Reynolds, a woman who lived in the Temple and is believed to have been the former wife of a lawyer. After this period of recovery Lamb began to take lessons from Mrs. It is believed that he suffered from smallpox during his early years which forced him into a long period of convalescence. We know that Mary taught him to read at a very early age and he read voraciously. Little is known about Charles's life before the age of seven. The tapestried bed-rooms – tapestry so much better than painting – not adorning merely, but peopling the wainscots – at which childhood ever and anon would steal a look, shifting its coverlid (replaced as quickly) to exercise its tender courage in a momentary eye-encounter with those stern bright visages, staring reciprocally – all Ovid on the walls, in colours vivider than his descriptions.” 'Why, every plank and panel of that house for me had magic in it. A picture of these visits can be glimpsed in the Elia essay Blakesmoor in H-shire. Plummer was often absent, Charles had free rein of the place during his visits. Plummer, Lamb's grandmother was in sole charge of the large home and, as Mr. Field, his maternal grandmother, who was for many years a servant to the Plummer family, who owned a large country house called Blakesware, near Widford, Hertfordshire. Some of Lamb's fondest childhood memories were of time spent with Mrs. However, Charles speaks fondly of her and her presence in the house seems to have brought a great deal of comfort to him. A number of writings by both Charles and Mary suggest that the conflict between Aunt Hetty and her sister-in-law created a certain degree of tension in the Lamb household.

Lamb was also cared for by his paternal aunt Hetty, who seems to have had a particular fondness for him. Lamb's older brother was too much his senior to be a youthful companion to the boy but his sister Mary, being born eleven years before him, was probably his closest playmate. Lamb created a portrait of his father in his 'Elia on the Old Benchers' under the name Lovel.

It was there in the Inner Temple in Crown Office Row, that Charles Lamb was born and spent his youth.

John Lamb (father), who was a lawyer's clerk, spent most of his professional life as the assistant and servant to a barrister by the name of Samuel Salt who lived in the Inner Temple in London. Lamb was the youngest child, with an 11 year older sister Mary, an even older brother John, and 4 other siblings who did not survive their infancy. Lamb was the son of Elizabeth Field and John Lamb. Lucas, his principal biographer, as 'the most lovable figure in English literature”.

Charles Lamb (London, 10 February 1775 – Edmonton, 27 December 1834) was an English essayist, best known for his Essays of Elia and for the children's book Tales from Shakespeare, which he produced with his sister, Mary Lamb (1764–1847).

Charles lamb shakespeare