Nicholas Lanier the Elder (d. 1612) was a French musician who played the flute and the cornett.
Nicholas arrived in 1561 and settled in the parish of St. Olave's, Hart Street, London.
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.
The couple prospered, acquiring a great deal of property in East Greenwich, Blackheath, and nearby.
Three generations of the family served British royalty as court musicians, poets and artists.