II.
II. RALPH LANE.
II. Governor of Ralegh's 1st Colony.
II. 1585-1586.
Ralph Lane, second son of Sir Ralph Lane, of Orlingbury,
and his wife Maud, daughter of William, Lord Parr
(uncle of Queen Catherine Parr), was born in Northamptonshire
about 1530; entered the Queen's service in 1563,
and was so much esteemed by Elizabeth for his services as a
soldier that she knighted him. In 1585 Sir Walter Ralegh
sent out from England a fleet of seven sail, with people to
form a settlement in Virginia, deputing Sir Richard Grenville
to be General of the expedition and Mr. Ralph Lane to be
Governor of the Colony. This was the first English settlement
ever planted in America, and was established on Roanoke
Island. It consisted of 107 persons, under the government of
Lane. The colonists suffered great dangers from the machinations
of the Indians, who at first intended to starve
them by abandoning them, and leaving the island unsown.
Foiled here, they next formed a conspiracy for the general
massacre of the colonists. This, however, was frustrated
by the vigilance of the English Governor, who contrived
a counterplot, in execution of which Pemisapan, the
wicked son of the good old Indian king, Ensenore, was
slain on June 1, 1586.
Unable, however, to contend with hostile Indians and
want of provisions, the whole Colony returned to England
June 18, 1586. Lane carried tobacco home with him, and
Sir Walter Ralegh, at that time a man of gaiety and fashion,
adopting the Indian usage of smoking it, by his influence
and example introduced it at court, where the pipe soon
became the mode.
Thus terminated the first English colony planted in
America. The only acquisition made by this expensive
experiment was a knowledge of "the weed," and a better
acquaintance with the country and its inhabitants.
