Marie Naome Lang

She was born on the 10^th October 1923 in Iran (Consular Birth Indices Bushire 17 685)

She also went to St Philomena’s School starting on the 19^th September 1933 and left on the 21^st September 1939.

She married first of all to Andrius Berentemfel (part of the Phillips electrical company and was of Dutch origin I think).Jan-Mar 1943 (Surrey Mid-E 2a 825) - I have noticed that he uses both Berentemfel and Phillips names to get married.

She married for the 2^nd time to Leslie Sheerman-Chase (he was a draughtsman and was designer of part of Victorian Coach Station on the 7^th October 1952 -  who had 2 children by his previous marriage – Joy and Raye. His first wife was Jocelyn E M White and they got married in January 1940 (so when did they get divorced).

She died on the 18^th April 1990 at the War Memorial Hospital in Carshalton unfortunately of cirrhosis of the liver and lung cancer (she smoked like a chimney too). Bernard (her brother was the informant)  and was registered on the 20^th April 1990.

She lived in Chaucer Gardens, Sutton Surrey but her flat burned down on the 30^th June 1986.

Emily Lang (nee Bird)

Facts (to be confirmed)

Emily Bird was born in Dublin, Ireland on the 3^rd May I886 or 2nd May 1887 (I don't think a lot of people actually knew their real birth date according to research I have done)  to William Bird (who lived possibly in Kanturk, Watergate Lane Parish Comfort, Cork) and Kate (Kathleen or Katherine) Irwin and was one of 4 children I think (Emily, Roseanna (Rose), Kathleen and Eleanor). I think William and Kate were their parents but William died in 1898 when Emily would have only been about 12 or 13. Kate then remarried (need to confirm dates) and after some time Emily was sent to be with her Aunt and Uncle, Emily Robson (nee Bird) and Bartholomew Robson (Swinyard).

According the birth records, she was baptised on the 17^th May 1886 at St Andrew’s Church (All Hallows') RC Chapel*, Dublin and lived at 5 Mead Cottages, Dublin.

According to the 1901 census

Kate Irwin (her mother) was a widow aged 33 (so born 1867 approx) and a cleaner at the Civil Service Office in Dublin. The residence address was 31.3.1901 and the address was listed as 43.6 Denzille Street, Trinity, Dublin and was a Roman Catholic. She could also read and write.

There were 4 children - all girls (definitely a trait in the Lang family I think...) - Emily (14), Eleanor (13), Rose (9) and Kathleen (6).

There definitely is a link to a Dunne family - I have a photo of a Mattie Dunne who was she? I also found a record on the National Archives of Ireland that a John Dunne lived at Mead Cottages who apparently made a claim against the Wynn’s Hotel, Abbey Street, Lower Mead’s Cottages, Wentworth Place – asked for £2.2.6 for destruction of clothing – payment of £3.15s was recommended by the Committee. PLIC/1/6031.

I have looked up Denzille Street and have also found that a William Dunne (relation to Mattie and John?) was an inhabitant or Ratepayer and lived in the drawing room and the back parlour.

Time in India, Karachi and the Persian Gulf

I have found a Passenger List which contains 

Memories

She was always known to us as Grandma Lang and I remember going with my dad to collect her on a Sunday and also remember her lovely apple pie. She was also responsible for my learning and loving crafts – she taught me crocheting and knitting.

I do have a very very old photo of her when she was young – she went to France in the early 1900’s to become a governess to a Count’s children in Arcachon and one story is that she had to leave because both the Count and his son fell in love with her! She then met Percy when he was over in Croydon on furlough and eventually married him in 1912.

From the many stories I heard from my mother, she was a very very strange woman – taking out a lot of her frustrations at having so many children out on them. But thinking about it it must have been so tough for a widow (without any real income)  being responsible for 7 children when Percy died in 1930. All of the children had been sent to boarding school in England (apparently to prevent them being kidnapped by bandits in the Khyber Pass, India.

She and Percy (see previous blog post) moved around the Middle and Far East several times as he worked for the Indo-European Telegraph Department (there were a couple of times when he was demoted for various reasons (of which I need to find out more).

There are so many myths and legends surrounding her (some of her own making to be honest) and some of the things that she came out with were just plain silly – like she remembered traffic lights in the desert!!

Here is a colourised version of the above photo:-

To start with, I think Emily looks very thoughtful – probably thinking of all the children she had or was going to have, how hot it was out there and so on…She also appears to be wearing very fashionable clothes (how they wore them out in the Persian Gulf, India etc when the heat must have been horrendous I don’t know…). She was only 4ft 11in and to wear a corset/cummerbund and heavy clothes etc must have been so tough.

I am not sure how long into the marriage this photo was taken (she and Percival Wilfred Lang married in November 1912 in Croydon) but she did have her first child in 1913 and then went on to have 7 others over the next few years including a set of twins, one of which was my mother.

I wonder what part of the house this was taken in? I have photos of what is called “their bungalow” but am not sure if it was theirs or James Matthew’s (Percy’s grandfather).

She died on the 3^rd August 1979, 17 Overton Road, Sutton, Surrey – I remember my mum going to visit her as often as she could when she moved into the nursing home – I think she would have loved to have stayed at home but just couldn’t cope. She died of old age but the official report on her death certificate states cerebral thrombosis /cerebral arteriosclerosis.

According to another record in 1951(Royal Warrant Pension) India Office Pension to the National Bank of India, 26 Bishopsgate, London EC2 of £35.00

In her will ( 9.3.1969) – beneficiaries included Rose Frances Hall (sister) £250.00, David Hall (her grand nephew) £100.00, Catherine Hoy (her granddaughter £100.00 and Grant Fuller (my brother) £100.00 – think they were all her godchildren.

Langholme as it was called recoloured from black and white photo

I can often remember going to her place in Alma Road, Carshalton and was always spooked out by the house as it was always so dark. It was an incredible house – with an Anderson or Morrison shelter in the garden – it was always full to the brim of stuff and there were several rooms downstairs (including a small passageway at the back of the house. There were 2 bedrooms on the first floor and a bathroom (where my mum apparently cut and scarred the bottom of her back when a chamber pot broke and cut her! Grandma Lang’s bedroom was in the front of the house and she had a really large box full of presents that she used to receive but never open and then give them to other people when they had birthdays etc. There were then 2 other smaller bedrooms up a short flight of stairs.

I have now found this wonderful photo of Percy and Emily (which I have digitally colourised) on their wedding day – it does look to be quite a grand affair as they had the reception at Bartholomew and Emily Robson’s house, Lifford Lodge in Croydon (well it would make sense as it is mentioned on the marriage certificate and I recognise the ivy surrounding the house behind them…. She has such thick hair (something I only remember as being white – I wonder what colour it was to start with? Percy does look a kindly man too – not too tall though as Emily was only about 5' tall

   

Kate Irwin – Emily’s mother

William Dunne (relation to Mattie) https://databases.dublincity.ie/burgesses/viewdoc.php?burgessid=126858&djvupath=imagefiles&orderby=007030&imagefile=BR.1910.1549.jpg

James Matthew Lang - Photos

Funeral Card of our Great Grandparents- this card was kept by my mother 

A Centenary Brochure of the company that James Matthew worked for

A Brochure showing the tea planting

Wallace St, Bombay, Headquarters of Bombay Company, as noted in Thacker's, 1929 when I visited the British Library

Office inside Wallace St Bombay where James Matthew would  have visited and stayed.

James Matthew Lang 1856 - 1920

James Matthew Lang was born on 20 November 1856, in Belgaum, Presidency of Bombay, India.  I had always been intrigued by him and his wife Mary Ellen (Crowley) because my mother had a funeral ‘card’ with photos of them both. This little card was slipped under the protective glass of her dressing table in her bedroom all her life for as long as I could remember. In my childish way, I thought to myself, they appeared very good looking and well to do. Who were they? My mum said they were her grandfather and grandmother. They were part of the puzzle of my mother’s family background. Where she had got the card from I never found out, but I realised that this photo was very significant and I had to find out more.

So on one of my many visits to the India Office records, British Library, I was on the hunt, to find out as much as I could about James Matthew and Mary Ellen. As it happened, I was flying into Bombay the very next day. My plan was to trace the very steps that they would have trodden. 

The researcher at the British Library directed me to Thackers 1919, the year before James Matthew’s death.  I searched for the Bombay Company Ltd. The entry for 1919 was as follows: 3, Wallace St., merchants. MANG DIRS, - S.J. Gillum, R.H.R. Goodall, H.F. Hearson, Bombay; F.S. Kerr, Calcutta; and H.P.M. Rae, Madras; ASSTS. A.W. Oliver, A.D. Clarke and H.F. Bush. Calcutta Asst H.S.Bul?  J.M. Lang and G.N.R. Morgan. Madras assts. G.R.L. Goffe and B. May. London Correspdts.- Wallace Bros & Co. Ltd.Tel ad Phone No. 15 P.O. Box No 201.

On my visit to Bombay, I tracked down the Bombay Company which in 1994 merged to become the Bombay Burmah Company. I was very lucky, because I met an old retainer at the company; an 85 year old man who had actually worked in the Karachi Office in the 1940’s. He was able to tell me about the office which then had about 100 employees. The company he said, dealt in exporting raw cotton, wool and importing piece goods and metal. It was also an insurance and shipping agency. It had ginning and pressing cotton factories in the Punjab, Sind Province. He told me that the Karachi office of the Bombay Company was much more important than the Bombay office. 

YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS OLD FILM. https://www.facebook.com/OldKarachi/videos/1247638668676589/?t=13 It's taken in Karachi in  1929 and shows the hustle and bustle of the place. On a personal note our great grandfather, James had his house in Karachi, and was the Karachi Manager of the Bombay Company which as a major trading company, shipped raw cotton out to Manchester and brought back the small goods eg. the processed cotton, to Karachi. Many of the children were baptised at St Patricks Church, Karachi, went to school at St Joseph's, Karachi, and were buried at the church there too. One of the cars he had bore a number plate with the letters KAR on it!

LOOK AT THE CAMELS - IS THAT THE RAW COTTON ON THEM? 

It was with this company that James Matthew seems to have made a substantial income, (sending his children to private schooling in England, running a motor car, and living in a large house: Hornichi Hall) by importing  and exporting goods. 

James met an untimely death in December 1930 of pneumonia; he was 64. He is buried in St Patrick’s Church, Karachi. 

I have seen his probate which is held at the India Office and amounted to 159,100 -00 rupees.

Note

On my visit to the Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation Limited, Wallace Street, (named after the founders of the Bombay Company) Bombay I was given some very interesting Booklets. If you’ve read The Glass Palace, by Amitav Ghosh it was this very company which traded in teak, in Burma. Then tea, coffee, cardamon…you name it, this company did it and is still trading strongly today.

It’s interesting to note that in 1918 three on the Board of Directors were Indian: 

Chairman : R. W. Harter Esq.

And the following board members were: Leslie Crawford, Esq. The Hon’ble Mr. S.J. Gillum and F. R. Wadia Esq, and Mathuradas Vissanji Esq.

Oona Rymer (Aunty Oona) : Sr Mary Phillipa

Oona Rymer was born Oona Margaret Georgina Rymer on the 30^th September 1899 in South Hornsey – 23 Posdon Road?  Ref. Edmonton 3a 388

She died on the 4^th February 1985 in Blackburn, Lancashire and was buried in Plessington.

Oona (I always knew her as Aunty Oona as my mum, I think, was named after her) was part of the Servite nuns and was at St Benedicts Servite Convent, Stratton on the Fosse, Bath, England. She was also at Scenario Convalescent Home (Now Villa Maria), Campbell Road, Bognor Regis, PO21 1NW – I remember mum going there several times when she need to recuperate from her illnesses and have a few photos of her outside the home along with JR the Jack Russell terrier!

She also served at Order of Servite Convent, New Preston Road, Blackburn, Lancs and at Julianna’s Convent which closed in 1984 (Begbrooke Place, Oxford).where she was the Prioress General – 2a Woodstock Road, West Begbrooke, OX5 1RZ).

Proferred her 1^st vows in 1918 and spent 1^st year as noviate and having previously spent 6 months to a year as a postulant.

She was also at St Mary’s Priory, South Tottenham, which was the Mother House (was this where Mum went when little and hated it as the nuns used to hit her with a hair brush?

Her father was William Joseph Rymer who was a commercial traveller and mother was Anna Maria Crowley – think this must mean that she and Mary Ellen Crowley were sisters, hence the relationship as Mary ‘Ellen married James Matthew. They lived at 23 Gordon Road, South Hornsey, Edmonton and her birth was registered on the 20^th October 1899,

William and Anna Maria also had a son called Terrence (or Terence) – he was apparently born on the 5^th April 1894 in Karachi and unfortunately died in June 1897 so was yet another victim of the harsh life out there.

William Rymer

Born 22^nd September 1870 123 Great Cambridge Street, Haggerstone, London

1901 Census – aged 30 and Anna 34 – he was a commercial stationer and was born in Middlesex on 22^nd September 1870 at 123 Great Cambridge Street, Haggerston, London (I think it is now Hackney Road).  She was born in India on the 2^nd August 1864/1867 (British Subject). They married on the 7^th June 1893 in Karachi, India. He died on the 23^rd August 1911, Crasham, London and was buried on the 28^th August 1911 in Tooting. She died 6^th November 1918 in Stockwell, London and was buried on the 11^th November 1918 in Tooting (I wonder if they were buried together).

William’s father was John Rymer and his mother was Margaret (formerly Taffe Carr) According to his birth certificate, he was a Cabinet Maker.

.

Walter Lang (son of James Matthew) - 1883 - 1910

Walter Lang was born in India to James Matthew and Mary Ellen Lang in 1883 (tbc)

Have found Passenger lists with a W Lang on the 11^th Jan 1894  SS Oriental (would have been a child) and on the 16^th October 1896 Bombay SS Caledonia

 He died 16^th August 1910 Mulatan when he died of tetanus - he had worked as a  Assistant Traffic Superintendent for the North Western Railway for 6 years and 4 months - His brother (not stated which one) and wife were executors of estate - from Death record to be added here

Apparently, he, Percy, Tom and Jim all lived on Kutchery Road in Karachi (or Bombay)

He married Mary Agnes Jeffrey-Orchard on 2^nd April 1907 in Sialkot, Pakistan – he was 24 and she was 18. **

They had a son (one of several) Clifford Walter Patrick born 2^nd July 1909 and was Christened 6^th August 1909, Karachi (Bombay Presidency)  who died on the 4^th March 1942  - he apparently was a member of the Australian Infantry AIF 2/2 Pnr Btn. Service No. VX19663 – Commonwealth War Dead in Jakarta War Cemetery 

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/20265619

I have also found a record to say that Mary Agnes married again to a John Anderson on 9th December 1916* John Anderson was a Major in the Indian Medical Service and lived in Bombay. His father was Telfer Anderson but it does say that her father was Charles H Orchard so that ties with the other info we have.

The marriage record also says that she is a widow and is now a nursing sister so I assume that is how they met?

*Charles Orchard is named as the father

Links to other blog posts

Brothers:  Walter Lang (this post); James (Jim) Lang; Thomas (Tom) Lang; Percival (Percy)

Sisters: Anne Clare (Angel) Lang; Nora (Dodo) Lang; Ethel Cecilia (Ettie); Marie (Sr. Anne Josephine or Aunty Molly) 

Thomas Lang 1818 -

Part 1

Referring to ‘Aunty Molly’s family ‘history’ she notes that her grandfather was a soldier and his name was Thomas Lang. So on a trip to the India Records Office, British Library I started a search for Thomas Lang. I was so delighted to find his record, I can’t tell you. From this register* it listed all his personal details as you would expect. They are as follows:

Thomas Lang embarked on 2 October 1845 on the Herefordshire, and landed in Bombay. He was enlisted in the Artillery. His age is 24/4, his height is 5’7”, his visage is 339, with dark brown hair, his eyes are hazel with dark complexion. He was born at the parish of St. Barry’s, Cork, in the County of Cork, Ireland.  He was enlisted by Major Wexford, in Manchester and joined the depot on 29 January 1845. He was enlisted on 8 -10 January 1845 and the period of service was unlimited. His occupation was a Weaver. (*Register of Recruits, p.89 139 -46 L/MIL/12) 

The Herefordshire landed at Bombay on 18 January 1846. All the recruits are in the Artillery. Thomas Lang is described as ‘Weaver’ from Cork City, Cork, his enlistment is 8 January 1845 in Manchester and his age is 24. A note beside his entry, shows also disembarking, his wife Mary and children Alex aged 3 years and 4 months and Thomas aged 1 year and 6 months. It was a tradition of a Regiment to hold a ballot to decide whose wives could travel with them. However, the conditions for wives on these ships was terrible. But at least they survived the journey, which took 3 and a half months. However her ordeal must have been much exacerbated, by not only looking after two small children but she was pregnant too. Very sadly, 3 and a half months after their arrival, I found 2 death certificates both dated 2 May 1846; Patrick Lang aged 2 months at Ahmednuggar and on exactly the same date, 2 May 1846 a John Lang. Were they twins? (nb Patrick was the name of Mary’s father)

It was the birth/baptismal certificates which gave me a reference point as to where Thomas was stationed.

Firstly, Thomas Lang and the family arrived in Bombay, and then his Artillery company was stationed at Ahmednuggar which is 180 miles inland from Bombay and was the British cantonment, for the use of the Artillery and Infantry units.

The following locations are noted on these certificates:

Ahmednuggar: Dated 3 April 1846 Baptismal certificate has a son called Patrick born 23 March 1846.

Girgaum: Dated 21 July 1849 Death Certificate has a son called Cornelius who was 12 months old.

Ahmednuggar: Dated 27 April 1851 - Baptismal certificate has a daughter Mary Anne born on 14 April 1851 (Thomas is described as a Gunner)

 Belgaum: 1856 Baptismal James Matthew

My research shows that there were 8 children recorded, whose parents were Thomas and Mary Lang and the father throughout was a gunner. Only James Matthew and Mary Ann survived. James Matthew is our great grandfather.

Part 2

Using the information *(Register of Recruits, p.89 139 -46 L/MIL/12) I was able to trace back to the earlier life of our great, great grandfather Thomas Lang.

I had been advised by a Lucy Stewart, Local Studies, Cork City that ‘There is no such place as ‘St Barry’s in Cork, but I think it must refer to St Finbarr’s Parish, Cork.’ This was a vital piece of local information because there are two St Finbarr’s in Cork: one is the Anglican Cathedral and the other is a local Roman Catholic Parish Church. Thomas Lang was a catholic so it had to be the Parish Church not the Anglican cathedral. Thus St Barry’s was the locals idiom for their St Finbarr’s South Catholic church to distinguish it from the Anglican cathedral of  ‘St Finbarr’s.' 

So, I visited St Barry’s Cork, to verify the birth record of Thomas Lang, as noted in the Register of Recruits.

By a stroke of luck, on arrival, I bumped into a ‘Joe O’Reilly’, in charge of the Parish records of St Finbarr’s South as he was entering the back of the  church where the office and all church records were housed. I had already made email contact with him and he was very helpful. He readily showed me the ‘Lang’ entry in the church register. He also pointed out that Lang was a very unusual name in Cork; as Joe wrote to me: Although Mary Leary is a common name here I can assure you that Lang is not. There are no other Langs, other than this family, in the Register and their records go back to 1775.

This baptismal entry shows our great, great grandfather was baptised on 8 November 1818 at St Finbarr’s Roman Catholic Church, Cork City,  Ireland. Thomas Lang’s father is noted as Thomas and his mother is named as Mary Leary. The Sponsor was Catherine Kelly of Glasheen and the vicar was Robert Taylor. 

He also showed me that 10 years earlier, in August 1808 there was a baby boy called James Lang, who was baptised at St Finbarr’s Church to the same parents: Thomas Lang soldier and Mary Leary.  The sponsors are listed as William Lang and Mary Butler.  There is a ten year difference between the boys being born so it is probable that Thomas the soldier and father of the two boys could have been recruited by Lord Wellesley to fight in the Peninsular War, particularly as Lord Wellesley was recruiting in Cork in 1808. It is interesting to note that both the father Thomas our great, great, great grandfather and his son, our great great grandfather were both soldiers.

Part 3

The next stage of  my research, again basing my ‘retrodictions' on Aunty Molly’s family history was to go to Manchester. I visited the Manchester Library which houses all the official records and the researchers there were very helpful.

I had proved that the Manchester connection was in part correct as the Register of Recruits had listed Thomas Lang as being enlisted in Manchester. (I am aware that Irish were recruited by the Mill owners at about this time to break the strikes in the mills, so what with Irish famines occurring, it  wouldbe quite likely that they went to Manchester)

When Thomas was nearly 18, on 29 April 1839 he married Mary McNamara. Thomas’s occupation is a Weaver, which matches the description of his occupation, as described in the Register of Recruits. His age is described as a ‘minor’ as his birth date wasn’t until November and Mary’s age described as ‘full’. His father’s name is Thomas Lang and also a weaver and Mary’s father, called Patrick McNamara is a weaver too.(All marriages of different denominations were registered as being of the Established Church)

 The Copy of the Marriage Certificate is signed by Thomas Lang the bachelor, and there is a ‘mark’ of an ‘x’ for Mary McNamara. There is a ‘mark’ of ‘x’ for their sponsors: Thomas Navin and Sarah Beyers. I guess that the ‘x’ is because they couldn’t write their names?

Thomas Lang 1818 - Photo

THOMAS LANG b.1818 - ?

Nora (Dodo) (sister to Percy)

Nora Lang was born on the 1^st November 1894 in India to James Matthew and Mary Ellen Lang. She married John Francis (Jack) Welch and she died in 1981 – Jack died on the 27^th Mary 1970 (Holywell 8a 2449) in Wales.

I have found her on a Passenger list leaving on the 23^rd October 1914 (so she was 20 at the time) along with James Matthew (who was 57) and it states that he was a merchant and Mary Ellen (who was 49) – destination Karachi, Pakistan – this must have been at the start of the 1^st World War so what was JM doing during the war - am assuming he was too old to be called up? The ship was the SS Kaiser I Hind, Official number 128653 – the master’s name was CD Bennett and was part of the P&O Steam line (Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co). – it was bound for Bombay, India so how did they then get to Karachi, or was it one of the ports of call? – The registered tonnage was 5989 and there were 512 passengers!

Jack Welch was a poultry farmer (my mum remembers going to visit both Dodo and Jack and was then made to wring chickens necks!

They adopted a daughter Joan who married  William (Bill) Spiller. – they had 2 children, Kevin John (b. 21^st March 1950) and Trefine Anne May who was born on the 13rd November 1951

Who is Reverend Welch? Dodo apparently lived in Littlehampton.

John Francis (Jack) Welch

Had quite a few brothers and 1 sister (both brothers were priests so the above must have been one of them and lived in Shrewsbury – Hugh Welch, Terry Welch and Margaret Welch.

From Katharine 

Another interesting thing about Dodo and Jack worth mentioning is that they lived at Ferndown, Wimborne, Hampshire. Incidentally, Estelle talked about Jack in particular as being very good with children and often playing practical jokes on them. Anyhow, I visited the area hoping to find their home but it looked as though it had been built on with a housing estate! Their house and farm was not far from Stapehill Abbey, home of a Trappist Order of Nuns, which is where James Matthew's wife, Mary Ellen Crowley was buried in 1930. I have seen her grave with her gravestone. It is alongside nuns who are buried at the Abbey. I believe that she had a room at the Abbey or in its' grounds and she would stay there on occasions; she was also a benefactress of the Abbey. Now it is: https://www.stapehillabbey.co.uk 

https://www.stapehillabbey.co.uk

Marie Lang (sister to Percy) - Sr. Anne Josephine

Sr. Anne Josephine (Marie Lang)

Marie Lang – also known as Sr. Anne Josephine (she was a member of the Roman Catholic religious order Daughters of the Cross) but to us, she was always known as Aunty Molly.  She does have a very serene face and can always remember her being a very jolly face with a very lovely laugh! 

Marie Lang was born in Belgaum, India to James Matthew and Mary Ellen Lang on the 14^th October 1887. She was the youngest child of 8 children – 4 boys and 4 girls and died on the 20^th August 1980 in Haslemere, Surrey¹

Sr. Anne Josephine (Marie Lang)

She became a nun at the very young age of 16 and went to Belgium to begin her Novitiate and travelled to and from there and also to India where she was involved in a shipwreck – she wrote a first hand account of it which I am going to add to this shortly.

The following information is what I received from one the nuns at the Order (Sr. Mary Agnes):-

Entered the convent in 1905 but became a postulant on the 7th September 1904 in Liege

Nationality was given as Irish

Became a novitiate again in Liege on 18th January 1905

Gave her first vows for 1 year – one year later on the 18th January 1906

Then made vows for 3 years on the 18th January 1907

Then for 5 years on 18th January 1910 

Then Perpetual Vows on the 26th December 1914

She then taught at schools in India, Belgium and Germany and returned finally to England on the 16th April 1963 when I suppose she “retired”

She was involved in a shipwreck on her way to India in 1907 apparently on the 30th December. 4 nuns (between 20-28yrs of age) drowned – will add her account shortly.

She left India when she became sick (what was wrong with her) in 1912 and went to a hospital in Germany.

Her timetable was as follows:-

Aug 1905 from Bury - Ensignment
1907- shipwreck
1909 – Bandra – St Joseph’s Primary and High Schools, Bombay
1911-1912 – Karachi – St Joseph’s Convent School and College
1912-4 – Dusseldorf hospital
1914 – Aspel
1914 – Maison Mere
1915 – Cointe – Cour Anglais
(Where was she during the rest of the 1st World War?)
1919 – Carshalton, England
15th November 1919 – Waltham Cross
2nd July 1920 ?
25th August 1920 – Carshalton, Surrey – Postulant Mistress
3rd May 1924 – Cointe
29th August 1927 – Marie Therese – Superieuse
13th October 1927 – St Veronique – Superieuse 

28th November 1931 – Cointe 

27th April 1935 – Bury 

And where was she during the 2nd World War - I am assuming she was still in Bury from 1935-41
21st August 1941 – Much Hadam – St Elizabeth’s Centre - Hertfordshire
30th December 1941 – Penzance – St Michael’s Hospital (I think)
5th November 1944 – Chelsea
12th August 1945 – Much Hadam
28th September 1949 – Cointe
23rd September 1951 – Carshalton (Retired)
10th September 1956 – Port Regis, Portiere Compte
8th November 1957 – Chelsea – Refectoire
15th April 1963 – Carshalton – Semi invalid
2nd February 1978 – Hazlemere – Invalide
20th August 1980 – Hazlemere died

I do wonder why she became a nun as she apparently was fluent in French and had Diplomas in Art and painting - was it because she was the youngest daughter and no-one really knew what to do with them? 

I first met her when I think she helped my mum (her niece), Oona Fuller get me into St. Philomena’s School which was in Carshalton, Surrey. This was one of several schools attached to her Order – mum had gone there as a child and so had various other family members so I don’t think it was difficult to do that, though as it was a private fee paying school, I think she got a deal with them for my fees etc. 

She became an influential part of my life for several reasons a) she instilled in me a love of reading having made me a gift in which I had to write down all the books I read and b) due to her having a real artistic talent, she used to sell her paintings to a local art shop and got a “dispensation” from the nuns which allowed her to give this money to my mother and me to help with various things including going on several foreign school trips etc.

One other thing that has haunted me for so so long, was when she was staying with us and I took her to church on the Sunday and having let go of her arm for the briefest of seconds, she fell and broke her hip – I can never forget the image of her fall and the fact that her false teeth came loose. I will always feel guilty about that..

She lived to a good old age finally being sent to the Order’s “nursing home” in Haslemere where she died on the 20th August 1980 – her death was the end of a really horrible year when Grandma Lang and Marie also died.

I vividly remember one aspect of her funeral when we took the coffin from the church to her resting place and it almost ran away from us as we were walking down a path on a hill! 

1.    1* Ref. Jul/Sep Surrey, SW 17/184

See also:-  

Brothers - Percival (Percy) Lang  Walter Lang  James (Jim) Lang and Thomas (Tom) Lang jnr 

Sisters - Norah Lang (Dodo) Ann Lang (Angel) Ethel Lang (Ettie)  Marie Lang (Sr. Anne Josephine)

 

Photos - People and places they visited

Henjam (where Fleur is apparently buried - their house is on the left
 and mud huts etc on the right

Bernard and Marie on board ship

Bernard at a school event

Estelle and Oona (I think at school)

Emily Lang with children on board ship (could it be the Elysia)

Evelyn and Estelle I think

Percy and Emily with youngest children on board (again is this the Elysia)

Estelle Lang - Photos

Thomas Lang (son of James Matthew)

Born: c1886

Married: 15^th March 1919

Died:

Father: James Matthew Lang (Manager India Merchant)

Mother: Mary Ellen Crowley

Married: Helena Catherine Farrell (b. c1887)

Occupation in 1919 still in Army – Sapper No. 221418 Royal Engineers

Residence for marriage (both at 20 Sheen Lane, Mortlake)

Married at the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Mortlake

Helena’s father – Edward Farrell (deceased)  Farmer

Apparently after working in India/Pakistan. he then went on to Sri Lanka and worked at the Wattapata Rubber Company*

*needs verification

Lang Family / Estelle Lang 1918 - 2005

Estelle June Odette is not her official name: instead my mother was christened Emilie Antoinette. (The story goes that the priest who baptised her, Rev. Thomas Barrett, SJ did not approve of her parent’s choice as they were not saint’s names. Being Roman Catholic it was very important to have a saint’s name.)

Estelle was born on 13 June 1918 in Charbah, Persian Gulf and baptised 6 weeks later in Karachi. Her godfather’s name is Charles de Verteiul of Karachi and her godmother was Madaleine Lang of Charbar, her eldest sister. At her birth, there was no doctor nor midwife. Her mother had the help of an ayah who was a 16 year old local girl. After her birth the ayah was sent to the local bazaar to buy a present for the new born baby and returned with a brass elephant! This elephant stayed with my mum all her life; my brother Paul now has custody of it.

Estelle had contracted malaria during her childhood and it stayed with her for many years with trips to the Hospital of Tropical Medicine in London. She lived with her family in India and Baluchistan until she was 7, moving from Charbar to Karachi and then Henjam, Jask and Bushire. In 1925, the family went to England and she started her education at Carshalton House, as she called it, also known as St Philomena’s school. 

In 1930, her world was thrown upside down by the death of her father; she never saw him again after she was 7. His death to her, was a great loss. Luckily for Estelle, Uncle Tom who was one of Percy’s brother’s, paid for her education and continued to support her with a small legacy, until she married or even later I believe. My father recalled accompanying her to a bank, in London where she would draw out some money and which he said, she would often spend on a nice dress!

However, her life after her education was uncertain and  as she put it ‘They really didn’t know what to do with us all!’ It didn’t particularly seem to bother her. First of all she trained as a milliner. Then she went to Cointe with her other sisters for a French course. Then war broke out and she decided with Noelle, I believe, to join up ‘as a bit of a lark’ as she put it. She joined the WAAF’s. She trained as a Teleprinter and was stationed at Cranwell, Chicksands and Stanmore throughout the war. She was in London during the Blitz: ’I saw Leicester Square burning,’ she once remarked. She loved all the big bands and would frequent the Trocadero.

She met my father Anthony Hoy in Blackpool at the Winter Gardens. Blackpool was one of the demob centres of the UK and a very lively fun place to be. She was staying with her sister Evelyn,  at her elder sister’s flat, who worked for the Ministry of ‘Ag and Fish’ in Blackpool. They married on 8 April 1947 at the Lady Chapel at Westminster Cathedral and afterwards at the Cumberland Hotel.

My mother had 7 children, 5 boys and 2 girls. She found her calling as a mother. She had a routine: every evening at 6pm there was dinner on the table for us, she washed on Mondays and ironed on Wednesdays. and shopped on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She cleaned the house on Fridays.  She knitted all our jumpers, and everything was home made from a recipe book except for Angel Delight! (Her favourite was Caramel)

Her family Christmas present list in 1990 consisted of 39 presents to the ever expanding family, all costed out. I think that says it all.

Mum who carried on relentlessly never moaning but instead always one for being cheerful with a glint in her eye. 

Percy 1881 - 1930

Percival Wilfred Lang was our grandfather whom none of us ever met. However, I felt I got to know him through my mother Estelle, as she used to talk very warmly of him and she would smile as she reminisced. She described him as a larger than life character who was very jolly and loved playing with his children. He was a fun loving man who liked a drink or two, because there was very little else to do in his life as the Telegraph Superintendent, along the desolate, barren Makran coast, of the Persian Gulf in Baluchistan. She remembered him vividly as she was one of the lucky children: she spent the first 7 years of her life with him and her mother, during her formative years.
Each year on January 6, she would reminisce, that the festival of the Epiphany was the day her daddy died. I felt she missed him terribly. With his death, the family's predictable, safe life came to an abrupt end. Everything, in an instant was no longer certain and the future a very daunting prospect.
Percy, as he was affectionately called, was the eldest of the family. He was born on 17th June 1881. However, finding a birth certificate has proved difficult and I am not sure exactly where he was born. Yet a note on the the 1891 Census Return, records that he was born in Warwick Street, London? Two years earlier, in 1889 when he was eight, he was enrolled in the Roman Catholic convent school, St Joseph's in Karachi. (This school was run by the Daughters of the Cross, who have quite a part to play in the Lang family life, and it is still flourishing today.) After having contacted St Joseph's by email, I received a list of dates and names of all the Lang family's children who attended in the latter part of the nineteenth century. As I mentioned earlier, in the 1891 Census, there is a record of Percy as a 9 year old scholar at a boarding school in Hampton Wick, Middlesex. Having already known of his secondary education, I contacted St. Edmunds College Ware and they sent me their records which showed he attended in 1898 and 1899 along with his brother Walter. Incidentally, they didn't have any record of another family member, other than his brother Walter who was there at the same time as him; they also informed me that he had tragically died on 16 August 1910.

Just before his 18th birthday, on 18 April 1899, Percy was appointed as a General Service Clerk for the Indo European Telegraph Dept in London. I have cited the original official document with his very signature on it. (That sent goosebumps down my back!) His address, on this document, is noted as 30 Church Street Stoke Newington, London and the witness is Sir James Braithwaite Pule etc. It looks quite a serious document.
On that same day, 18 April 1899, I found Percy Lang on the Passenger List of the ship, 'Nubia departing London for Karachi . He was returning alone, after having secured, what turned out to be a job for the whole of his life with the Indo European Telegraph Dept, initially as a junior civil servant. The IETD was a British government Civil Service Department and reported directly through Bombay to the government. So a pretty secure tenure ship although not without its extraordinary hardships.
On one of my many trips to the India Office records, at the British Library I was fortunate to discover the complete Service Record History of our grandfather. I had been tipped off by a librarian that, had Percy been a success at his job, there would be a year by year insertion of his career in The India Office List (Ref p16 Year 1929). I can remember my trepidation as I was directed to the Annual; that being his final year of work and therefore would hold a record of his complete tenure, should he have risen to the top. And yes there it was; in a Year by Year record of his career.

From India Office List 1929 pp16, 17

Percy Lang - Service Record History. 

INDO-EUROPEAN TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT

PERSIAN GULF AND PERSAIN SECTIONS 

(Amalgamated Staff)

DIRECTORS 

G.E. NEW                                                                                       G.E.O. SMIDR

ENGINEER AND ELECTRICIAN

G.H. St John

ASSISTANT DIRECTORS

E.M. NORRIS                                                                                 E.B. NEWTON

SUPERINTENDANTS

J.Hamilton                                                                                G.A. Mungavin

M.P. O’Reilly                                                                             W.C. Janes           

G.F. Nash P.W. Lang.  

22. Lang, Percival Wilfred Patrick. Born 17 June 1881. Appointed 18th April 1899. Reported for duty at Karachi on 15 May 1899, forenoon. (Non Asiatic) Religion or Community - Catholic.

Station or Division   Date     Substantive Appointment Officiating Appointment

Held non-gazetted appointment from 18 April 1899 to 23 June 1918.

• Privilege leave for 3 months from 10 May to 9th August 1906 combined with leave on medical certificate fro 4 month and 28 days from 10th August 1906 to 6th January 1907.
• Privilege leave for 3 months from 1st August to 31st October 1912 combined with furlough for 2 months and 17 days from 1st November 1912 to 17th January 1913.
• Privilege leave for 3 months from 20th November 1915 to 19th February 1916.

Charbar 24 Jun 1918

    “ 11 Aug 1918 Asst. Supdt Class V

    “ 1 Jan   1920 Asst. Supdt Class V1

Elected new pension rules

Attached Kar- 14 July 1920 Asst Supdt Class V1

Ache Station

• Privilege leave for 5 months from 20th August 1920 to 19th Jan. 1921 combined with furlough on average salary for 2 months and 22 days from 20th Jan. 1921 to 10th April 1921.

Henjam Station 25 April 1921 Asst. Supdt Class V1

In charge Jask 1st Oct 1922 Asst Supdt Class V1

Station

In charge Bushire 7th April 1923 Asst Supdt Class V1

Office

    “ 21st April 1923 Supdt Class V

    “ 4 Dec 1923 Asst Supdt Class V1

    “ 9th Feb 1924 Supdt Class V

Joining time from 8th June to 11th June 1925

Leave on average pay out of India for 8 months and on half average pay for 2 months 24 days from 12 June 1925 to 5th May 1926.

Appointed as Superintendent as Class V from 12th June 1925

Joining time from 6th May 1926 to 10th May 1926

Traffic and 11th May 1926 Supdt Class V

Account Office

Karachi

Reduced to Asst Superintendent Class V1 with effect from 1st July 1926 and declared to be ineligible for promotion for 3 months from the date of reduction.

Traffic and 21st Dec 1926 Supdt Class V

Account Office

Karachi

     “ 6th May 1927 Supdt Class V 

 Awarded British War Medal 1914 -19 Victory Medal 1914 -19  General Service Medal Delhi Durbar Medal

Using this document as a reference, I was able to plot the whole of his career: starting with the first seven years, so just before he was 18 until he was 25, he was based in Karachi. He then had 6 months leave, between May 1906 to January 1907. He then took up again at Karachi for another few years until August 1912 when he went on leave to Europe returning in Jan 1913. This was to prove a life changing year for him.

My mother told me that it was his mother who was getting very concerned about him and his numerous 'conquests', including quite a few of the local girls. I got the impression that he had quite a reputation with the ladies and maybe that was why she summoned him, and informed him, in no uncertain terms, that it was high time to settle down and get married. So off he went to England in search of a wife. It was here where he was captivated by the beauty of Emily Bird at a party at her Auntie Robson's. According to mum, Percy took her to Paris where she was engaged with a magnificent green emerald and diamond ring. Emily who had been a governess in France and so had seen something of the world, was 25 years old. Success! Within 3 months, Percy had done his mother's bidding and got engaged and married! They were married at St Mary's Roman Catholic Church, West Croydon on 14 November 1912.

It must have been love at first sight, because less than a year later their first daughter Madeleine was born on 6 September 1913. She must have been conceived on the voyage. His statement of service reveals that they were based in Karachi for the next couple of years, with Evelyn being born in November 1915. It was at this time that Percy had Leave from November 1915 to February 1916. Noelle was born in December 1917. However, although Karachi was listed as his place of stay, it must be expected that Percy would have had extended stays away from home. Incidentally, their Karachi home was known as Hornchi Hall.

In June 1918 they moved to Charbar (until Jan 1920) where my mother Estelle was born with the only assistance being at the birth; a 16 year old Ayah. They then went back to Karachi in July 1920. They were then on leave from August 1920 - April 1921. Sadly Percy's father, James Matthew, died in the November of 1920. This was where Oona and her twin sister, Fleur were born, in Karachi.
For the next 5 years the family, it seems, was constantly on the move, up and down the Persian Gulf from Henjam to Jask and to Bushire. So Percy was stationed at Henjam office from April 1921 and this was then followed by being appointed, in charge of Jask Station in 1922. From April 1923 to June 1925 the family were stationed at Bushire and he was appointed Superintendent. The greatest family tragedy for Percy and Emily was born at Bushire, with the profound loss of their little 3
and half year old daughter called Fleur, twin sister of Oona. Emily herself had to dig the little grave in the sand and she was buried in an orange box. Life was indeed raw and hard.

From 12 June 1925 (and returning on 5th May 1926) they left India and that was when my mother started at boarding school and joined her sisters, at St Philomena's School, in Carshalton. Bernard the last child and only son was born on 31 December 1925. On his return in May 1926, Percy was reduced to Assistant Superintendent Class V1 and ineligible for promotion for 3 months. When I mentioned this to my mum, she said in her natural unshockable tone; 'Well Dear, it was most probably the alcohol. Don't forget there really was nothing much else to do!'
From 1926 onwards, it appears that they were based in Karachi but there would have been a lot of travel, one imagines, to the Persian Gulf Telegraph stations too.
It is noted that Percy was back in Karachi by 1929 and was one of six Superintendents for the Indo European Telegraph Dept.
On January 6 1930, Percy died a very painful death from Gall Stones. My mother told me that he would not listen to Emily to have the problem looked at by a doctor but preferred to struggle on. His mother, Mary Ellen died later that same year.
The final insertion on his Service record notes that he was awarded the following medals: - British War medal 1914 - 1919, Victory Medal 1914 -1919, General Service Medal and also the Delhi Durbar Medal.
Note
1. Many of the places I have mentioned were not only remote but also totally isolated from other Europeans and their lifestyle. There was very little company, and entertainment. Instead, the Superintendent would act as an emissary of the British government and be the only British representative of the government in the whole of that area. It was a big responsibility.
2. Further reading: https://www.qdl.qa/en/british-gulf-overview
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-29761017
3. The Indo-European Telegraph Dept withdrew formally from Persia in1932, two years after Percy's death. See below:

Agreement between his majesty, in respect of the United Kingdom and of India, and his imperial majesty the shah of Persia in regard to the withdrawal of the Indo-European telegraph department from Persia. Tehran, February 17, 1932 / Presented by the Secretary of state for foreign affairs to parliament by command of his majesty. Great Britain. [S.l.] : H.M.S.O., 1933.