Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: User Home Page Genealogy Report: Descendants of Nicholas Lanier

[ Home Page | First Page | Previous Page | Next Page | Last Page ]

Descendants of Nicholas Lanier

Generation No. 1

1. Nicholas¹ Lanier was born 1544 in Rouen, France, and died January 31, 1610/11 in County Kent, England. He married (1) Unknown. He married (2) Lucreece Bassano February 13, 1570/71 in All Hallows Barking, daughter of Anthony Bassano and Elena De Nazzi. She was born September 24, 1556, and died Abt. January 4, 1633/34.

Notes for Nicholas Lanier:
In 1561 the Earl of Hertford was visiting in Paris, and met there, young Nicholas Laniere, who had been in the Court of the late King Henry II; he was recommended as a good flute player and also the cornet. He was considered to be sober, honest, and born at Rouen. He was engaged to serve as messenger and a replacement for Peter Guillaume, one of the Queen's flute players lately dead. Confirmation of his services under Henry II is to be found in the lists of "chantres et autres Jouers d'instruments" of the French King's Chambers, which include Nicholas Lasnier for the years of 1559 and 1560.(Groves Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Supplement 1962, p. 255)

Nicholas Lanier moved to East Greenwich, County Kent, where he was one of the musicians to the Court until his death about 1612. He was a very wealthy man, having extensive holdings in Blackheath, and the surrounding country; this section was south of the Thames and about five miles east of the London Bridge. One of the many palaces was here, the Royal Hospital, and many other buildings of early importance. In early 1700 an old house was taken down; it was described as being fitted up for a theater, probably by the Laniers who were musicians and dramatists.

Nicholas Lanier, who was in the Court of King Henry II of France, and also the Court of Queen Elizabeth and King James of England, was the founder of the Lanier family of musicians and the ancestor of the American Laniers.

He married before 1566, Lucreece (Bassano?), perhaps the daughter of one of the Italian musicians in the Royal Orchestra. They had six sons, all of whom were musicians to the Queen and Kings; there were also four daughters and eight or more grandsons who became members of the Royal Orchestra, making three generations serving the Royal family. In 1604 Nicholas Lanier, Sr. was named "Musician of the Flutes" and after his death his son Andrea succeeded him "for life".

The will of Nicholas Lanier Gent. was dated January 28, 1611/12, and proved July 1612, Rochester XIX, folia 514. "To Lucreece my wife, all my lands, and goods; to sons John, Alphonse, Innocent, Jerome, Clement, 12 shillings; to Andrea 20 pounds if he does not have my place; my four daughters, three of whom are unmarried, I leave to the discretion of my wife Lucreece, my sole executrix."

Children of Nicholas Lanier and Unknown are:

+	2	i.		John² Lanier, born 1565; died Abt. 1616.
	3	ii.		Ann Lanier, born July 14, 1565.

Children of Nicholas Lanier and Lucreece Bassano are:

+	4	i.	Alphonse² Lanier.
	5	ii.	Innocent Lanier.
	6	iii.	Jerome Lanier.
	7	iv.	Andrea Lanier. He married Joyce Perry June 1628.
+	8	v.	Clement Lanier, born Abt. 1604 in England; died November 6, 1661 in England.
	9	vi.	Frances Lanier.

Generation No. 2

2. John² Lanier (Nicholas¹) was born 1565, and died Abt. 1616. He married Frances Galliardello October 17, 1585.

Children of John Lanier and Frances Galliardello are:

	10	i.		Mark Anthony³ Lanier, born 1587.
	11	ii.		Nicholas Lanier, born 1588.

Notes for Nicholas Lanier:
Nicholas, the Younger was the most well-known of all the Laniers of England. He was a great musician, composer, artist; he was Master of the King's Music for Charles I. Nicholas composed music for the masques of Ben Johnson and was sent abroad to acquire artworks for the King.

	12	iii.		Francis Lanier, born Aft. 1598.
	13	iv.		Lucretia Lanier, born Aft. 1598.

4. Alphonse² Lanier (Nicholas¹) He married Emelia Bassano October 18, 1592, daughter of Baptista Bassano and Margaret Johnson.

Notes for Emelia Bassano:
She was a poet. Her husband, Alphonse Lanier, is reported to have gone through her fortune rather quickly.

Several sonnets which refer to "my dark lady" were written William Shakespeare. Emelia is considered by some scholars to have been Shakespeare's "Dark Lady." They were contemporaries in London, England.

Child of Alphonse Lanier and Emelia Bassano is:

Henry³ Lanier.

8. Clement² Lanier (Nicholas¹) was born Abt. 1604 in England, and died November 6, 1661 in England. He married Hannah Rebecca Collett March 1627/28 in St.Margarets, Lee County, England. She was born in England, and died December 22, 1653 in London, England.

Children of Clement Lanier and Hannah Collett are:

15	i.	Nicholas³ Lanier.
16	ii.	Lionel Lanier.
17	iii.	William Lanier, born in England.
18	iv.	Frances Lanier.
19	v.	Elizabeth Lanier.
20	vi.	Susanna Lanier.
21	vii.	Lucretia Lanier.

Notes for Lucretia Lanier:
Died young.

viii.

Charles Lanier.

Notes for Charles Lanier:
Died young.

ix.

Hannah Lanier, born Abt. 1629.

Notes for Hannah Lanier:
The eldest, married to Thomas Swetnam on November 16, 1665.

+	24	x.		John Lanier, born October 1631 in Lewisburg, England; died Abt. 1683 in Prince George County, Virginia.
+	25	xi.		Robert Lanier, born Abt. 1642 in England; died Unknown in probably Barbados.

Generation No. 3

24. John³ Lanier (Clement², Nicholas¹) was born October 1631 in Lewisburg, England, and died Abt. 1683 in Prince George County, Virginia. He married Lucreece ??? Bef. 1656 in England.

Children of John Lanier and Lucreece ??? are:

+	26	i.		John⁴ Lanier, Jr. (II), born 1655 in London, England; died 1719 in Charles City County, Virginia.
	27	ii.		Katherine Lanier, born 1655.

Notes for Katherine Lanier:
Died early in life.

25. Robert³ Lanier (Clement², Nicholas¹) was born Abt. 1642 in England, and died Unknown in probably Barbados. He married Rebecca ???. She was born Abt. 1639 in England, and died Unknown in probably Barbados.

Notes for Robert Lanier:
Younger brother of John Lanier who came to Virginia by 1656. He was in the Barbados before 1678. His sons were the next Lanier immigrants of this line to Virginia.

Children of Robert Lanier and Rebecca ??? are:

+	28	i.	Robert⁴ Lanier, born Bef. 1678.
+	29	ii.	Clement Lanier, born Bef. August 21, 1678 in Barbados; died 1715.
	30	iii.	Lemuel Lanier, born Bef. 1680.

Notes for Lemuel Lanier:
Lemuel Lanier came to Virginia with his brother, Robert, and brother, Clement about 1687, as there were records of Robert as early as February,1688, in Charles City County. In 1702, Clement Lanier was in the tithes of Surry County, and it is possible that Lemuel may have been there under some unrecognizable name.

His first record in a Petition from Sandy Point, Chowan District, North Carolina, July 13, 1719, asking for land. On April 5, 1720, Lemuel Lanier and Mathias Tobias Swanner were granted a patent in Bertie District; in 1733 he was granted a Crop mark there.

On April 20, 1745, Lemuel Lanier was granted 350 acres of land in Edgecombe County, North Carolina. Very shortly after, Granville County was formed from Edgecombe and Lemuel Lanier was in the new county. He was Justice of the Peace for many years, from 1747-48-49-50-and 1751. Left no will or other record.

No record of a wife or family has been found; Lemuel and Mathais T. Swanner were close friends, and in the lather�s will he names a son Lemuel, and a wife Jane. Whether Lemuel was named for friendship or his mother Jane might have been a daughter of Lemuel Lanier has not yet been determined.

Lemuel Lanier was living july 27, 1762, when he witnessed a deed for Benjamin Lanier, son of Bird Thomas and Mary Lanier of Surry Coounty, Virginia, enroute to Duplin County, North Carolina.

Lemuel Lanier was living July 27, 1762, when he witnessed a deed for Benjamin Lanier, son of Bird Thomas and Mary Lanier of Surry County, Virginia, enroute to Duplin County, North Carolina.

Generation No. 4

[ Home Page | First Page | Previous Page | Next Page | Last Page ]