John Newton Lane

Son of John Lane (1752-1824) of Kings Bromley and Sarah Amler (née Lloyd). John Lane had inherited Seawells and Newton in Barbados in 1794 with his brother Thomas Lane (1754-1824) of the Grange, Leyton from their mother's first cousins Lady Sarah Holte and Miss Elizabeth Newton, who were the descendants of Samuel Newton (also from Kings Bromley, d. 1684: Sarah and Elizabeth's father also Samuel Newton had married Elizabeth Fowler, aunt of John and Thomas Lane's mother Sarah Fowler, who had married John Lane 1723-1782).

1. Thomas Lane administered both plantations. In 1820, John Lane took Seawells and Thomas Lane took Newton.

2. John Newton Lane married 08/01/1828 the Hon. Agnes Bagot second daughter of William, Lord Bagot by Lady Louisa Legge daughter of of the Earl of Dartmouth.  

3. The Manor of Kings Bromley sold in 1679 by Charles Agard and his creditors to Samuel Newton of Barbados; in 1794, it was bequeathed by Elizabeth Newton to her cousins, John and Thomas Lane. It was demolished in 1928.

4. In 1830 John Newton Lane gave land, part of Seawells plantation for the erection of St Bartholomew's. Seawells estate books show that £240 8s 3d and one farthing was spent in money by John Newton Lane in the erection of the Chapel besides slave labour and materials supplied. This building was destroyed in the hurricane of 11/08/1831. It was re-erected and consectrated 27/05/1833 for approximately £600. There is no record of whether John Newton Lane paid anything towards the re-erection.

5. Letters of admin., with Will and 3 codicils attached of the personal estate and effects of John Newton Lane late of Kings Bromley Manor [Staffs.] who died 13/10/1869 at King's Bromley granted to John Henry Bagot Lane son and residuary legatee, effects under £20,000. The line of inheritance was John Henry Bagot Lane [1829-1886], George Alfred Osborne Lane [1875-1936] (John Henry Bagot Lane's third son), Richard William Walter de Lone Lane [1908-1984] (G.A.O.Lane's nephew). Seawells was sold in 1937 to the Barbados governments and became Seawells airport, subsequently renamed Grantley Adams airport.

T71/898 Barbados claim no. 3204 (Seawells).

Alan Howard, The Lane Inheritance: Kings Bromley and Barbados (Kings Bromley, Kings Bromley Historians, 2011).

David Ian Chapman, The Great Houses of Leyton and Leytonstone: The Grange, with emphasis on the Lane Family and the Slave Trade (Leytonstone, London, Leyton & Leytonstone Historical Society, 2007), pp. 12-13.

1. Deed of partition for Seawells and Newton: Newton Papers MS523/972.

2. John Burke, A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland enjoying territorial possessions or high official rank, but uninvested with heritable honours (4 vols., London, Henry Colburn, 1835-1838) vol. 4, p. 391. Burke's gives his date of birth as 04/12/1800, consistent with census entries (e.g 1841 at Bromley Regis aged 40, living with Sarah Lane aged 70 and Agnes Lane aged 30); FreeUKGen, England and Wales Free BMD Database, Deaths, 1837-1983 [database online] mistranscribes his age in death at registration in Q4 1869 as 63: the underlying record clearly shows 68.

3. Kings Bromley Parish Plan (September 2005), p. 6: http://www.kingsbromley.com/docs/pp1.pdf. Derbyshire Record Office D518/F81 - Indenture of Sale.

4. Email from Allan Howard, 28/04/2012.

5. National Probate Calendar 1870.

We are grateful to Allan Howard for his assistance in compiling this entry.