The Clan McLane of New Hampshire: From the Ancient Celts to the Present

This book is the combination of two earlier books with updated and expanded materials added. The two earlier books written by the author are The McLanes – Origin of the Clan and The McLanes – A New Hampshire Clan.The Clan includes a Governor, a US Congresswoman, state senators, a mayor, Olympic skiers, two members of the Ski Hall of Fame, philanthropists, doctors, lawyers, professors, educators, archeologists, a private equity guru and musicians. Members of the Clan have started ski centers, founded companies, founded a girl’s summer camp, run a top tier prep school, owned and operated one of the longest running family-owned newspapers in America, written books, written musical scores, and built an investment management company. In the State of New Hampshire, there is the Susan N. McLane Audubon Center, The Judge McLane Building at Dartmouth, The McLane Family Ski Center at Dartmouth College, and several other sites and scholarship funds named after members of the Clan. The descendants of Governor John McLane have attended Dartmouth, Harvard, Bryn Mawr, Smith, Vassar, Stanford and many other top universities. Two were Rhodes Scholars. Members of the Clan have served as trustees for St. Paul’s School, the Museum of Fine Arts and served on Olympic boards. Many have served as officers in World War I and in World War II. One was a fighter pilot in World War II, was shot down and became a POW. One was a founder of the Child & Family Services of New Hampshire; other family politicians began legislation that affects us all to this day in a positive way. Public service includes everything from joining the Peace Corps, to being major donors to things like the Olympics, museums, colleges, environmental protection groups and buying land for conservation purposes. The Milford Cabinet was owned and run by people who married into the McLanes, and other members have run other newspapers. These are just examples and far from an exhaustive list of the many ways the first five generations beginning with Alexander McLean, father of Governor John McLane, have served the people of New Hampshire. There are several themes that run throughout the Clan’s history: education, politics, skiing, Newfound Lake, public service, newspapers, and lawyers. There have been, and there are today, several politically active McLanes. Several became lawyers and one started what is today the largest law firm in New Hampshire. Every generation after Alexander McLean (McLane) have been filled with people with a deep love of the outdoors and skiing. On Newfound Lake, in Hebron, New Hampshire, there are multiple McLane homes and cabins. One called “Pasquaney Lodge” hosts many members of the Clan every summer. On the north end of Newfound Lake, Dorothy McLane established Camp Grey Rocks for girls in 1925 there, and her descendants still have homes and lake places there.A very important point is that not only are the McLanes a dynasty of achievers, they married people who were as strong, talented and intelligent as they. Male McLanes, and female McLanes, married and brought into the Clan some amazing people.This book explores the eight hundred year ancestral history of Alexander (c1816-1854), the father of Governor John McLane, who brought his family to the United States in May of 1854 and died four months later leaving the future governor without a father at age two. Read more