5280 Explorer

Lord Keeper Lane’s whereabouts following his negotiations for the surrender of King Charles I’s forces at Oxford in the Spring of 1646 are unclear. But, Lord Keeper Lane could not have been part of the entourage of Charles II when he first he arrived in Jersey for a two month stay in April 1646 – at that time, Lord Keeper Lane was still in Oxford. Whether he returned to Middle Temple is possible, but might have been dangerous for him. At some point in the next 3-1/2 years, Lord Keeper Lane seems to have joined Charles II in France. When Charles II arrives back in Jersey on 17 September 1649, Lord Lane is specifically mentioned as being part of the group. Continue reading “The Funeral Procession of Lord Keeper Lane, May 1650”

In the Spring of 2015, I was browsing the antique book stores in the antiques district of South Broadway in Denver, Colorado. Gallagher’s Books is one of those fun bookshops that just knows what they are doing: interesting books for all tastes, but no room for junk. No matter where you look, you find titles that draw your eye…

I hadn’t really planned on buying anything. I was feeling social, and seeing cases filled with older books, I was curious how far back the inventory of retail antique book stores might go. I took a sip of coffee and playfully asked the proprietor, “What’s the oldest book you have?” I was expecting something in the mid-1800s. Very early 1800s, perhaps? I couldn’t recall – when was the printing press invented again? Sue smiled gamely and replied, “Actually, I think I have one from the middle 1600s…”

Image Gallery

Temple Church, London

Tombs of Templar Knights in the floor of Temple Church

Middle Temple grounds

Parish church of St Hellier, Jersey

Elizabeth Castle, Jersey

Title page of Richard Lane’s book

Map of southern England and Jersey

Middle Temple Library’s restored copy of “Lane’s Reports”

Stone knight effigies in the floor of the rotunda, Temple Church, London

Richard Lane’s Armorial glass in the windows of Middle Temple Hall. This is different than his Readership armorial panel on the walls below – it was the updated with the Lion by Charles II. The word “miles” means he was a Knight.