Nicholas Lanier the Elder (d. 1612) was a French musician who played the

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

and the

cornett The cornett, cornetto, or zink is an early wind instrument that dates from the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque periods, popular from 1500 to 1650. It was used in what are now called alta capellas or wind ensembles. It is not to be confused wi ...

Life

Lanier came originally from

Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the prefecture of the Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one of ...

, France, and died in England in 1612 . He served as a court musician to King

Henry II of France Henry II (french: Henri II; 31 March 1519 – 10 July 1559) was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559. The second son of Francis I and Duchess Claude of Brittany, he became Dauphin of France upon the death of his elder bro ...

in France (listed as the royal flutist on the Chantres et autres Jouers d'instruments for 1559-60). During the

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

persecutions in France, the Lanier family fled as

Huguenots The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss politica ...

to England. Nicholas arrived in 1561 and settled in the parish of St. Olave's, Hart Street, London. After arrival in England he served in the court of Queen

Elizabeth I of England Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is ...

, reported first in 1561 . The name of Lanier's first wife is unknown (he married her some time before 1565), but following the custom then at court, marriages were arranged or at least approved by the Queen. Lanier was paired with Lucretia Bassano, daughter of the Italian musician

Anthony Bassano Anthony Bassano was a 16th-century Italian musician. Bassano, born in Bassano del Grappa, Italy, was one of six sons of Jeronimo Bassano (Anthony, Jacomo, Alvise, Jasper, John and Baptista) who moved from Venice to England to the household of Hen ...

. The couple prospered, acquiring a great deal of property in East

Greenwich Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...

Blackheath Blackheath may refer to: Places England *Blackheath, London, England ** Blackheath railway station **Hundred of Blackheath, Kent, an ancient hundred in the north west of the county of Kent, England *Blackheath, Surrey, England ** Hundred of Blackh ...

, and nearby. Their home was reportedly fitted up with a theatre. Lanier was appointed Musician of the Flutes in 1604. He served

and Elizabeth I and

James I of England James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and King of Ireland, Ireland as James I from the Union of the Crowns, union of the Scottish and Eng ...

. Three generations of the family served British royalty as court musicians, poets and artists. As noted, Lanier's first wife's name is unknown; however, they did have two, or possibly three, children of whom one was John Lanier, father of the artist-musician Nicholas Lanier, the most famous of the Laniers. With Lucretia Bassano, he had nine children, including the musicians Alphonso, Innocent,

Jerome Lanier Jerome Lanier was an English musician, sackbut player, son of Nicholas Lanier the Elder, hence uncle of Nicholas Lanier, the artist-musician. Jerome Lanier was appointed in 1599 musician to court of Elizabeth I as Musician in Ordinary on woodwind ...

Clement Lanier Clement Lanier was an English musician and recorder player. He was the son of Nicholas Lanier, the Elder and Lucretia Bassano, and hence uncle of Nicholas Lanier, the artist-musician. Clement Lanier was born circa 1580-85 in England, and was bu ...

and Andrea, and Ellen Lanier, who married

Alfonso Ferrabosco the younger Alfonso Ferrabosco the younger (c. 1575 – March 1628) was an English composer and viol player of Italian descent. He straddles the line between the Renaissance and Baroque eras. Biography Ferrabosco was born at Greenwich, the illeg ...

. After his death, Andrea succeeded him as Musician of the Flutes for life.

Life

References

See also