Two Men Holding Up a Pair of Oversized Trousers of Daniel Lambert, the Heaviest Man in England

Daniel Lambert (1770–1809) was an English man renowned in Georgian England for his extraordinary size, intelligence, and dignified character. Despite his immense weight, he was a respected jailer and a keen sportsman. Here’s an image of two men holding up a pair of oversized trousers that belonged to Lambert, ca. 1956:

Daniel Lambert was born in Leicester, England on March 13, 1770. In his youth, he was a keen sportsman, enjoying activities like swimming, fishing, shooting, and horse racing. He was considered an expert in breeding sporting animals, particularly dogs and fighting cocks. He initially worked for four years as an apprentice at an engraving and die casting works in Birmingham. Around 1788, he returned to Leicester and succeeded his father as the keeper of Leicester’s gaol (prison). He was known for his strength and once reportedly fought a bear in the streets of Leicester.

He began to gain weight when he took up the more sedentary job as gaol keeper. By the time of his death, he weighed 52 stone 11 pounds (739 lb; 335 kg). He was known to have disliked changing his clothes and would wear the same ones, even if they were wet, though he claimed no ill effects.

Daniel Lambert’s clothes display at the Newarke Houses Museum in Leicester.

In 1806, his weight prevented him from working, and he was forced by poverty to put himself on exhibition to raise money, charging spectators to meet him. He moved to London and took up residence in Piccadilly. Visitors were impressed by his intelligence and personality, and it became highly fashionable to visit him.

After earning sufficient wealth, he returned to Leicester but continued to make short fundraising tours. He died suddenly in Stamford, Lincolnshire on June 21, 1809, at the age of 39. Due to his immense size, a window and part of a wall at the inn had to be dismantled to remove his body for burial. His coffin was enormous, requiring 112 to 156 square feet of wood, and it took “upwards of twenty men” to lower it into the grave.

Daniel Lambert became a celebrated icon in Leicester and his name became synonymous with immensity. His memory is preserved in various pubs named after him, and many of his personal belongings, including his large armchair and clothing, are on permanent display at the Newarke Houses Museum in Leicester. A life-size model can also be seen at the Stamford Town Hall.