Ralph Lane Colony

  • 1554

    College

    He Attends Oxfords University
  • 1563

    Served in Court

    Lane was serving in Queen Elizabeth I’s court.
  • 1569

    Rebellion in Scotland

    Lane participated in a force that suppressed a rebellion in Scotland in 1569 where he gained accolades for his military skill.
  • 1571

    Seize Ships

    Lane had involved himself in maritime affairs which included a queen’s commission to seize ships in 1571.
  • Ireland

    Lane received a commission to go to Ireland and direct the construction of forts.
  • Command Of the Colony

    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).
  • Left 600 Men

    In April 1585, seven ships with about 600 men under the overall command of Sir Richard Grenville left England.
  • Colonists Go Back Home

    A fleet led by Sir Francis Drake left Roanoke carrying the first English colonists back home.
  • Land of Virginia

    He provided the foreword to Thomas Hariot’s Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia
  • Account of Colony

    His account of the colony appeared in Richard Hakluyt’s Principal Navigations.
  • Back to Ireland

    Lane was back in Ireland serving as “muster master general” and “clerk of the check of the garrison” and remained in that country for the rest of his life.
  • No Longer Muster Master

    Lane’s physical weakness had made him unfit as muster master.
  • The Death of Ralph Lane

    Lane died in Dublin, Ireland, in October 1603 and was buried at St. Patrick’s Church on the 28th of that month.