Biography:
Hannah Lane
22/09/1811 –09-1861
Hannah Lane
View full burial details
HANNAH LANE; 1811 – 1861
Hannah was born on 22nd September 1811 in Chesham Bois and was baptised on 27th October that year. Her parents were William and Elizabeth Chilton. Hannah was the oldest of six children born to William and Elizabeth. Her siblings were William, born in 1813; Maria 1815; Mary 1817; Carolina 1819 and Eliza 1821.
Hannah was 25 years of age when she married James Foster on 20th December 1836. The marriage was celebrated in Berkhamsted. James Foster had been born in Redbourn in 1809 and had moved to Berkhamsted where he became the innkeeper of the Swan Inn and he also ran a brewery at the rear of the inn. Malting barley for ale and beer was a major occupation of the town and it is likely that most inns and beer houses brewed their own stock of beer, each having their own small brewhouse; the Swan’s was at the rear located on the Chesham Road side which was known as Grubbs Lane in those days.
Although today the Swan is a youth centre and no longer licensed to sell alcohol, the blue plaque displayed on the building states that it is a sixteenth century coaching inn, but parts of the building are older. The building is timber framed with some of the roof timbers dating back to the fourteenth century.
The Tithe Map of 1839 lists James as the occupier of the Swan and of meadow land to the rear of the inn and three years later the census of 1841 confirms that James, Hannah and two children, George who had been born in 1838 and Charles born 1839 were living there. Hannah and James were to have another five children. Also living at the Swan in 1841was 20 year old Harriet Foster and Hannah’s younger sister, Carolina, also 20 years old, a servant and her daughter and an ostler who looked after the stabling of horses.
James Foster died on 23rd September 1849 and following his death Hannah continued to run the Swan and its brewery.
It seems that Hannah was successful in continuing the business. We learn from a newspaper article from January 1850 that the Swan was well patronised which it was said Hannah well deserved.
‘the annual free dinner, at the Swan inn, was given by Mrs Foster. The attendance was more numerous than usual. W. Claridge Esq, occupied the chair, and J.E. Lane, the vice-chair, supported by a host of tradesmen and farmers of the neighbourhood; which seemed to be an earnest that the patronage hitherto bestowed on the house will be continued to the widow and her family, and this, by her uniform kind conduct, she deservedly merits;’
Bucks Chronicle and Bucks gazette 12th January 1850.
Whilst Hannah is noted in the 1851 census as being a widow, she is also described as “Innkeeper & brewer.”
The widowed Hannah, however, married again in 1852. Her new husband was local nurseryman John Edward Lane (and as noted in the newspaper article referred to above J E Lane was the vice chair at the annual free dinner held at the Swan in 1850). The marriage was celebrated at St Martins in The Fields Church in London.
John, a member of the Lane family and whose father had established nurseries in the town in 1777, had been married to James Foster’s sister, Sarah. He and Sarah had six surviving children and Sarah had died in 1848. John no doubt knew Hannah through this family connection.
The new family was large with Hannah having seven children and John 6. In addition, Hannah gave birth to two more children following her marriage to John; Arthur Lane was born in 1852 and Mary Anne Lane in 1855.
Although John Edward Lane continued his involvement in the family nurseries he also, following his marriage to Hannah, became actively involved in the brewery business. We find him and Hannah in 1861 living in the Swan with a number of their various children. Whereas Hannah in 1851 was noted as an “Innkeeper & brewer”, by 1861, no doubt in keeping with social attitudes prevalent at the time, she was playing second fiddle to John. No occupation is noted against her name – she is now simply “wife” whilst John is the “head” and a “Brewer & Malster (employing 9 men).” One might wonder what Hannah thought about that.
John seems to have been an energetic and successful business man. Not only did the nursery expand and grow under his stewardship, but so too did the brewery business. In addition to the Swan, John acquired the George in the High Street, The Brownlow Arms and was responsible for the construction of the Crystal Palace. John’s Berkhampstead India Pale Ale was a “justly celebrated Ale, which as a pure and wholesome family beverage is not to be surpassed, being brewed from the very best samples of Malt and Hops”
The Burial Records for Rectory Lane Cemetery confirm that Hannah was buried in the cemetery on 9th September 1861. Hannah was buried in the same grave in which John Edward’s first wife Sarah had been buried and John Edward joined both of his wives in the that grave when he himself died in 1868.
View this burial in the cemetery
HANNAH LANE; 1811 – 1861
Hannah was born on 22nd September 1811 in Chesham Bois and was baptised on 27th October that year. Her parents were William and Elizabeth Chilton. Hannah was the oldest of six children born to William and Elizabeth. Her siblings were William, born in 1813; Maria 1815; Mary 1817; Carolina 1819 and Eliza 1821.
Hannah was 25 years of age when she married James Foster on 20th December 1836. The marriage was celebrated in Berkhamsted. James Foster had been born in Redbourn in 1809 and had moved to Berkhamsted where he became the innkeeper of the Swan Inn and he also ran a brewery at the rear of the inn. Malting barley for ale and beer was a major occupation of the town and it is likely that most inns and beer houses brewed their own stock of beer, each having their own small brewhouse; the Swan’s was at the rear located on the Chesham Road side which was known as Grubbs Lane in those days.
Although today the Swan is a youth centre and no longer licensed to sell alcohol, the blue plaque displayed on the building states that it is a sixteenth century coaching inn, but parts of the building are older. The building is timber framed with some of the roof timbers dating back to the fourteenth century.
The Tithe Map of 1839 lists James as the occupier of the Swan and of meadow land to the rear of the inn and three years later the census of 1841 confirms that James, Hannah and two children, George who had been born in 1838 and Charles born 1839 were living there. Hannah and James were to have another five children. Also living at the Swan in 1841was 20 year old Harriet Foster and Hannah’s younger sister, Carolina, also 20 years old, a servant and her daughter and an ostler who looked after the stabling of horses.
James Foster died on 23rd September 1849 and following his death Hannah continued to run the Swan and its brewery.
It seems that Hannah was successful in continuing the business. We learn from a newspaper article from January 1850 that the Swan was well patronised which it was said Hannah well deserved.
‘the annual free dinner, at the Swan inn, was given by Mrs Foster. The attendance was more numerous than usual. W. Claridge Esq, occupied the chair, and J.E. Lane, the vice-chair, supported by a host of tradesmen and farmers of the neighbourhood; which seemed to be an earnest that the patronage hitherto bestowed on the house will be continued to the widow and her family, and this, by her uniform kind conduct, she deservedly merits;’
Bucks Chronicle and Bucks gazette 12th January 1850.
Whilst Hannah is noted in the 1851 census as being a widow, she is also described as “Innkeeper & brewer.”
The widowed Hannah, however, married again in 1852. Her new husband was local nurseryman John Edward Lane (and as noted in the newspaper article referred to above J E Lane was the vice chair at the annual free dinner held at the Swan in 1850). The marriage was celebrated at St Martins in The Fields Church in London.
John, a member of the Lane family and whose father had established nurseries in the town in 1777, had been married to James Foster’s sister, Sarah. He and Sarah had six surviving children and Sarah had died in 1848. John no doubt knew Hannah through this family connection.
The new family was large with Hannah having seven children and John 6. In addition, Hannah gave birth to two more children following her marriage to John; Arthur Lane was born in 1852 and Mary Anne Lane in 1855.
Although John Edward Lane continued his involvement in the family nurseries he also, following his marriage to Hannah, became actively involved in the brewery business. We find him and Hannah in 1861 living in the Swan with a number of their various children. Whereas Hannah in 1851 was noted as an “Innkeeper & brewer”, by 1861, no doubt in keeping with social attitudes prevalent at the time, she was playing second fiddle to John. No occupation is noted against her name – she is now simply “wife” whilst John is the “head” and a “Brewer & Malster (employing 9 men).” One might wonder what Hannah thought about that.
John seems to have been an energetic and successful business man. Not only did the nursery expand and grow under his stewardship, but so too did the brewery business. In addition to the Swan, John acquired the George in the High Street, The Brownlow Arms and was responsible for the construction of the Crystal Palace. John’s Berkhampstead India Pale Ale was a “justly celebrated Ale, which as a pure and wholesome family beverage is not to be surpassed, being brewed from the very best samples of Malt and Hops”
The Burial Records for Rectory Lane Cemetery confirm that Hannah was buried in the cemetery on 9th September 1861. Hannah was buried in the same grave in which John Edward’s first wife Sarah had been buried and John Edward joined both of his wives in the that grave when he himself died in 1868.
Relatives
Historical Connections
The following local places of interest are linked to Hannah Lane:
The George
James Wood & Son
The Crystal Palace
The Brownlow Arms
The Swan
The Greyhound, Dunstable
Military graves