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.
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.
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.
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:
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:
No comments:
Post a Comment