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?