Lane Generations

The following is a summary of information found on the Lane family of Goodrich, Herefordshire, England, and of New South Wales, Australia. More information is held is relation to the Australian members of the Lane generations and it is hoped to add that information to this web site over the next few years.

For earlier generations regarding the Woor connection please click on the link below

Benjamin Lane

Baptised see below
Buried 14 November 1784, Goodrich
Married 10 February 1766, to Elizabeth Woor, Goodrich, died 26 December 1802, Goodrich
Children
Nell, baptised 20 September 1766, Goodrich
William, baptised 28 February 1768, Goodrich, see below
Betty, baptised 30 September 1770, Goodrich
Henry, baptised 13 December 1772, Goodrich
Thomas, baptised 19 January 1777, Goodrich

In relation to Benjamin, there are two baptisms, one of which may be correct. Both are recorded in the adjoining parish of Walford – 28 February 1731, Benjamin son of Richard and Mary Lane, and 26 April 1736, Benjamin son of Arthur and Catharine Lane.

William Lane – Bargeman

Baptised 28 February 1768, Goodrich, Herefordshire, England
Died 16 May 1808, Goodrich, aged 41 years
Married to Ann Jones (second cousin), possibly on 22 April 1790 at St Peters, Hereford, Herefordshire, England
Children
Thomas, baptised 31 March 1793, died April 1793 aged 3 weeks, Goodrich,
William, baptised 27 May 1796, Goodrich, see below
John baptised 29 Nov or Dec 1798, Goodrich
Elizabeth baptised 28 February 1802, Goodrich
James born about 1804, see below
Ann, baptised 30 November 1806, Goodrich
Benjamin, baptised 15 November 1807, Goodrich

The River Wye at Goodrich, Hereford.

The Gentleman’s Magazine Volume 89 Part 2 – 401 [July-December 1819]

The county… is one known to be one which contains everything desirable; but the communication is most grievously interrupted by the Wye. There are only 3 bridges for 40 miles, from Ross to Cheapstow, where for the purposes of commerce there ought to be 20…. There are more lives lost annually on the Wye than there are on the Tyne (heavy traffic with coal barges). Tourists who see the river only in summer when it is a mere pellucid brook, know nothing of its character in winter, or when it is swelled by a fresh from rivers of its supply. It is then a tremendous torrent, eddying like the Thames at London Bridge; and the bottom is full of immense rocks upon the sides, and deep holes, some of which, called salmon-holes are from 30 to 40 feet in depth. Immersion in such a period is, even to excellent swimmers almost certain death. The rapidity of the current prevents their making a short cut across to the bank; and the cold of the water in the winter season, mostly produces the cramp. If a horse is unaccustomed to enter the boat, he is sometimes so restive, as to jerk his rider overboard by a sudden pull of the bridal as he is being driven from the bank into the boat; and as to the foot passengers and ferrymen, they are often drowned by the stream forcing the boat from the rope. Loss of life among the bargemen is an occurrence of enormous frequency. In short, the river as it is now, through want of bridges, is hurtful to life and property, which it ill becomes an enlightened age like this to endure patiently.

The Kerne Bridge across the River Wye at Goodrich was built in 1828 and previous to this people would have relied on the barges for transport and to cross from one side to the other. William died on 16 May 1808, at Goodrich, aged only 41 years. His job was a very dangerous one and one wonders if he drowned in the Wye.

Widow Ann Lane (nee Jones) then married widower Thomas Jellamy on 5 May 1812 at Goodrich Church. They had at least one child Ann baptised on 14 November 1814, at Goodrich. Thomas was described as a labourer living at Copped Wood.

Coppett Hill is one of the largest commons in Herefordshire. A path leads from Goodrich through woodland and then steeply uphill to the open spaces of Coppett’s Hill. There are superb views over Wales, the Wye Valley and over the village of Goodrich including St Giles. The path leads down past the Caldwell Rocks where the the peregrine falcon nests and then through more woodland (www.herefordshireramblers.org.uk – Dec 2011).

The 1841 Census of England and Wales reveals that Thomas aged 75 years, an agricultural labourer, his wife Ann aged 65 years, were living at Goodrich and both had been born in Herefordshire. Their daughter’s and son-in-law’s family were living with them: John Merry age 27 years, agricultural labourer and his wife Ann age 26 years and children Fanny age 2 years and Elen Merry age 8 months. John and Ann were married in 1837 and were both born in Goodrich.

Thomas Jellamy died on 16 January 1845, aged 79 years and Ann died on 27 June 1847 aged 79 years, both at Goodrich.

I thank Gillian Kendrigan of Canberra for her research of the Goodrich Parish Registers on microfilm and Gaye Gibbs for the general background information. The above information extracted from the parish registers and Bishop’s Transcripts for Goodrich Church and from Thomas and William Lane’s headstone in the Goodrich Church Cemetery.

William Lane – Soldier

To see the story of William and Sarah Lane please click on the link below.

Baptised 27 May 1796, Goodrich, Herefordshire, England
Married February 1820, to Sarah Boyd(e), Dublin, Ireland
Died 3 February 1863, Windsor, NSW
Children
William, born 1820/21
James, born 1822/23, Dublin, Ireland
Elizabeth, baptised 19 March 1826, Chatham, Kent, England  
John, born 12 July 1830, Sydney, NSW, see below
Benjamin, born 1831/32, Sydney, NSW
Thomas, born 5 July 1835, Sydney, NSW
Two other children

James Lane

One of the most interesting discoveries found when searching the Australian on the National Library of Australia Trove web site, was the following.

The Australian Sat 15 February 1840 page 2

An inquest was held on Tuesday, last at the Globe Tavern, Castlereagh-street, before H H Browne, Esq, JP (acting for the Coroner), upon the body of James Lane, a labouring man in the employment of Mr Williams of the Big River (Hawkesbury River). From the evidence, it appeared, that the deceased had arrived in Sydney on the previous afternoon, with his team, in a state of exhaustion, arising from a wound he had received in his arm on new years day last, from a bullock. Dr Harrington, of Castlereagh-street, was called in, and prescribed the usual remedies, but without effect, mortification having already taken place; and the deceased expired about ten o’clock the same night. The jury returned the usual verdict. The deceased was brother to Sergeant Lane, the efficient mounted policeman stationed at Longbottom.

Interestingly the Sydney Gazette reported that James was in the employ of Sir John Jamison, a leading settler in the Colony, with his main residence and properties near Penrith. Perhaps “Mr Williams” was working as a manager for Sir John Jamison.

The burial entry in the register of the Parish of St James, Sydney, reveals that James Lane, aged 36 years, of Castlereagh Street, died on 10 February 1840, and the burial was performed by Rev W H Walsh on 12 February 1840 (ref Vol 24A, No 162).

John Lane – Bootmaker

To see the story of John Lane and Margaret Anderson please click on link below.

Born – 12 July 1830, Sydney, NSW
Married – 22 September 1851, Windsor, NSW to Margaret Anderson who died 3 November 1904, Windsor, NSW
Died – 12 September 1913, Richmond, NSW
Children
Samuel, see below
Benjamin, born 14 May 1854, Windsor, NSW
William Henry, born 11 March 1856, Emu Plains, NSW
Edwin, born 20 April 1858, Windsor, NSW
John Thomas, born 21 June 1860, Windsor, NSW
Sarah Ann Llewelyn, born 9 March 1862, Windsor, NSW
Clara, born 9 January 1864, Windsor, NSW
James Manning, born 14 October 1865, Windsor, NSW
Alfred Wesley, born 25 July 1867, Windsor, NSW
Martha, born 8 November 1868, Windsor, NSW
Alice, born 15 August 1870, Windsor, NSW
Albert, born 24 July 1873, Windsor, NSW
Emily, born 17 February 1875, Windsor, NSW

Samuel Lane – Draper

To see the story of Samuel Lane and Catherine Maria Parker please click on link below.

Born – 22 June 1852, Windsor, NSW
Married – 14 May 1879, Parramatta, NSW to Catherine Maria Parker who died 7 September 1909, Windsor, NSW, Windsor C of E Cemetery
Died – 26 January 1932, Marrickville, NSW, Rookwood Cemetery
Children
Eppie Alice, born 12 March 1880, Windsor, NSW
Alfred Oram Lane, see below
Arthur Wesley, born 14 May 1883, Molong, NSW
Blanche, born 19 April 1886, Windsor, NSW
Wesley M, born 1891, Albury NSW, died 1892, Albury, NSW

Alfred Oram Lane – School teacher – known as Orie

Born – 10 July 1881 at Lambert Street, Bathurst, NSW
Married – 20 January 1916 to Ruby Lillian Russell, at Annandale, NSW who died 24 May 1978, Manly, NSW, Woronora Crematorium
Died – 3 August 1951, Home of Peace, Petersham NSW – usual place of residence 94 Loftus Avenue, Loftus, NSW, Woronora Crematorium
Children
Merle Lillian, born 4 February 1918, Annandale, NSW, died 22 October 2005, Brisbane, Qld
Oram Trevor, born 4 June 1919, Murrurindi, NSW, died 30 July 2004, Swansea, NSW
Arthur Edgar, born 23 July 1920, Murrurundi, NSW, died 27 July 1997, Ballina, NSW
Noela Jean, born 29 November 1921, Murrurundi, NSW, died 3 November 2015, Ballina, NSW
Eric Victor, born 24 May 1922, Murrurundi, NSW, died 8 December 1993, Adelaide SA

Teaching Career

Extract from the NSW Department of Education personnel file of Alfred Oram Lane

Name of School – Date of Appointment

Annandale – pupil teacher – 25 February 1897
Declared eligible for employment as a teacher of a small school – 27 April 1900
Big Mimosa Public (Salary £88) – 28 April 1900
Resignation took effect 31 December 1902
Resignation withdrawn subject to his producing satisfactory medical evidence that he had fully recovered from his illness
Emu Creek Provisional (Salary £88) – 23 July 1903
Upper McDonald (Salary £88) – 22 February 1906
Kameruka (temporary appointment) – 9 June 1906
Candelo (temporary appointment) – 4 July 1906
Nelanglo – 7 August 1906
Buckajo – 26 February 1907
Roseneath – 19 July 1907
Bevendale – 21 January 1909
Frazer’s Knob – 17 May 1911
Mullengrove – 26 May 1913
Warrah Creek – 28 June 1916
Beaumont – 3 July 1924
Jasper’s Brush 15 December 1930
Wyong Creek – 10 April 1934
Narara – 29 November 1935
Coopernook – 2 April 1937
Last day of service 19 July 1945

Some of Orie’s poems and writings have been handed down to me and these can be read by clicking on the appropriate link below.

Travel claims submitted by Orie for reimbursement of costs of travel between postings makes an interesting story, click on link below.

Alfred and Ruby attended a large farewll at the Coopernook Hall on 29 June 1945; click on link below to read the Manning River Times report.

New Book

In September 2023 my cousin Gaye Gibbs of Sydney, complied and published a book titled The Ancestors of Harry Jr, Joy and Gaye Jessop. As Gaye’s grandmother Blanche (Birdie) Lane is  a sister of Alfred Oram Lane, her book includes the following excellent chapters :-

Chapter 15 – Samuel Lane and Catherine Parker – Herbal cigarettes for asthma

Chapter 16 – John Parker and Elizabeth Buscombe – From grocer to orange orchardist

Chapter 17 – John Lane and Margaret Manning – Floods, riots, fire and typhoid

Chapter 18 – Thomas Anderson and Charlotte Manning – Mental health issues

Chapter 19 – John Manning and Margaret Beynon (nee Llewellyn – Thieves made good

Chapter 20 – William Lane and Sarah Boyd – Mounted Police and Bushrangers

Gaye can be contacted by email gibbspg53@gmail.com