Great, great, great, great, great

Grandfather

John Lang

d. 1752

John Lang, emigrant ancestor of the Langs in America is thought to have come from Devonshire England, because that country is the seat of the Lang family in England; it is family tradition; he named one of his sons Devon; and because of the close connection with other Devonshire families.

The surname is found as early as the fifth year of Henry VIII (1513) when Henrico Lange testified to the Ascott pedigree in Devonshire.

"Old Strawberry Bank in the Masonian grants now New Hampshire was the land fall of some fine old English stock in the middle of the 17th century. The Masons were near the throne and the folks they spirited across the Atlantic to people their wooded domain in the New World were tradesmen, sons of tradesmen and the artisan class. Among others were the Langs and Walfords. They were not driven away by religious persecutions like the Pilgrims. They were men commercially inclined seeking to better their fortunes in the new Eldorado"

Among those induced to embark was a man by the name John Lang.

From the character of the emigrants who followed the Masonian proprietors, he was probably of the better class.

John Lang was at Strawberry Bank now Portsmouth New Hampshire in 1695. He signed the bond of his mother-in-law, Mary (Walford) Brookin who administered on her husband’s estate. This indicates he was a man of means.

He was on a committee of partition on the estate of Aaron Moses in 1732 and this indicates that he was a man of note and consequence in his community. No incompetent nor dullard would be appointed by Court to fill this office.

Sept. 17, 1715 he was a witness to the will of Capt. John Pickering a lawyer and noted character to which he made his mark. Making his mark was nothing to his discredit. Penmanship in those days was confined to the clergy and a few others. Captain John Pickering would call none but a substantial citizen to witness his will.

He witnessed the will of John Cross in 1728. On Oct. 24, 1733 Court authorized John Lang and others to make division of the estate of Thomas Beck.

John Lang was a mariner and farmer and accumulated a large estate for the time. He lived next to Francis Jones on the north west side of Sagamore Creek where the road to Rye crosses it.

John Lang married in 1695 Grace (Walford) Brookin the daughter of William and Mary (Walford) Brookin. She died before May 10, 1725. After her death he married Ruth, widow of John Sherbourne (May 10, 1725). Grace Brookin’s grandfather, Thomas Walford, was one of Mason’s stewards. Her grandmother was accused of witchcraft as related before.

Portsmouth, April 21, 1707

"At a church meeting legally convened it was noted that persons having a competent knowledge & making of a serious profession of ye Xian Religion & being of a conversion void of scandal upon ye owning of ye covenent & subjecting themselves to ye government of X in the church shall be admitted to baptism & have the like privilege for ye children". Grace (Lang) owned the covenant 1708 and all her children were baptized there.

John Lang died May 22, 1752. His will probated June 7, 1752 – "In the name of God Amen, I, John Lang of Portsmouth in the Province of New Hampshire, husbandman, being sick in Body, I give unto my well beloved wife, Ruth, the one third of my personal Estate to be at her own disposal & the Improvement of one third part of my Real Estate during her natural life.

I give unto my son, John Lang, over and above what I have already given him, Twenty shillings old Tenor.

I give and bequeath to my son William Lang (our ancestor) over and above what I have already given him, Twenty shillings old Tenor.

I give to my daughter Elizabeth 20 shillings old Tenor.

I give to my grandson Thomas Weston 5L old Tenor.

To my granddaughter, Mary Bickford 5L old Tenor.

To my grandson, John Savage 20L old Tenor.

The rest and residue of my estate, both real and personal wheresoever & whatsoever I give & bequeath the same in the following – Viz., one forth part to the children of my daughter Dorothy Wells deceased. One fourth part to the children of my daughter Hannah Mills deceased equally divided. One fourth part to the child of my daughter, Grace Gray.

Finally I appoint my son-in-law, Joseph Gray, sole Executor of this my last will and testament. In testimony there of I have hereunto set my hand and seal, the 29th of Oct. 1748"

John Lang

X

He owned 15 acres at Portsmouth, "lot bounded E. by road (now Jones Ave,) leading from meeting house to Sagamore Creek. S. by Henry Savage lying on creek." Subsequently he had 200 acres more. He was one of the original proprietors of Barrington, and in 1732 he had 126 acres there. Inventory of his estate was 3294L – 55s a very large sum for that period.

Children of John & Grace (Brookin) Lang

  1. Elizabeth, born 1695; living in 1762, m. July 28, 1716, John Westcome of Portsmouth b. at Triton, Devon Eng. d. before 1762. They had 2 children
  2. William (our ancestor) born abt. 1698 m. July 7, 1721, Susanna Savage dau. Of John (Henry) Savage and Sarah (Jones) Savage.
  3. John b. abt 1700 m. as early as 1720, Sarah, dau. Of Sarah and Henry Bickford.
  4. Ann, b. m. Jan 8, 1717-8, her cousin John Savage.
  5. Mary, b. m. Oct 23, 1718, William Adams of Portsmouth, mariner, 5 children.
  6. Devon b m. d.
  7. Dorothy b. m. John Wells of Portsmouth, mariner, 5 children
  8. Thomas b. bapt. July 17, 1709 d. 1714
  9. Grace b. bapt. March 16, 1711-12 m. Sept 1737 Joseph Gray, as his second wife, they had 2 children.
  10. Thomas b. abt 1713 m. Nov 17, 1737, Mary Downs. 2 children.
  11. Hannah b. bapt Aug, 7, 1715 m. Aug 5, 1734 to Luke Mills of North Hampton, Va., mariner; later he resided at Portsmouth. He died at sea: 1764 leaving a will dated June 20, 1764, proved Aug. 29, 1764.

(These may not be given right order of birth. Some give another daughter who married a Bickford)

Great, great, great, great, great Grandmother

Grace (Brookin) Lang

(above)