LANE, Richard

Lane’s long period on the quorum of the Staffordshire bench and his nomination to that of several gaol delivery commissions shows that he was, as suggested in the earlier biography, a lawyer.4 The Commons 1386-1421, iii. 552-4. The marriage tentatively suggested in that biography for his son and heir, John, to Margery, daughter of Ralph Egerton*, is confirmed by the will of her brother, Hugh, which mentions his sister as Margery Lane.5 CAD, vi. C4583. She had been first married, in 1432, to her kinsman, William, son of Philip Egerton of Egerton: G. Ormerod, Palatine and City of Chester ed. Helsby, ii (2), 628. This match, if it had been made before our MP’s death, may throw light on the curious accusation made by Sir John Gresley* that in August 1437 our MP had detained him and his wife at Abbot’s Bromley to prevent them attending a hearing at the palatinate court at Chester. Significantly, the Gresleys were then at odds with the Egertons.6 CHES29/140, rot. 22; Wm. Salt Arch. Soc. n.s. iii. 139, 142-3.

Lane’s second marriage to the heiress Elizabeth de la Hyde led him into dispute with the Exchequer official, John Fynderne of Findern in Derbyshire. Fynderne was the husband of Elizabeth’s stepdaughter, Joan, daughter and heiress of Elizabeth’s first husband, John Foucher. In about 1410, shortly after their marriage, Lane and his new wife complained to the chancellor that Fynderne had put them out of all the Foucher lands, in which Elizabeth had a life interest. Fynderne brought an action of his own: in Hilary term 1410 he sued the couple for detinue of charters. His frustration is understandable as his wife was effectively being kept out of her entire inheritance by her stepmother. This justifiable grievance seems to have brought a compromise, for Lane was soon reconciled with Fynderne. In the summer of 1412 he acted for Fynderne in the latter’s purchase of a manor in Repton, and when Fynderne died in 1420 Lane was among his feoffees.7 Jurkowski, 409-16; C1/69/102; CP40/592, rot. 472.