William Henry Lane (standing left) and Adeline (seated with cap) with Cyril, Ronald and Arthur and relatives from the Dee family.My maternal grandmother’s mother was born Louisa Sophia Lane in 1849. One of her brothers was William Henry Lane who married Adeline Dee. W.H. Lane was the proprietor and headmaster of Northampton House School. They had five children – Arthur; Cyril Albert born 1897; Ronald; Thomas Warden; and Muriel Irene born 1908. These five were therefore my Mum’s second cousins (and my second cousins once removed) and two of them – Cyril and Muriel - were in regular contact until Cyril died in the 1990s.
Muriel, who later became Muriel Pearce is still going strong and exchanges Christmas cards and good wishes with us each year – not bad for someone in their hundredth year. She lived for many years in Poole, Dorset, and more recently in Worcestershire.
Cyril, one-time house master at Radley college, was awarded the British Empire Medal in 1990 for environmental services for his work as a voluntary warden at Wychwood National Nature Reserve. He had been wounded in World War 1 and that same war had taken the lives of his brothers Ronald and Arthur.
I don’t know in which engagement Arthur died but this post card was sent by him to my grandmother on 21st June 1915 and was his last communication with her. It reads “Dear Auntie, Thought you might like one of the crowds of patriotic p.c.’s that are sold out here. Everywhere you go you always come across these cards; even hawkers selling them. We are now back at -----; for Divisional rest. Yesterday we had a Church Parade and H. C. {Holy Communion?}. This morning we have been out practising attacking. Love from Arthur.”
