Ralph Lane Colony

  • 1550

    Service

    Served in English Parliament
  • 1554

    School

    Oxford University
  • 1563

    Service

    Served Queen Elizabeth's Court
  • 1569

    Gained Accolades

    Participated in a force that suppressed a rebellion in Scotland where he gained accolades for his military skill
  • 1570

    Seized Ships

    Involved himself in maritime affairs which included a queen’s commission to seize ships
  • 1580

    Developed Plans

    He developed plans and offered his service to helping England struggle with Spain
  • Received Commision

    Received commission to go to Ireland and direct the construction of forts.
  • Leaving England

    Seven ships with about 600 men under the overall command of Sir Richard Grenville left England.
  • Recalled by the Queen

    The queen recalled Lane from Ireland and he was given command of the colony that Sir Walter Raleigh was organizing
  • Leaving Roanoke

    A fleet led by Sir Francis Drake left Roanoke carrying the first English colonists back home.
  • Lanes Report

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

    His account of the colony appeared in Richard Hakluyt’s Principal Navigation
  • Back in Ireland

    Lane was back in Ireland in serving as “muster master general” and “clerk of the check of the garrison” and remained in the country for the rest of his life
  • Weakness

    Physical weakness had made Lane unfit as muster master
  • Death

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