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Lane, born to Sir Ralph Lane and Maud Parr Lane of Northampton, attended Oxford University in 1514
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He evidently never married. By 1563 Lane was serving in Queen Elizabeth I’s court, marking the beginning of a career of service to queen and country.
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Lane participated in a force that suppressed a rebellion in Scotland in 1569 where he gained accolades for his military skill.
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By the early 1570s, Lane had involved himself in maritime affairs which included a queen’s commission to seize ships in 1571.
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In 1585 the queen recalled Lane from Ireland and he was given command of the colony that Sir Walter Raleigh was organizing to sail to Virginia (Roanoke Island). Raleigh evidently personally invited Lane to command the land expedition.