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Period: 1550 to 1560
The English Parliament
Served in the English Parliament in late 1550s and early 1560s. -
1554
Schooling of Sir Ralph Lane
In 1554 Lane attended Oxford University -
1563
The Queens Court
By 1563 Lane was serving in Queen Elizabeth I’s court, marking the beginning of a career of service to queen and country. -
1569
Military Skill
Lane participated in a force that suppressed a rebellion in Scotland in 1569 where he gained accolades for his military skill. -
Period: 1570 to 1580
Different Affairs
By the early 1570s, Lane had involved himself in maritime affairs which included a queen’s commission to seize ships in 1571. By the late 1570s and early 1580s, he was developing plans and offering his services in helping England struggle with Spain. -
Lane Commision
In 1583, Lane received a commission to go to Ireland and direct the construction of forts. -
Command of the colony
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). -
The downfall of Lane's Colony
Lane’s colony of 107 men lasted for eight months. Lane’s men explored with the intent of finding a better site for settlement. The colony suffered of the lack of supplies and Lane’s lack of skill in dealing with the Indians. Lane decided to abandon the colony. The conditions for success were not favorable due to the colony’s small size and the ravages of storms. On June 18 or 19, 1586, a fleet led by Sir Francis Drake left Roanoke carrying the first English colonists back home. -
Back in service
Lane was back in Ireland in 1592 serving as “muster master general” and “clerk of the check of the garrison” and remained in that country for the rest of his life. -
The end of Ralph Lane
By 1601 Lane’s physical weakness had made him unfit as muster master. Lane died in Dublin, Ireland, in October 1603 and was buried at St. Patrick’s Church on the 28th of that month.
