The Book : “Lane’s Reports”

A Man of Spotless Integrity: The Life and Legacy of the Lost Lord Keeper of the King’s Great Seal (Part I of III)

Foreword: This is the full article submitted for publication in the 2018 Annual Bulletin of the Société Jersisiase. This version includes significant additional content which could not appear in that publication, and benefits from the excellent editorial refinements of the editors at the Société Jersisiase. In this format, footnotes appear the end of the sections in which their references occur.

“Da Vinci Code” Style Forensics: Symbols and Secrets Lurking Within the Pages of an Ancient Law Book (Part II)

I was surprised when the staff at the Middle Temple Archives office introduced me to the obscure craft of papermaking, and the hidden signatures that lie within the pages of old books…

In Part I of this article, we discussed the forensics of book structure, paper types and how to spot various restoration and repair techniques when authenticating an ancient book. In this article, we step into the world within the paper itself, identifying the craftsman’s watermarks in the pages of my copy of Lane’s Reports, and attempting to “fingerprint” the sheets within that book to the specific screen mould each sheet was produced from. I believe it possible to extend this analysis to “reverse engineer” the original screen moulds used to make each sheet of paper within my book… Continue reading ““Da Vinci Code” Style Forensics: Symbols and Secrets Lurking Within the Pages of an Ancient Law Book (Part II)”

Heading Back to the UK! – April 2018

One year ago, it seemed high time to get serious about this quest. And I did.

Publishing my research seemed the best way to provide the accountability to ensure I got the history right. And, since some things can only be done (or understood) in person, I decided I had to make a trip to London and Jersey a priority. That trip (last May) was not only fascinating and rewarding, it threw gasoline on the fire of this project. And in the year since? Somehow it seems in the nature of research that answering one question raises several new ones, so a year later my list of “in person” tasks is now even longer and more pressing than last year’s.

My bucket list of other travel destinations will have to wait for some other year. The UK is calling, and I must go!

Continue reading “Heading Back to the UK! – April 2018”

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”

Summary Report of our London Visit

I’m going to need a vacation to recover from my “vacation”! Although it’s good to be to be back home in “the colonies”, I am deeply grateful for every moment of the last week in the UK. Continue reading “Summary Report of our London Visit”

Day 1: This was Supposed to be a “day off”!

First Day in London

I would like to publish a “day’s end” report each day, but I’m going to have to make it brief – I am exhausted…and am racing to get this sent before my battery dies! First – The Z City Hotel has provided the perfect writing environment – complimentary wine, chocolate and cheese. Bravo! Continue reading “Day 1: This was Supposed to be a “day off”!”

Welcome to the (very real) Quest to Find the “Lost Lord Keeper” of the 1600’s English Civil War

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…”