History of the Lane Family
The city of Gloucester, the county seat of Gloucestershire, began around AD 96-98 as a colony created for Roman legionary veterans, and was founded on the site of an earlier Roman fort. Numerous Roman antiquities, burial urns, coins, etc. have been discovered here. After the Romans left the island, the city was surrendered to the West Saxons. In the seventh century, Gloucestershire was one of the areas occupied by the people known as the Hwicce, who were a mix of Anglian and Saxon stock. Around AD 679, Osric, King of the Hwicce, founded the monastery of St. Peter and improved the city to such an extent that, by the beginning of the eighth century, it was considered ‘one of the noblest of the kingdom.’ The city repeatedly suffered from fire and the ravages of the Danes and was almost wholly destroyed in 1087. Henry III was crowned in Gloucester in 1216 and spent his Christmas season here each year. It was the scene of many battles between Henry and his Barons. In 1319, Edward II was ‘with consent and by practice of his cruel Queen, most cruelly and foully murdered’ at Berkeley Castle and was buried in Gloucester Cathedral where there is a monument to his memory. John Hooper, the second Bishop of Gloucester, was condemned to be burnt at the stake in 1553 after refusing to recant his support of the Reformation. He was taken to Gloucester and there ‘burnt with dreadful torments’ on the 9th of February, 1555. A memorial statue of Bishop Hooper was set up by public subscription near the spot where he suffered. In 1641-42, Gloucester sided with the Parliament and Oliver Cromwell against King Charles I, with an army of 30,000 men. As a result, the ancient walls of the city, two miles in circuit, were destroyed when the monarchy was restored by Charles II some years later. The eastern part of the county is in the Cotswolds, considered to be one of the most beautiful areas of the island, and commonly used for sheep grazing. Dairy farming is popular in the central part of the county, near the river Severn. The western part of the county is on the Welsh border, and features the Forest of Dean. John Lane and Jane Sophia Matthews were married on June 9, 1837 in St. Aldate, Gloucester and had four children. In England’s 1851 Census, the children are listed as; John Stephen, age 11, our Jane Ann, age 5, and James William, age 2. John’s occupation was Gardener. Also living with the family at this time was Sophia’s father, James Matthews. James was 80 years of age (born c. 1771), a widower, and his occupation was listed as Laborer. James was born in Newent, Gloucester. According to Jane’s christening record of June 28, her mother’s name was Ann. In the English 1951 Census, Robert Lane (c. 1774) is listed as living in Ashlerworth (Ashleworth), Gloucester, at age 77, also a widower, with an occupation of Carpenter. This seems to be John’s father. William Lane, probably a brother to John, a bachelor at age 47, is living in Hucclecote, Gloucester, and working as a Gardener’s Laborer. Jane Sophia and her husband’s second daughter, Jemina, was born on October 14, 1855. John Sr and his son, John, emigrated to America in 1858 and settled in Lilly, Illinois. In 1860 his wife and the other three children, Jane Anne, James William, and Jemima, arrived from England. The family then settled in McLean County, in the village of Danvers, probably after Jane’s father had passed away as he would surely have been too advanced in age to make the trip to America. No official immigration records have yet been located to verify either voyage, but is related by Lane family report. In the 1860 U.S. Federal Census for Dry Grove Township, John and Jane Sophia lived and farmed on James Devlin’s farm along with their son, William, age 11, and a third daughter, Amelia, age 8. Within several years, they owned their own land at Danvers RT3 Section 21. Also in the 1860 Census, the eldest son of John and Jane Sophia, John Jr, is 20 and working as a farm laborer on the Will Shorthose farm, while his wife, Annie, age 15, is working as a domestic. On August 23, 1867, Jemina died, at the age of 12 years, 10 months, and 9 days. As yet, her cause of death is unknown. By the time of the 1870 U.S. Federal Census, John S. Lane is 61 and Jane one year older. Their personal property value is $1,000 and their real estate value is $2,000. One son, William, age 20, lives at home with them. In the same Census, Andrew Bess, their son-in-law, has a personal property value of only $200, as was his real estate value, so the Lanes were apparently fairly prosperous. John Jr is listed as being 28 at the time of the 1870 Census, married to Annie and they have a baby daughter, Amelia, less than one year old. Jane Sophia died on March 29, 1880 at age 73. In the 1880 Census accomplished later in the year, John Sr is listed as a ‘retired farmer’ and apparently was either living with his son, John Jr. or next door to him. John Jr is 40. His wife’s name is illegible. They also have a daughter named Jemina, who is 10, John S. is 8, James F. is 6, Catherine is 5, and Elizabeth is 2. On November 5, 1888, John received his Final Order of Naturalization. He died on June 16, 1904 at 98 years of age. Both John and Jane Sofia are buried in Stout’s Grove Cemetery outside of Danvers. Their daughter, Jemima, is buried beside them, along with their eldest daughter, Jane Ann, her husband, Andrew Bess, and numerous Bess babies who died at early ages, including the twins and Laura, Ella M (the same name as our grandmother Ella), and William J.
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