In this second part of the article submitted for publication in the 2018 Annual Bulletin of the Société Jersiaise, Richard Lane rises quickly in the king’s service amid dire circumstances in the wartime capitol of Oxford.
Continue reading “A Man of Spotless Integrity: The Life and Legacy of the Lost Lord Keeper of the King’s Great Seal (Part II of III)”Category: Exile to Jersey and the Elizabeth Castle
The backstory on the place Sir Richard Lane and the rest of the entourage fled to after King Charles I was executed…and the death and funeral of Sir Richard Lane.
A Man of Spotless Integrity: The Life and Legacy of the Lost Lord Keeper of the King’s Great Seal (Part III of III)
This conclusion of the article submitted for publication in the 2018 Annual Bulletin of the Société Jersisiase chronicles the last few weeks of Richard Lane’s life in the Elizabeth Castle, and his dramatic 1650 burial in St Helier, Jersey.
Continue reading “A Man of Spotless Integrity: The Life and Legacy of the Lost Lord Keeper of the King’s Great Seal (Part III of III)”First Formal Historical Publication: The 2018 Annual Bulletin of the Société Jersiaise Finally Arrived!
My apologies for having posted so few articles since my April research trip to the UK last year. It certainly hasn’t been for lack of material! Following my talks at the Société Jersiaise during that trip, I was asked to contribute an article to the Société’s “Annual Bulletin” for 2018. This was a genuine honor, as I’ve never known of an academic society so committed to maintaining and developing a cultural, scientific and historic heritage as effectively as the Société Jersiaise does for Jersey. It was also a significant time commitment, and wound up leading me down new avenues of research–and some really interesting discoveries!
My “Summer” in the Channel Islands
When talking with people here in the states, I generally have to clarify when I mention “Jersey” that I’m talking about old Jersey–the UK Channel Island situated just off the coast of France. Its a very unique place of beautiful vistas, truly dramatic tides and a fascinating history as a strategic outpost between Britain and the European mainland. I visited this Spring and although my body has been home for months, part of me seems to have remained in St. Helier for the summer…
Designing a Memorial for a Historic Figure (and his Wife)
This quest really began when I wondered what it would be like to visit the grave of the author of the ancient book I’d recently purchased at a Denver antique book store. At first, I doubted there would be any discoverable record of him at all. And initially, there wasn’t. My searches returned a sea of flotsam references to this or that person named “Richard Lane” over the centuries, or someone simply named “Richard” who lived on a “lane” somewhere! But when I began combining his name with words from the title of his 1657 book, I finally encountered articles that introduced me to the man. What I could read of him was intriguing, though. I found myself repeatedly choosing to look into “one more thing” before setting it aside and going on with my life…
Continue reading “Designing a Memorial for a Historic Figure (and his Wife)”
Breaking News! I Have Proven the True Identity of King Charles II’s Groom Named “Richard Lane”!
In the first article on the career of Richard Lane’s son, we led up to King Charles II’s invasion of England to restore his throne, and how his new Groom, Richard Lane (the younger), likely joined him in Scotland around the time of his coronation there in January 1651. Of course, the throne the young king really had his eye on was that of England. And the Scottish army now under his command was his means to that end…
Continue reading “Breaking News! I Have Proven the True Identity of King Charles II’s Groom Named “Richard Lane”!”
Passing of the Torch: The Service of Richard Lane the Younger to the King
My research into Richard Lane’s son has been far more successful than I dared hope. What was to have been one article has become four, revealing a fascinating story of survival, drama and ultimate vindication of his exiled father, Sir Richard Lane. Continue reading “Passing of the Torch: The Service of Richard Lane the Younger to the King”
A Pound of Silver
To our ears, the “pound” is just another member of the family of global currencies–all related by the various exchange rates. But back in the 1600s, it meant much more than that…
Kudos to the Magic of the Interlibrary Loan Program!
I really wanted to understand more about the 1600s Jersey diarist, Jean Chevalier. His journal (a legacy gift to his own familial descendants) has become an unmatched window into his times. It is also the crown jewel of the Société Jersiaise, and the only credible historical document to tell of Sir Richard Lane’s fate while in exile with King Charles II during the English Civil War. But who was Jean Chevalier? How credible were his observations? I finally found a book that promised to tell me…
Continue reading “Kudos to the Magic of the Interlibrary Loan Program!”
Maximillian Norreys: argumentum, quod vita est, quod fit, dum nos faciens ad alia factus consilia!
So I have an assignment for you – do a google search on “latin translation” and plug the title of this article into it. Everyone should know about this amazing tool the good folks at Google have brought into our world! And make no mistake – after the curse of targeted advertising, they owed us one!
5280 Explorer 