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)