I have been trying for a long time now to research a Charles Lane born circa 1855 who was married to a Susannah Altree. I have never been able to find a marriage certificate for this couple which, of course would have given the name of Charles' father. I do have a lot of information with regard to Susannah and also their children (their son William is my husband's father). I also know that Charles went to fight in the Boar War and died in Bloemfontein, South Africa. I know he used the false name of 'Green' when he joined The Royal Warwickshire Regiment and under that name he is listed on a War Memorial to the Memory of Birmingham men who died in the South African War in Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham. However, I have been unable to find anything concrete with regard to his parentage and this is a frustrating brick wall. There are a number of possibilities but nothing absolutely positive. I am wondering if there is anyone out there who can shed any light on this man's parentage.
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Lane - Charles
- Thread starter dotlane
- Start date
MWS
from Bham
Might have something.
There is a baptism listed at St Chad's for a Carolus Ricardus Green (Charles Richard) parents Gualteri (Walter) and Dianae Lane Green. There doesn't seem to be a birth registered for a Charles Richard Green or Lane.
However on the 1861 census there is a Charles Lane living on Macdonald St listed as a grandson of a Mary Lane. One of her daughters is a Diana Lane.
Being an illegitimate son of Walter Green and Diana Lane would account for the use of 2 names. Also a reason why Charles named his second son Walter.
There is a baptism listed at St Chad's for a Carolus Ricardus Green (Charles Richard) parents Gualteri (Walter) and Dianae Lane Green. There doesn't seem to be a birth registered for a Charles Richard Green or Lane.
However on the 1861 census there is a Charles Lane living on Macdonald St listed as a grandson of a Mary Lane. One of her daughters is a Diana Lane.
Being an illegitimate son of Walter Green and Diana Lane would account for the use of 2 names. Also a reason why Charles named his second son Walter.
MWS
from Bham
On the 1871 census Diana is listed as Dinah with 2 sons and a sister. One of the sons is Walter. His birth appears to be registered as Walter Green Lane, Jun qtr 1862 Bham, no mmn which usually means illegitimate.
Probable other children William b1856 and John b1865. First is on the 1861 census and the second on the 1871. There are matching birth registrations with no mmn.
Probable other children William b1856 and John b1865. First is on the 1861 census and the second on the 1871. There are matching birth registrations with no mmn.
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Thanks to everyone who has responded to my enquiry with regard to Charles Lane. Yes, Sospiri, the family were living at 66 New town Row in 1881 with two sons, John & Walter on the 1881 Census
My husband's mother was married twice, both of her husbands' surnames were Lane.
Her first husband was an Edwin (Edward) Lane (born 09/02/1883) whose parents were Walter Lane and Elizabeth Lear.
Her 2nd husband (my husband's father) was William Lane (born 27/12/1886) whose parents were Charles Lane and Susannah Altree.
There is a strong possibility that Walter Lane (father of Edwin) is the illegitimate son of Dinah Lane and Walter Green. My husband was told by his mother that her two husband's were cousins, although this hasn't been proved However the two families did know each other and Walter and Charles were pretty certainly friends. Hence the probable choice of 'Green' as a surname when Charles went to the Boar War.
The fact that Lane is a fairly common surname in the Aston area at the time makes things difficult.
Another possibility:
In 1861, a Charles Lane (5) (right age) (Born - Birmingham, Warwickshire) was living at Stonehouse Place, 4th House Sub-let, Municipal Ward of St. George, Ecclesiastical District of St. Stephens, Birmingham) with an Elizabeth Lane (25) (Dress Maker) (who says she is married but a husband is not listed) an older brother James (11) and a sister Elizabeth (1). From my research it is pretty certain that Elizabeth's husband was a James Lane, who at the time of the 1861 census was working in Leominster, Herefordshire. This James had moved from Leominster to Birmingham (after the death of his parents) and in 1851 was living with an older common law wife (Elizabeth aged 43) in Poplar Row, Farm Street, Birmingham. I have the birth certificate for a Charles Henry Lane, (born December 31st 1855) parents James Lane/Liza Kane (daughter of the above Elizabeth) living at 130 Factory Road, Birmingham. Liza moved to join James back in Leominster and another child Alice's birth was registered in Leominster in 1862. James had seemingly fathered the older child of Liza, James, whilst living with her mother.
Charles's wife Susannah was born in Worcs. and after the death of her mother her father re-married a woman from Herefordshire. If Charles moved to Herefordshire with his parents he may well as an adult have met Susannah and moved back to Birmingham for work. If this proved to be the correct parentage, his mother died circa 1865 and his father eventually emigrated to America. No death certificates for either Liza or James have been found registered in the UK. However, there is quite a lot of information with regard to James on a family tree in Ancestry. I have written to the owner of that family tree but received no reply.
I realise that a lot of this is circumstantial but every other possibility eventually proves to be a blank.
Hence why I am hoping that someone may have the clue which will solve the mystery.
My husband's mother was married twice, both of her husbands' surnames were Lane.
Her first husband was an Edwin (Edward) Lane (born 09/02/1883) whose parents were Walter Lane and Elizabeth Lear.
Her 2nd husband (my husband's father) was William Lane (born 27/12/1886) whose parents were Charles Lane and Susannah Altree.
There is a strong possibility that Walter Lane (father of Edwin) is the illegitimate son of Dinah Lane and Walter Green. My husband was told by his mother that her two husband's were cousins, although this hasn't been proved However the two families did know each other and Walter and Charles were pretty certainly friends. Hence the probable choice of 'Green' as a surname when Charles went to the Boar War.
The fact that Lane is a fairly common surname in the Aston area at the time makes things difficult.
Another possibility:
In 1861, a Charles Lane (5) (right age) (Born - Birmingham, Warwickshire) was living at Stonehouse Place, 4th House Sub-let, Municipal Ward of St. George, Ecclesiastical District of St. Stephens, Birmingham) with an Elizabeth Lane (25) (Dress Maker) (who says she is married but a husband is not listed) an older brother James (11) and a sister Elizabeth (1). From my research it is pretty certain that Elizabeth's husband was a James Lane, who at the time of the 1861 census was working in Leominster, Herefordshire. This James had moved from Leominster to Birmingham (after the death of his parents) and in 1851 was living with an older common law wife (Elizabeth aged 43) in Poplar Row, Farm Street, Birmingham. I have the birth certificate for a Charles Henry Lane, (born December 31st 1855) parents James Lane/Liza Kane (daughter of the above Elizabeth) living at 130 Factory Road, Birmingham. Liza moved to join James back in Leominster and another child Alice's birth was registered in Leominster in 1862. James had seemingly fathered the older child of Liza, James, whilst living with her mother.
Charles's wife Susannah was born in Worcs. and after the death of her mother her father re-married a woman from Herefordshire. If Charles moved to Herefordshire with his parents he may well as an adult have met Susannah and moved back to Birmingham for work. If this proved to be the correct parentage, his mother died circa 1865 and his father eventually emigrated to America. No death certificates for either Liza or James have been found registered in the UK. However, there is quite a lot of information with regard to James on a family tree in Ancestry. I have written to the owner of that family tree but received no reply.
I realise that a lot of this is circumstantial but every other possibility eventually proves to be a blank.
Hence why I am hoping that someone may have the clue which will solve the mystery.
NICKJOHNWHITE
New Member
I noticed your enquires about a Charles Lane of Birmingham. My grandfather was Charles William Lane of Birmingham who was a friend of Ernest Beston a well known businessman and bookmaker in the City who was the owner of Fernwood Grange. Charles had a shop in Birmingham and was active during the Edwardian period and through the first war and he and friends it seems enjoyed the good life through the roaring twenties. Please google Fernwood Grange and it will give you an insight into these very interesting people. Charles died in Cheltenham in about 1944, and was in his 70's as far as I can tell. He was married twice, and had a son Leslie Lane a member of The Rocket Club, by his first wife who died in child birth, and he later married my grand mother and had a daughter Sylvia, my mother, who died last year at the age of 92. My great grand father was a William Lane of Birmingham. I don't suppose these Lanes are related to the one you are interested in, but I thought the names were similar to the ones you are quoting. I don't know a great deal about Charles other than he had a been a jeweller and had a shop in I think Commercial St., Birmingham or one of the City Centre locations. He died when my mother was young and she didn't know much about him but we still have some photos of him that were passed down. His son Leslie had been in the Royal Flying Corp during the first war and had been shot down in France. He survived and from memory he died in the late 1960's. Hope this is of interest to you. Regards, Nick White.
MWS
from Bham
Not many certainties in your info but there doesn't seem to be a connection between your Lanes and those of dotlane.
Tracing through Leslie, there is a WWI medal index card for a Leslie Charles Lane. He is listed as a member of the Royal Warwickshire Corps and then the RAF. There is address listed on this card - 13 Claremont Road, Sparkbrook.
There is a birth registration for a Leslie Charles Lane in the Dec qtr 1893 Kings Norton (which Sparkbrook would have been a part of). In 1901 and 1911 Leslie is with his father, boarders in Aston (1901) and Balsall Heath (1911). There is no wife/mother with them.
He appears to be the son of Charles Lane and Ellen/Eleanor Pearce.
There is a marriage for a Charles Lane and an Eleanor Pearce on 12 Mar 1893 at Christ Church, Sparkbrook. They both appear to list there fathers as Henry.
In 1901 the Charles Lane, father of Leslie, lists his occupation as Hairdresser's Assistant and in 1911 as Hairdresser. In 1891 there is a Charles Lane who lists his occupation as Hairdresser living in Montpellier St, Bordesley the son of the widowed Naomi Lane.
In 1881 Charles Lane (birthplace listed as Sparkbrook) is living in Highgate Lane with his parents William Henry and Naomi Lane, both born in Oxford, and siblings.
William Henry Lane married Naomi Veal in 1859 Bham.
There doesn't appear to be any other Leslie Charles Lane it could be on the medal card so fairly confident that the above info relates to him.
Tracing through Leslie, there is a WWI medal index card for a Leslie Charles Lane. He is listed as a member of the Royal Warwickshire Corps and then the RAF. There is address listed on this card - 13 Claremont Road, Sparkbrook.
There is a birth registration for a Leslie Charles Lane in the Dec qtr 1893 Kings Norton (which Sparkbrook would have been a part of). In 1901 and 1911 Leslie is with his father, boarders in Aston (1901) and Balsall Heath (1911). There is no wife/mother with them.
He appears to be the son of Charles Lane and Ellen/Eleanor Pearce.
There is a marriage for a Charles Lane and an Eleanor Pearce on 12 Mar 1893 at Christ Church, Sparkbrook. They both appear to list there fathers as Henry.
In 1901 the Charles Lane, father of Leslie, lists his occupation as Hairdresser's Assistant and in 1911 as Hairdresser. In 1891 there is a Charles Lane who lists his occupation as Hairdresser living in Montpellier St, Bordesley the son of the widowed Naomi Lane.
In 1881 Charles Lane (birthplace listed as Sparkbrook) is living in Highgate Lane with his parents William Henry and Naomi Lane, both born in Oxford, and siblings.
William Henry Lane married Naomi Veal in 1859 Bham.
There doesn't appear to be any other Leslie Charles Lane it could be on the medal card so fairly confident that the above info relates to him.
Master Brummie. You are right, unfortunately Leslie Charles Lane is not connected to my husband's grandfather. It is a certainty that our Charles died in the Boer War in 1900 of pneumonia. His wife was living in Summer Lane, Birmingham until her death in 1929. Nevertheless, I am grateful to Nick White for his interest and am hopeful that one day someone will find the clue that will solve the mystery of Charles' parentage. Regards DotLane
NICKJOHNWHITE
New Member
Thanks for all the information you gave regarding Charles and Leslie Lane. I am very grateful and now know the name of my grandfathers first wife which we didn't know before. The period at the end of the Victorian era and Edwardian Birmingham must have been a fascinating time to have lived through and a picture of the way of life at the time can be built up with these ancestry checks. Many thanks, regards, Nick White.