| Odiarne Coates Lane (1793 - 1865)
was the son of a Dr Thomas Lane from St Ives. Odiarne's grandfather, the Rev. Thomas lane was
rector of St Ives in Cornwall. In his time, Odiarne Lane was a director of the West of England
Bank, the Liverpool and London Insurance Co., the Gas Company, the Water
Company, the Zoological Gardens Co., the Victoria Rooms Co. and vice chairman of
the Severn & Wye Valley Railway Co. He was also a JP and a Master of the Merchant Venturers
he was also President of the
Grateful
Society in 1857. Although he never sought municipal honours, or even attended
any meetings for the purpose, he was elected councillor for Clifton on a number
of occasions and was Mayor in 1860. For many years he lived at Somerset House,
Clifton where he was a keen gardener having hot and green
houses and vineries and enjoyed growing bananas, guavas.
melons, grapes and orchids - he was well known for winning
prizes at shows for his efforts. He gave significant
sums towards the building of Christchurch in Clifton.
Sadly, one of his sons who worked in the consular service
was killed in the Chinese war at Canton and another son was
drowned while boating at Oxford (he was an undergraduate at
Pembroke College)
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