The chance discovery of a 1657 book published on London’s Fleet Street has become an ever-expanding historical research project regarding the book and it’s enigmatic author, Sir Richard Lane.

An esteemed professor of law at Middle Temple Inn of Law, Sir Richard Lane was drawn into royal service by King Charles I and the burgeoning Civil War. Ultimately dying in exile serving King Charles II, the circumstances of Lane’s death and the location of his grave were both a wartime mystery. Likewise, no reliable image of him was available following the disappearance of his portrait as Lord Keeper in 1866.

Solving those two mysteries (see the “Sir Richard Lane’s Exile and Lost Grave” and “Sir Richard Lane’s Lost Portrait” topics) should have led to an era of resting on laurels. However, like the mythical Hydra (which would sprout 2 heads when one was cut off), this project seems to answer the resolution of one mystery by the emergence of several more. Be sure to check out all the Topic pages!

• Origins of the Lost Lord Keeper Project
• Sir Richard Lane’s Early Life and Career
• Sir Richard Lane and the Civil War
• Sir Richard Lane’s Exile And Lost Grave
• The Great Seal of England
• The 1657 “Lane’s Reports” Book
• A Man Without a Face: The Lost Portrait of Sir Richard Lane
• Sir Richard Lane’s Family and Lineage
• The Trail of Strafford: Harbinger of the coming Civil War
• The Uxbridge Treaty House