EARLY LANE ARRIVALS

TO VICTORIA

FROM IRELAND

Between 1845 and 1849 during the great famine period, over 1 million men, women and children died in Ireland from starvation, malnutrition, typhus, dysentery or cholera.
This led to mass immigration to get out of the country, if at all possible, with many people going to Australia, the USA or Canada.

In Victoria which, at that time, was still part of NSW there was a growing demand for skilled labour including agricultural or farm labourers and this was the reason that the bounty system was set up by the government to encourage skilled immigrants to Victoria.
No doubt the influence of letters sent home to Ireland from existing Irish immigrants in Victoria encouraged family members and friends to follow them to Victoria where work was plentiful and there was the possibility of saving to purchase your own land. In Ireland at that time farmers rarely had the opportunity to own their land and it was leased.
With the break-up of the squatters runs in Victoria small parcels of agricultural land became available.
In the Belfast (Port Fairy) and Tower Hill areas of Victoria where there was plenty of rich volcanic soil, the break-up and sale of the run of James Atkinson (5120 acres) at Belfast (Port Fairy) and the William Rutledge (5120 acres) into smaller allotments resulted in many young Irishmen taking the opportunity to purchase land. Rutledge's special survey (Farnham Park) which he took out in 1841 was sold at 1 pound an acre when it was broken up.

 

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James, Patrick and John Lane all came to Victoria in the 1840's as young single Irishmen from Shravokee, which was a small Townland in County Clare, Ireland. This was when Victoria was still part of New South Wales.

John was to marry Sarah Darcy but James and Patrick were to remain unmarried.

Their brother Thomas Lane, who remained in Ireland and inherited the family farm, had a son Michael Lane who followed his uncles to Victoria in 1861 and became a very successful farmer.

During the 1840's and 1850's other Lane families, as well as relatives such as the Moloney's, Gleeson's, Malone's and Madden's from the same area in County Clare, Ireland also arrived in Victoria attracted by similar farming conditions to Ireland and also by the discovery of gold in the colony.

 

Michael Lane, b1788, of Shravokee, Clonlara, Co. Clare married Catherine Moloney and they had at least four children, James b1816, Patrick b1817, and John b1825, all of whom came to Australia and Thomas b1818, from whom we are descended, who stayed in Ireland.

Also on the shipping list were their cousins’ Jeremiah and Thomas Maloney. 
 It should be noted that the mother of James Lane and Patrick Lane was Catherine Moloney.

James, Patrick and John Lane were children of
Michael lane b1788 and Ellen Moloney
of Shravokee, County Clare.

1. James Lane died of exhaustion, a bachelor at the age of  76 years, on 21st April, 1887 at Koroit, Victoria.
His Death Certificate of the same date lists his parents as Michael Lane, farmer and Catherine Lane, formerly Moloney.

The informant of the death was Michael Lane, who indicated that James was his uncle, - (see below) and a witness at the burial, which was conducted at the Tower Hill Cemetery, near Koroit, was Roger Lane.

A headstone at the Tower Hill cemetery carries the following inscription.

  Erected by Michael Lane 

 In memory of his Uncle, James Lane

Who died April 21st, 1887 aged 76 years. 

Also Michael Lane who died October 18th, 1912 aged 76 years. 

Also Ellen Lane, Relict of the above died 16th October 1921 aged 81 years. 

Bridget Lane Died 11th October 1950.

Mary Ann Lane, Died 1958.

Margaret Lane, Died 1958.

Headstone of Michael Lane

James Lane received an inheritance from his cousin Jeremiah Moloney with whom he arrived on the same ship from Ireland of £25 a year for life so long as he stayed in Victoria.
Jeremiah Moloney died on July 12th, 1865.

2. Patrick Lane's death certificate advises the following -:.

Patrick Lane died on 1st October 1876, aged 65 years, unmarried.  He had worked as a laborer.
His parents were given as Michael Lane and Catherine Moloney of County Clare, Ireland. 
Patrick died suddenly -  caused by congestion of the lungs, heart, stomach and intestines accelerated by drink and excitement. 
He died in Birregurra, a small farming community about 80 miles from Warrnambool and is buried at Irrewarra Cemetery. 
The informants at his death were Michael McGrath and Martin Duck.

An inquest was held on Patrick’s death and his brother John Lane gave evidence.

3. John Lane b1825, County Clare, Ireland, married Sarah Darcy, who was aged 18 and also born in Co. Clare, at Warrnambool on 5^th October, 1853.
He listed his age as 28 and his parents as Michael Lane, farmer and Catherine Maloney.
Sarah’s parents were shown as Anthony Darcy and Annoria Leary.

John and Sarah apparently settled in Sandhurst prior to 1854 where they spent at least 7 years and later settled at Birregurra.

Gold was found at Sandhurst in late 1851.

In 1891 the town of Sandhurst became known as Bendigo.

Sarah is listed in the Pioneer Index as having died in 1870. The index shows she was 38 years of age, born Co. Clare and her parents are shown as Anthony and Honoria Darcy. 
The Pioneer Index also shows her son James Lane as having been born in Birregurra in 1871. He also died in 1871 aged 8 months.
 

John died on August 13th, 1898, at Birregurra. His age was given as 90 however he must have been 73 years of age. His mothers surname was incorrectly given as Gorman by the informant C. J. Barry who was present in the house when he died.
The certificate states that his occupation was a laborer and he had spent 47 years in the Australian Colonies mostly in Victoria.
He is buried at the Irrewarra Cemetery.

His children were listed as Michael (dead), Thomas 43 yrs, Luke (dead), John 36 yrs, Anthony 34 yrs and Patrick 32 years.

Anthony did not appear on his mothers death certificate and cannot be traced in the birth indexes.

Anthony Lane died at Redfern, NSW in 1937 and his brother Thomas Lane at Woollahra, NSW, in 1939. 
 

His obituary in the Colac Herald, August 16, 1898 stated -:

Death has removed another old and respected resident ot the district in the person of Mr. John Lane, which took place at his residence, Birregurra, on Saturday morning last, the cause of death being pleurisy. He has been a resident of the district for more than 30 years and in the colony for 60 years. The deceased who had reached the grand old age of 90 years leaves a family of 4 sons, 3 of whom reside in NSW and 1 in Camperdown. His remains were interred at Warncoort cemetery on Sunday, a large number of vehicles and horsemen following the cortège to the last resting place.

His will dated 12th August, 1898 left his estate valued at 29 Pounds to his eldest son Thomas Lane of 125 Queen Street, Woollahra, Sydney, NSW..

John and Sarah Lane had seven children three of whom died quite young.

Thomas, Roger & Margaret Lane were children of
Thomas Lane b1810 & Ellen Moloney 
of
Shravokee, County Clare.
 

This is the Family of Thomas Lane b1810, of Shravokee, who married
Ellen Moloney 
 

Thomas Lane b1833 d1905	Patrick Lane b1835 d1900	James T Lane b1842 d1908	Margaret Lane b1846 d1921	Roger Lane b1847 d1926	John Lane b1848 d	Michael Lane	Mary Lane	Jeremiah Lane b1852 d1890
Married
Catherine O'Shanessy	Ellen Fitzgerald	Henrietta McNamara	Thomas Lane	Margaret O'Donnell	Hanora Dillon			Bridget Walsh
Killarney, Victoria	New York, USA	New York, USA	Crossley, Victoria	Tower Hill, Victoria	Shravokee Co Clare	Shravokee. Co.Clare	Shravokee, Co. Clare	New York, USA
Immigrated 1865	Immigrated 1860	Immigrated 1865	Immigrated 1866	Immigrated 1866	Stayed in Ireland Refer dispute 1874	Refer dispute 1874-Then maybe Aust	Refer Dispute 1874-Then USA	Immigrated 1870

The Thomas Lane b1810 who married Ellen Moloney and his sons who stayed in Shravokee were involved in a serious dispute which was widely reported in Limerick Press in 1874.

The son John Lane b1848, reported in the article, as the son of Thomas Lane a farmer in comfortable circumstances, married Honora Dillon of Pallas, Limerick in 1874.

She was from a well off family and on her marriage her father Patrick Dillon gave his daughter a  £300 fortune which was a considerable sum of money in 1874.
After the marriage they settled at Shravokee.

The dispute resulted in a Court Case and with subsequent Perjury Charges being laid, which were later withdrawn, and also to the son Michael Lane being sentenced to jail for assault.

Click here for Newspaper Article reporting the Court Trial.

Click here for Newspaper Article reporting the Perjury Trial.

Following the dispute in 1874 both Thomas Lane & Ellen Moloney immigrated to the USA.

Click for following files.
 

 1. Passenger list for City of Chester 1876 showing Thomas Lane, age 65, (Farmer) & Ellen Lane, age 55 (Wife).

 2. Death Notice in New York Herald, 4th April, 1877, advising of death of Ellen Lane, age 55, beloved wife of Thomas Lane. Relatives asked to attend the residence of her sons Patrick & Jeremiah Lane.   

3.  Death Notice in New York Herald, 9th May, 1886, advising of death of Thomas Lane, native of Doonass, County Clare, Ireland, aged 80. ( Doonass includes the area of Clonlara & Shravokee.)  

4. Thomas Lane - New York Municipal Death details showing parents. ( Age shown is incorrect.)

5. Calvary Cemetery (New York) burial details. (Thomas age incorrect again). Note - Grave was purchase by his son Patrick.

6. New York Census 1880 showing Thomas Lane, aged 70, living with his daughter Mary, age 30, (b1850) and her husband John McMahon.         
 

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THE CHILDREN WHO CAME TO AUSTRALIA WERE -:

 Roger Lane was an early arrival to Victoria and was a son of Thomas Lane and Ellen Maloney of Shravokee, County Clare, Ireland and was born in 1847.

He arrived in Victoria in the 1860’s and married on June 14th,1877, at Port Fairy, a widow Margaret O’Brien, age 27, born Co. Clare.

 Her maiden name was Margaret O’Donnell. 

Witnesses at the wedding were John Moloney and Mary O'Donnell. 

Roger Lane died on June 6th, 1926 at Koroit and left no children.

The informant of his death was Thomas Lane, farmer of Tower Hill. 

As a son of Thomas Lane & Ellen Moloney of Shravokee, he had many brothers and a sister both in Australia and the USA including a brother John Lane who was a farmer at Clonlara (Shravokee), Co. Clare, Ireland, at the time of his death in 1926.

Roger Lane is buried at Tower Hill Cemetery. Gravestone of Roger Lane.

His wife Margaret Lane died 3rd July, 1929.  Gravestone of Margaret Lane.

In his Will he left many donations to various charities but the bulk of his estate was left to his wife, Margaret Lane, nee O'Donnell, and then on her death to be divided between his brother John Lane in Ireland and his niece Ellen Gorman in Victoria. 

Ellen was daughter of Thomas Lane & Margaret Lane of Crossley.   Roger's obituary stated that Margaret Lane was a sister.

His obituary in The Koroit Sentinal June 12th, 1926 stated: 

"A very old resident of Koroit in the person of Mr. Roger Lane died at his residence on June 6th, 1926. The late Mr. Lane was born at Shravokee, County Clare, Ireland and landed in Melbourne 66 years ago then being 21 years of age. 

After spending a short time in Melbourne, he came to this district where he has resided unbrokenly until the time of his death.  He successfully engaged in farming pursuits being thrifty and hard working and acquired a small farm close to Koroit. He was married in Warrnambool some years after coming to the district and his wife survives him. 

Two or three of his brothers and one sister went to America. His brother Michael died at Koroit many years ago.
The late Mrs. Thos. Lane of Crossley was a sister. 

The funeral took place on Wednesday morning and was largely attended. Many members of the Hibernian Society (of which he was a member) attended in regalia.

Roger Lane had  three brothers, James T. Lane , Patrick and Jeremiah who went to New York in the USA and became very successful.

The obituary  of James T Lane was reported in the Koroit Sentinel on June 27th, 1908.
He was a Colonel during that country's Civil War and also a newspaper editor
There is some doubt about the Civil War service of James T Lane as the dates of his birth and arrival into the USA do not add up.

The brothers who went to New York, USA were Patrick b1835, James T b1842 and Jeremiah b1852.

Michael Lane was the involved in the Dispute of 1874 at Shravokee and the subsequent Perjury Trial.

It is not known what happened to him after his parents Thomas Lane & Ellen Moloney and his sister Mary shortly after immigrated to the USA.

The 1926 obituary of Roger lane (above) stated his brother Michael died at Koroit many years ago.
However no mention was made of his other brother Thomas Lane who married Catherine O'Shannessy who died in 1900 also at Koroit.
This may be an error in the obituary.

There was a Michael Lane who died in a tragic farming accident near Koroit in December, 1895.

The Death Certificate advises that the informant of the death, Constable Shoebridge, noted that Michael Lane was aged 60, a laborer, parents unknown and born in Ireland and that he had been in Victoria for 30 years.
These details would all have been estimated.

Full details of the death were reported in the Port Fairy Gazette on December 24th, 1895, which stated he was an "Eccentric Character".
It further mentioned quite a large number of persons followed the remains to Tower Hill Cemetery.
It may well mean this Michael Lane was the brother of Thomas, Roger & Margaret Lane.
Certainly the Michael Lane involved in the Dispute of 1874 could have been called eccentric.
 

    Margaret Lane, daughter of Thomas Lane and Ellen Maloney, of Shravokee, Co. Clare, on 14th July, 1867 at St. Joseph's Church, Warrnambool, Victoria married Thomas Lane who was another early arrival to Victoria.

 Thomas Lane was the eldest son of John Lane and Mary Hogan, of Firhill, Co. Limerick and was a brother of Michael Lane who was the subject of the Ardnacrusha Eviction which took place in Limerick in 1877.
Michael Lane and his wife were sentenced to one months jail.
The eviction was reported in newspapers around the world.
Click here for the report of the trial in the Munster News and Limerick and Clare Advocate October 8th, 1887.
A reception was held for them on their release from jail.
Click here for the report in the Limerick Examiner Nov 4th, 1887.
Click here for the report in the London Evening Standard September 25th, 1887. 

 Thomas Lane when he married was 34 years old and a farmer from Tower Hill and Margaret Lane was 21 years old and a farmer's daughter
  Witnesses at the wedding were Michael Lane and Mary Anne Lane. 

Thomas & Margaret Lane Marriage.pdf

Thomas, died age 80, according to his death certificate, at Killarney, but according to his obituary he was 74.

His obituary stated –

An old and respected colonist died at his residence, Crossley, on the 13^th inst., in the person of Mr. Thomas Lane, who arrived in Victoria about 54 years ago.
 He was identified with the early days of the gold diggings and 35 years ago he purchased land at Crossley, where he was engaged in farming until the time of his death, which occurred at the age of 74 years.
 He leaves a widow and grown up family to mourn their loss.
The late Mr. Lane was the eldest son of Mr. John Lane of Firhill, Co. Limerick, Ireland and was very highly respected throughout the district.
The funeral took place last Saturday, when considerably over 100 vehicles followed the remains to their last resting place, the procession being about a mile and a half in length.
The Rev. P. Lennon conducted the service at the grave.

Note-: The reference to John Lane of Firhill, County Limerick, should read Firhill, County Clare which is just over the border.  

We know from his marriage certificate Thomas Lane was 34 years old in 1867 and therefore was born c1833.

We also know from his obituary that he was 74 years old when he died in 1905 which more or less confirms he was born c1833.

His death certificate stated he was age 80 when he died.

From his obituary he was 54 years in Victoria which makes his arrival c1851. 

Per her Death Certificate, Margaret Lane died on 10th June 1921, aged 75 years at the residence of her daughter, Mrs. Coleman Gorman, Crossley. 
 (See Roger Lane's Will of 1926). 

The informant was her son Thomas Lane of Illowa, Victoria who stated that Margaret's parents were Thomas Lane and Mary Moloney and that his mother had lived 55 years in Victoria. 
(Ellen and Mary would be the same person – Mary Ellen a common name in Ireland at this time).

Link to Thomas Lane's father John Lane & Mary Hogan of Firhill, County Clare, Ireland.
 

See wedding photo believed to be Coleman Gorman & Ellen Lane
 

Link to photo of Digger Lane & Margaret Moloney of Tower Hill.

Thomas Lane who was born approximately 1833 at Shravokee, County Clare, Ireland, was another son of Thomas Lane & Ellen Moloney and was an early arrival in Victoria, arriving approx.1854 when he was about 21 years old.

He married Catherine O'Shannessy at Warrnambool on 4th January, 1868. 

She was the youngest daughter of Daniel and Judith O’Shannessy of Shravokee, County Clare, Ireland.

She had three brothers James, John and Daniel.

She arrived in Australia in 1852 aged 18.

Roger Lane (see above) was a witness at the marriage.

 Thomas’s marriage certificate of 4th Jan 1868, which he signed, said he was a farmer, aged 35, born in County Clare and stated that his parents were Thomas Lane, farmer, and Ellen Moloney. 

Thomas Lane farmed at Hopkins River, Warrnambool, and later purchased land at the "Survey" on the 27^th July, 1876   and went to live there on 2^nd May, 1878.
This was part of the large William Rutledge estate that was subdivided on Rutledge’s death in 1876.

William Rutledge & Farnham Park.

William Rutledge was an Irish born prominent Sydney businessman, who with 4 partners, was in 1843 granted 5120 acres (2972 ha.) under the The Special Survey System which was offered by the Colonial Office and which permitted capitalists to purchase 5120 acres at a cost of £1 per acre  in any part of NSW of which the Port Phillip District (Victoria) then formed part of. He subsequently bought out his 4 partners.

He named his Special Survey, which was near Koroit , " Farnham" and established a tenant community.

Many of his tenant farmers were poor families he brought out from Ireland, at his own expense, which at that time was in famine conditions.  He was said to have an explosive temper but was considered a  kind and considerate landlord furnishing his tenants with rations, seed and farming implements.

William Rutledge died in 1876 aged 70 and the Survey was divided between his 2 sons.

In July 1876 the first subdivision of the estate took place and 1300 acres of the western portion of the Survey, from Gorman's Lane at Tower Hill to Survey Lane at the Belfast end of the Survey were  subdivided and auctioned.

The size of the blocks ranged from 3 acres to 70 acres.

On July 29th, 1876 a further 729 acres were sold at prices ranging from £37 to £60 per acre.

An additional  800 acres were sold in May, 1878. 

Among the 46 buyers of land in 1876 were Thomas Lane, John Malone, John Moloney, John Quirk, T. Roche, J.J. Madden, G. Gorman. Thomas Roche and T. Gleeson.

Thomas Lane died August 27th, 1900 at the "Survey", Killarney aged 67 years.
He also is buried at Tower Hill cemetery.
His Death Certificate 27th August 1900 again states that his parents were Thomas Lane and Ellen Maloney. 
His son, Thomas, provided these details.
Gravestone Of Thomas & Catherine Lane.

According to his obituary, " There died at The Survey, Killarney, yesterday morning an old resident in the person of Mr. Thomas Lane.
Deceased was a native of County Clare, arriving in Victoria in 1854, when he went to the gold diggings with varying fortune.
He was afterwards farming for some 13 years in the Warrnambool district and settled at Killarney where he followed the occupation of a farmer for the last 22 years.
He was a colonist of 46 years standing and was 67 years of age at the time of death, and leaves a widow and two sons.

Thomas and Catherine Lane had three children -:

Photograph of Daniel Lane, Ellen Rock & Family. (c1930's)

Catherine Lane died 10th December, 1904 and is buried at Tower Hill cemetery.

Family Details and Family Tree from Gleeson Family History 1808 -1982

Their daughter Mary [May] married John Joseph Wilkinson who was Mayor of Koroit in 1940, 1941, 1948, 1949, 1962 and 1963. 

John Wilkinson was to purchase later, one of Michael Lane's Farms. 

Mary Ann Lane & Margaret Lane were children of
James Lane b1810 and Ann Malone
of Shravokee, County Clare

 Mary Ann Lane b1843 and Margaret Lane b1848 were also early arrivals from County Clare to the Colony of Victoria.

They were the daughters of James Lane and Ann Malone of Shravokee, County Clare and married two Gleeson brothers also from County Clare, whose parents were Matthew Gleeson and Bridget Rahilly.

They were in their early 20's when they arrived apparently unaccompanied. There appears to be no record as to what ship they arrived on.

Mary Ann Lane, who was living at Woodford, married Thomas Gleeson, a farmer of Yangery, on 16th August, 1866 when she was 23 years of age.

Witnesses at the wedding were James Moloney and Margaret Lane.

She stated her parents were James Lane & Ann Malone. (They were also from Shravokee, County Clare)

She was to die at the young age of 35 and is buried at Tower Hill.

Click here for Death Certificate of Mary Ann Gleeson..
Click here for Headstone of Thomas & Mary Ann Gleeson.

Thomas Gleeson and Mary Ann Lane had 3 children.

Her sister Margaret Lane who was also living at Woodford, married John Gleeson, a farmer of Tower Hill, on 25th June, 1873 when she was 25 years of age.

Margaret died age 92 on 23rd July, 1935 not long after her husband John Gleeson age 90 who died on 7th July, 1935.

Click here for the Death Certificates of John & Margaret Gleeson.

Her death Certificate states she was born at Shravokee, County Clare and her parents were James Lane & Ann Malone.
Click here for Headstone of Margaret & John Gleeson.

John Gleeson and  Margaret Lane had 9 children. 

THE EARLY LANES

The following gives some idea of the relationships between the various Lanes.

1. James Lane (1) was the uncle of Michael Lane (5)- refer cemetery headstone and death certificate.
2. James (1), Patrick (2) and John Lane (3) were brothers.
3. Roger Lane (4) was witness at the funeral of James Lane (1) - refer death certificate, and at wedding of Thomas Lane (6) - refer marriage certificate. He also left part of his estate to his niece Ellen Gorman, daughter of Margaret Lane (7) and Thomas Lane (8)
4. The obituary of Roger Lane referred to a brother Michael who died at Koroit some years ago.
5. Thomas (6), Roger(4) and Margaret (7) are brothers and sisters.
6. Michael Lane (6) may have left a legacy to the sons of his brother, Thomas Lane (6) - refer will of Michael Lane.
7. Margaret Lane (7) sister of Roger Lane married Thomas Lane (8).
    

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   The following sketch shows the location of the various farming properties at Shravokee at the the time of the 1901 Census.
   The Teampuill Cemetery which is shown can be used as a reference.

    

   Lane Births, Marriages & Deaths from Doonass & Limerick Records.

   Teampail Cemetery Headstones from Ireland Genealogy Project Archives.
   
   Teampail Cemetery Transcriptions.

   The Lane Family From Shravokee

   Other Lane Families from Shravokee and surrounding areas.

   Lane Families from Shravokee, County Clare who went to USA.

   Marriages at Clonlara Parish Church, County Clare -1851 to 1882.

   Baptisms at Clonlara Parish Church - 1851 to 1882

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