Ralph Lane Colony

By Parisslee123
  • 1554

    The First Event

    Sir Ralph Lane and Maud Parr Lane of Northampton, attended Oxford University in 1554 and served in the English Parliament in late 1550s and early 1560s.
  • 1563

    Second Event

    By 1563 Lane was serving in Queen Elizabeth I’s court, marking the beginning of a career of service to queen and country.
  • 1569

    Third Event

    Lane participated in a force that suppressed a rebellion in Scotland in 1569 where he gained accolades for his military skill.
  • 1570

    Fourth Event

    In the early 1570s, Lane had involved himself in maritime affairs which included a queen’s commission to seize ships in 1571.
  • 1580

    Fifth Event

    By the late 1570s and early 1580s, he was developing plans and offering his services in helping England struggle with Spain.

  • Sixth Event

    In 1583, Lane received a commission to go to Ireland and direct the construction of forts.

  • Seventh Event

    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.

  • Eighth Event

    In April 1585, seven ships with about 600 men under the overall command of Sir Richard Grenville left England. After a storm scattered the fleet and reduced it to five ships, the company regrouped. They arrived at the Outer Banks by June. By August, the colony had come ashore and built a fort following an invitation from the Indians. Grenville’s fleet left at the end of August after being unable to secure a good harbor.

  • Ninth Event

    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.

  • Tenth Event

    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. 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.