Jane Lane (27 May 1905– 6 January 1978) was the pen name of Elaine Kidner Dakers, an English novelist and biographer. Her best-known books are historical novels set in the 17th and 18th century.
Biography
editJane Lane was born on 27 May 1905 in Ruislip, Middlesex, England.[1] She was descended from Jane Lane, Lady Fisher. She is best known for her books about the Stuart period in English history and 18th-century Scotland, written from a Catholic and Royalist perspective.
Her novel, A State of Mind, is set in a dystopian future.[2] The Tablet has described Lane as "one of the few contemporary writers who excel both as novelists and historians".[3] Jane Lane died on 6 January 1978.[1]
Selected works
editNovels
- Sir Devil-May-Care (1937) (English Civil War)
- He Stooped to Conquer (1944) (Massacre of Glencoe)
- Gin and Bitters (1945) (early 18th Century London and the South Sea Bubble)
- His Fight is Ours (1946) (background to the 1745 Rising)
- London Goes To Heaven (1947) (London under the Commonwealth and Protectorate)
- Parcel of Rogues: The Plot Against Mary of Scotland (1948) (Mary, Queen of Scots and the regencies)
- Fortress in the Forth (1950) (Jacobite prisoners on Bass Rock 1691–94)
- Dark Conspiracy (1951) (Rye House Plot against Charles II)
- The Sealed Knot (1952) (English Civil War)
- Lady of the House a.k.a. The Countess at War (1953) (English Civil War)
- The Phoenix and the Laurel (1954) (John Graham of Claverhouse)
- Thunder on St. Paul's Day (1956) (Titus Oates and the "Popish Plot")
- Conies in the Hay a.k.a. Rabbits in the Hay a.k.a. The Cross and the Tower (1957) (Babington Plot 1586)
- Sow the Tempest (1960) (Henry VIII's divorce from Catherine of Aragon)
- Farewell to the White Cockade (1961) (Bonnie Prince Charlie)
- The Crown for a Lie (1962) (How James II lost the throne)
- A State of Mind (1964) (post-atomic future)
- A Wind through the Heather (1965) (Highland Clearances)
- From the Snare of the Hunters (1968) (Last days of Jesus of Nazareth)
- The Young and Lonely King (1969) (Prince Charles, Duke of Albany)
- The Questing Beast (1970) (English Civil War)
- Ember in the Ashes (1970) (Roman Catholics in 18th century England)
- The Severed Crown (1972) (Charles I)
- Bridge of Sighs (1973) (Mary of Modena)
- Heirs of Squire Harry (1974) (Edward VI)
- A Summer Storm (1976) (Peasants' Revolt, 1381)
- A Secret Chronicle (1977) (Edward II)
The Escape series (for younger readers)
- The Escape of the King (1957) (The young Charles II)
- The Escape of the Queen (1957) (Mary, Queen of Scots)
- The Escape of the Prince (1958) (Bonnie Prince Charlie)
- The Escape of the Duke (1960) (Charles I's son James, Duke of York)
- The Escape of the Princess (1962) (Clementina Sobieski)
Non-fiction
- King James the Last (1942)
- Titus Oates (1949)
- Puritan, Rake and Squire (1950)
References
edit- ^ a b "Summary Bibliography: Jane Lane". www.isfdb.org. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
- ^ Information from covers of Dark Conspiracy and other titles published by The House of Stratus.
- ^ Jacket of Peter Davies's re-issue of Conies in the Hay, 1973.