Ralph Lane
Encyclopedia
Sir Ralph Lane was an English
explorer of the Elizabethan era
. He was part of the unsuccessful attempt in 1585 to colonize Roanoke Island
, North Carolina
. He also served the Crown
in Ireland
and was knight
ed by the Queen in 1593.
One theory is that Ralph was born about 1530 in Lympstone
, Devon
, England and that his parents were Sir Ralph Lane of Orlingbury
and Maud Parr, a cousin of Catherine Parr
, the last queen consort
of Henry VIII
.
in 1563 as an equerry
under Queen Elizabeth I of England
. His duties as an officer of the royal household included law enforcement and collection of customs duties.
Lane is best remembered for his attempt to establish a settlement on Roanoke Island at the request of Sir Walter Raleigh
. Queen Elizabeth was looking for places to colonize and the Americas
appeared ripe for English expansion. The voyage began on 9 April 1585, when Lane set sail from Plymouth
with Raleigh's cousin, Sir Richard Grenville, a scientist who upon return to England wrote a book about his findings in the Chesapeake. The voyage on the Tiger proved difficult, as Lane quarreled with the aggressive leadership of Grenville.
When they finally arrived in the New World, Lane was left on Roanoke Island
, Virginia on 17 August 1585 with 107 colonists to explore and fortify the area. Almost immediately, Grenville and crew set sail for England. Lane served as governor of the island and had his men explore the area within a 130-mile radius. They erected a stockade to defend the outpost.
Contact was quickly made with the local Native Americans
. The English treated them with suspicious harshness; on several occasions the colonists kidnapped Indians to extract supplies or information. In June 1586 Sir Francis Drake
arrived at Roanoke and offered Lane and his men a return voyage to England that Lane readily accepted for fear of a weakened supply of food and increased tensions with local leaders. The Account of Ralph Lane first appeared in Richard Hakluyt's Principall Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation in 1589.
Lane later participated in other expeditions. In January 1592 he was appointed muster-master general of Ireland
and was knighted the following year.
Ralph Lane was never pronounced dead. He was in the Lane Colony that was the first attemt to permanently colonise the new world. The Lane Colony got lost and was never found.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
explorer of the Elizabethan era
Elizabethan era
The Elizabethan era was the epoch in English history of Queen Elizabeth I's reign . Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history...
. He was part of the unsuccessful attempt in 1585 to colonize Roanoke Island
Roanoke Island
Roanoke Island is an island in Dare County near the coast of North Carolina, United States. It was named after the historical Roanoke Carolina Algonquian people who inhabited the area in the 16th century at the time of English exploration....
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. He also served the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and was knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed by the Queen in 1593.
Early life and education
Ralph's origins have not been proven. According to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography he was "of unknown parentage and education".One theory is that Ralph was born about 1530 in Lympstone
Lympstone
Lympstone is a village and civil parish in East Devon in the English county of Devon. It has a population of 1,754. There is a harbour on the estuary of the River Exe, lying at the outlet of Wotton Brook between cliffs of red breccia...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England and that his parents were Sir Ralph Lane of Orlingbury
Orlingbury
Orlingbury is a village and civil parish in the English county of Northamptonshire. It is between the towns of Kettering and Wellingborough. Administratively it forms part of the borough of Wellingborough...
and Maud Parr, a cousin of Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr ; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen consort of England and Ireland and the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII of England. She married Henry VIII on 12 July 1543. She was the fourth commoner Henry had taken as his consort, and outlived him...
, the last queen consort
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
.
Career
Lane began serving the CrownThe Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
in 1563 as an equerry
Equerry
An equerry , and related to the French word "écuyer" ) is an officer of honour. Historically, it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use, it is a personal attendant, usually upon a Sovereign, a member of a Royal Family, or a national...
under Queen Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
. His duties as an officer of the royal household included law enforcement and collection of customs duties.
Lane is best remembered for his attempt to establish a settlement on Roanoke Island at the request of Sir Walter Raleigh
Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh was an English aristocrat, writer, poet, soldier, courtier, spy, and explorer. He is also well known for popularising tobacco in England....
. Queen Elizabeth was looking for places to colonize and the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
appeared ripe for English expansion. The voyage began on 9 April 1585, when Lane set sail from Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
with Raleigh's cousin, Sir Richard Grenville, a scientist who upon return to England wrote a book about his findings in the Chesapeake. The voyage on the Tiger proved difficult, as Lane quarreled with the aggressive leadership of Grenville.
When they finally arrived in the New World, Lane was left on Roanoke Island
Roanoke Island
Roanoke Island is an island in Dare County near the coast of North Carolina, United States. It was named after the historical Roanoke Carolina Algonquian people who inhabited the area in the 16th century at the time of English exploration....
, Virginia on 17 August 1585 with 107 colonists to explore and fortify the area. Almost immediately, Grenville and crew set sail for England. Lane served as governor of the island and had his men explore the area within a 130-mile radius. They erected a stockade to defend the outpost.
Contact was quickly made with the local Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
. The English treated them with suspicious harshness; on several occasions the colonists kidnapped Indians to extract supplies or information. In June 1586 Sir Francis Drake
Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral was an English sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, and politician of the Elizabethan era. Elizabeth I of England awarded Drake a knighthood in 1581. He was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588. He also carried out the...
arrived at Roanoke and offered Lane and his men a return voyage to England that Lane readily accepted for fear of a weakened supply of food and increased tensions with local leaders. The Account of Ralph Lane first appeared in Richard Hakluyt's Principall Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation in 1589.
Lane later participated in other expeditions. In January 1592 he was appointed muster-master general of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and was knighted the following year.
Death
In 1594, Lane was severely wounded during an Irish rebellion against the Crown. He never fully recovered and died in 1603.Ralph Lane was never pronounced dead. He was in the Lane Colony that was the first attemt to permanently colonise the new world. The Lane Colony got lost and was never found.