M. before 1606 in (probably) Beaminster, England1
Wife: Agnes _______
D. before 5 Jul 1654 in Dorchester, Massachusetts1
On a day in May of 1635, 18 brave families boarded a ship bound for America, and William Lane was among them. They were Puritans, said to be seeking a religious haven, and all were from South West England. William didn’t stand out among the group — he wasn’t a leader or minister, and he left no significant legacy. He simply represented the many who came to populate New England.
We don’t know when William was born, but calculating the average age of men when they got married, his birth year was about 1581.1 He first turned up in records on June 18, 1606 as the father of a child at a christening, so it’s likely he married in about 1604 or 1605.1 His wife was only known by the first name of Agnes,1 and the christenings took place in Beaminster,1 a village in the western part of Dorset. It isn’t known how long he lived there because only his first three children show up in town records. The birth of his fourth child in about 1613 likely took place somewhere else, and reportedly, a sixth child was born in the village of Cruwys Morchard in 1620.2 All totaled, there were seven children born to William and Agnes.
William lived at a time when those who believed in Puritanism were leaving England in large numbers. The Great Migration brought families to the newly settled Massachusetts colony, and on May 8, 1635, William and Agnes along with their son Andrew boarded the ship Hopewell sailing out of Weymouth.1 Two other children, George and Sarah, sailed on another ship that left in March,1 and oldest daughter Annis was already married so she came over with her husband.1 Youngest daughters Mary and Elizabeth were likely on the Hopewell, but not named on the passenger list.
Arriving on the Hopewell. (AI-generated image)
The Lane family settled in Dorchester,1 which was already populated by other settlers from South West England. Within in a year, many of them formed a group who went off to settle along the Connecticut River, but William didn’t join them, perhaps because he was already past 55 years of age. Instead he acquired land in the Dorchester area; one tract was of 3 acres located “in the neck,” a grant he received on January 2, 1638.1
Little else is mentioned in records about William. His wife Agnes likely died during the 1640s, and in his old age, William took in his daughter Mary, whose husband Joseph Long had returned to England and died there.3 When William wrote his will in 1651, he saw to it that Mary would receive 24 acres of land, and be allowed to stay in his house as long as she needed.1
William passed away in Dorchester some time before July 5, 1654 when the inventory was taken for his estate.1 It was valued at £82 10 s 8-1/2 d, not including his real estate. William was the ancestor of Pete Seeger and actress Amanda Bearse.4
Children:
1. Annis Lane — B. before 18 Jun 1606, (probably) Beaminster, England;1 D. 14 Feb 1683, Hingham, Massachusetts;5 M. Thomas Lincoln (~1600-1691), about 1630, (probably) Beaminster, England1
2. William Lane — B. before 28 Aug 1608, (probably) Beaminster, England;1 (probably) died young1
3. Andrew Lane — B. before 9 May 1610, (probably) Beaminster, England;1 D. 1 May 1675, Hingham, Massachusetts;5 M. Tryphena _______ (1612-1707)1
4. George Lane — B. about 1613, England;1 D. 11 Jun 1689, Hingham, Massachusetts;7 M. Sarah Harris (?-1695), before 16381
5. Sarah Lane — B. about 1617, England;1 D. 19 Aug 1695, Hull, Massachusetts;8 M. Nathaniel Baker (?-1686), before 16391
6. Mary Lane — B. 22 Oct 1620, Cruwys Morchard, England;9 D. before 7 Sep 1671, (probably) Middletown, Connecticut;9 M. (1) Joseph Long (~1600-~1651), before 1636, Dorchester, Massachusetts;1 (2) Joseph Farnsworth (?-1659), after May 1651, Dorchester, Massachusetts;9 (3) John Wilcox (~1620-1676), 20 Apr 1660, Dorchester, Massachusetts9
7. Elizabeth Lane — B. about 1627, England;1 D. 23 May 1655, Boston, Massachusetts;10 M. Thomas Rider, about 16471
Sources:
1 The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Robert Charles Anderson, 1999
2 WikiTree listing of Mary Lane
3 Massachusetts Archives, Book 9, p. 16
4 FamousKin.com listing of William Lane
5 Find-a-Grave listing og Avis (Lane) Lincoln
6 Find-a-Grave listing of Andrew Lane
7 Find-a-Grave listing of George Lane
8 Find-a-Grave listing of Sarah Baker
9 WikiTree listing of Mary Lane
10 Find-a-Grave listing of Elizabeth (Lane) Rider
