 May 1867 until 8 April 1870 he was the Commander-in-Chief of the Australia Station. He obtained flag rank in 1873 and was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral in 1878. He was nominated a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1867. Vice-Admiral Rowley Lambert died on 22 July 1880, aged 52, at the Grosvenor Hotel, Buckingham Palace Road, London. He was buried at Thames Ditton on 28 July 1880. His estate was valued at £8000.

Born in Edinburgh on 9 November 1832, the son of Charles Earle, Arthur Maxwell Earle joined the 57th Regiment of Foot as an Ensign by purchase on 18 January 1850, when he was 17 years old. He was promoted Lieutenant in 1853, Captain in 1854 and Brevet-Major in 1856. During the Crimean War he served as ADC to Brigadier-General Goldie, who was killed at Inkerman; he was wounded in the trenches on 3 November 1854. He was with Sir Colin Campbell commanding the assaulting column on 18 June; with Major-General Spencer in the assault on 8 September; and with Lord West at the capture of Kinbourn (three times mentioned in despatches, Medal with three clasps, Brevet Major, Knight of the Legion of Honour, and Medal 5th Class of the Medjidie). Major Earle died on 27 March 1863 on the island of Corfu. He left an estate valued at £200, which was inherited by his father, who was his next of kin.

Photographer unidentified.