William Lambe (philanthropist)

William Lambe (1495–1580) was a wealthy cloth merchant in the City of London during Tudor times who engaged in a wide range of philanthropic deeds, most notably endowing the construction of St James' Church, Islington, the construction of the eponymous Lamb's Conduit, traces of which remain in a number of London street names, and the endowment of Sutton Valence School.

[3] In early life he lived in London Wall, next to the ancient hermitage chapel of St James's, belonging to the abbey of Gerendon in Leicestershire.

Through his influence with the king Lambe purchased this chapel at the dissolution of the monasteries, by letters patent dated 30 March 34 Henry VIII (1542), and bequeathed it with his house, lands, and tenements, to the value of £30 yearly, to the Company of Clothworkers.

For his native town of Sutton Valence he established in 1578, at his own expense, a free grammar school[9] for the education of youth, providing a yearly allowance of £20 for the master and £10 for the usher, besides a good house and garden for the accommodation of the former.

He also erected in the village of Town Sutton six almshouses, with an orchard and gardens, for the comfort of six poor inhabitants of that parish, and allotted the sum of £2 to be paid to each of them yearly, entrusting the Company of Clothworkers with the estates and direction of these charities.

His tomb, which was destroyed with the church of St Faith in the Great Fire of London, bore a brass plate with figures of himself in armour and his three wives.