A Brief Family History

Ancient Ancestors-Abt.1400-1560

As of October, 1994, we are unable to find a document supported
connection to ancestors before about 1560. However, we do know the family
of our interest was located around Northampton and Hereford,England and had
been at this location for many years. They are known as the Orlingbury
Manor 'Lane' family line. With this knowledge, we are able to isolate for
study a family from which our Missouri family probably evolved.
The data is outlined as follows:
Around 1425, William Lane, a resident of County Northampton, married
Anne Sutton, They became the parents of William(1) Lane of Northampton. He
probably died about 1460.
William(1) Lane married Elizabeth Strickland,around 1450. They had four
sons; Ralph,William(2),John and George. Ralph, the oldest son inherited
from his father, but died without progeny. William(2) became heir to his
brother Ralph.
William(2) of Orlingbury Manor, Northampton County, England married
Jane Mervyn. They had issue of at least two sons;Sir Ralph(1) and Sir
William(3). William(2) died in 1502.
Sometime after 1546, Sir Ralph(1) Lane married Maud Parr and became
parents of Sir Robert, Sir Ralph(2), Sir William(4), Frances, Mary and
other daughters whose names have been lost. Sir Ralph(1) probably died by
1570.
No records have been found concerning Sir William(4)Lane or his
offspring, for the period of about 1525 to 1560. He appears to be a
probable ancestor for our Missouri family line. He was of the right family
lineage, at the proper location and of the right age. Since Sir William(4)
was a younger son of Sir Ralph(1) and did not inherit from his father and
his activities were over-shadowed by Sir Ralph(2), perhaps such records
were not maintained or have been lost. Our relative Roger Lane was born
around 1560 and is believed to have been a son of Sir William(4).
The progeny of Sir Ralph(1) and Maud Parr evolved into family branches
centered around Northamton, Hereford and London. The descendents of these
lines eventually spread throughout the British Isles. They were in
considerable part landed gentry and holders of public offices in
England,Wales,Scotland and Ireland. Many of this Lane line came to America
in early Colonial times. Apparently the first of the family to come to
America was Sir Ralph(2) Lane of the Orlingbury Manor, Northampton family
line. He was the son of Sir Ralph(1) and Maud Parr. He was a mariner who
sailed from Plymouth England in 1585. With Sir Richard Grenville, he
founded a colony at Roanoke Island in what is now a part of North Carolina.
He was the first Governor of the Colony. The colony was not successful and
broke up before 1600. Sir Ralph(2) returned to Ireland where he died in 1604.
Shortly after 1607 several members of the Lane family and closely
related to Sir Ralph(2) emigrated to the Jamestown area of Virginia. They
became established there. Others of this family lineage aided in permanent
settlements in North Carolina. A Job Lane of Herfordshire. England came to
Malden Massachusetts in 1635 and became an ancestor to a family branch in
Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
The first emigrant forebearer of record, of the Missouri Lane family
was Samuel(1), who came to Anne Arundel County Maryland in 1664.
From these and other records, we know the Lane family was active in the
early exploring and settlements in America. The progeny of these early
settlers spread the family throughout the United States of America.