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1528
Ralph lane
Ralph Lane 1528, a professional soldier, served as governor of the first colony attempted by the English in America. At that time, the region that encompassed Sir Walter Raleigh’s land patent was called Virginia in honor of Queen Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen. -
1570
what lane decided to do
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. In 1583, Lane received a commission to go to Ireland and direct the construction of forts. -
Where did lane and men traveled
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. -
what things did the men do
Lane’s colony of 107 men lasted for only eight months. Lane’s men explored the countryside with the intent of finding a better site for settlement. The colony suffered because of the lack of supplies and Lane’s lack of skill in dealing with the Indians. Eventually, 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, fleet led by Sir Francis Drake left Roanoke carrying the first English colonists back home. -
lane was only involved in one colonization
Lane was never involved in another colonization expedition but remained active in service to his county. He provided the foreword to Thomas Harriot’s Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia and his account of the colony appeared in Richard Hakluyt’s Principal Navigations -
what lane life was like before he died
Lane was never involved in another colonization expedition but remained active in service to his county. 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.
