August 6, 2005:

Hello Mr. Lewis: 
I am seeking any information on Lang's who came to Canada as pioneers from Ireland. 
My ggrandparents were James and Matilda Lang of Ladysmith, near Shawville and there 
is evidence of Langs settling in Thorne Quebec (see 1881 Census below). 
An ancestor was one of the first pioneers in Pontiac County, John (?) Pendergast 
(Prendergast, Prendergrast). I would like to find any information possible, in 
particular when the first ancestors came to Canada. 
They were predominant in Pontiac County. My grandmother was an Esther Desjardins of 
the Beachburg area. I am hoping that someone out there may also have the same ties as I.
Thanks for all your help
Leslie
____________________
more from Leslie:

I believe they came from Sligo, Armagh and Fermanagh. They were a large family, 
spread throughout N. Ireland. They are a sept of the Leslie Clan apparently. 
My gggrandparents were James Lang and Mathilda Prendergast. A common family name 
was Humphrey Lang (he had a large farm near Inniskillen in Fermanagh. My grandfather 
was Walter Earl, who married an Esther Desjardins from Beachburg area. 
Her brothers were Ruben, Hugh, sisters Annie, Isabel, (I think) I can find no 
information AT ALL for the Beachburg area. I know that my parents spoke of Lang 
relatives in Clarendon, Shawville, Quyon, Bryson, Portage etc. I am new to family 
history searching and find it an exciting hobby! I love a good mystery!!! 
Please do start a new Lang page, hopefully there are many of us out there looking 
for one another. :) As a side note, the Prendergast side of the family were descendents of 
Lord Dartrey, who owned Dartry (Rockcorry) Castle (which was really a fortified manor 
house) in Armagh. 
thanks for all your help
Leslie
_____________________

Leslie:

The 1829 McCabe List shows a William Lang born in County Armagh.
It states that all of his relatives are in Canada. There is also a Thomas Lang 
who was here in 1829 and may be related. Thomas came from County Tyrone and had
three brothers -- George, Abraham and Samuel. He also had a brother-in-law named
Joseph Barclay.
... Al
____________________
1881 Census Place:	Thorne, Pontiac, Quebec, Canada
	Source:	FHL Film 1375862  NAC C-13226  Dist 98  SubDist G  Page 16  Family 62
	Sex	Marr	Age	Origin	Birthplace
William LANG	M	M	63	Irish	Ireland
	Occ:	Farmer	Religion:	Church of England	
Ann LANG	F	M	44	Irish	Ireland
			Religion:	Church of England	
Martha LANG	F		25	Irish	Quebec
			Religion:	Church of England	
Alice LANG	F		23	Irish	Quebec
			Religion:	Church of England	
James LANG	M		20	Irish	Quebec
	Occ:	Farmer	Religion:	Church of England	
William LANG	M		18	Irish	Quebec
	Occ:	Son	Religion:	Church of England	
Robert LANG	M		12	Irish	Quebec
	Occ:	Going To School	Religion:	Church of England	
John LANG	M		10	Irish	Quebec
	Occ:	Going To School	Religion:	Church of England
	
The 1881 census shows a Robert Lang, aged 45, living with his wife and children
close (next door?) to the above William Lang.

This community was composed mainly of Irish Protestants, many of whom
had ties to Carleton County. Interestingly however, the majority of the 
near neighbourhood was composed of Germans.

Prendergast / Pendergast
1881 Census Place:	Clarendon North and Clarendon South, Pontiac, Quebec, Canada
	Source:	FHL Film 1375862  NAC C-13226  Dist 98  SubDist F  Page 24  Family 93
	Sex	Marr	Age	Origin	Birthplace
John PRENDERGAST	M	M	45	Irish	Quebec
	Occ:	Farmer	Religion:	Methodist	
Matilda PRENDERGAST	F	M	41	Irish	Quebec
			Religion:	Methodist	
Thos. Henry PRENDERGAST	M		20	Irish	Quebec
	Occ:	Farmer Son	Religion:	Methodist	
John C. PRENDERGAST	M		17	Irish	Quebec
	Occ:	Farmer Son	Religion:	Methodist	
Robert PRENDERGAST	M		15	Irish	Quebec
	Occ:	Farmer Son	Religion:	Methodist	
Mary E. PRENDERGAST	F		13	Irish	Quebec
			Religion:	Methodist	
Matilda PRENDERGAST	F		10	Irish	Quebec
	Occ:	Going To School	Religion:	Methodist	
Debby Ann PRENDERGAST	F		8	Irish	Quebec
	Occ:	Going To School	Religion:	Methodist	
George Wm. PRENDERGAST	M		4	Irish	Quebec
			Religion:	Methodist	
Saml. B. PRENDERGAST	M		2	Irish	Quebec
			Religion:	Methodist	
October 4, 2005:
Hi;
 
I am not sure if this will help you any but found what I have found out I believe 
that John Prendergast died in Ireland but his widowed wife and children came to 
Canada and settled in Pontiac County.  James Prendergast was one of the first 
settlers that settled in Pontiac County and surveyed the area for settlement.
 
I dont have much but will be happy to share what I have.
... Kelly Mitchell
Email: ketchup@telusplanet.net

Visit Kelly's Web Site

____________________

Hi Al;
 
Sure, you can add my email address and website.  I dont have much on Prendergast 
online but will be happy to help anyone who comes along.  My primary interest is 
Pembroke Renfrew County Ontario and Clarendon / Shawville (and several other little 
towns in the area) Pontiac County Quebec.  The main families are Mitchell, Nichol,
Nichols, Cotie, Walker, Prendergast and and and...you know how it goes.  
My Mitchell family came west to Saskatchewan to Homestead from Shawville, Quebec.  
 
Hope to hear from you again;
Kelly Mitchell

Should have added that I believe that I am related to the Edey, Wyman, MacKechnie, & 
Walker families as well.  But I am still working on these lines :)  Geez, arent we all ehh :)  
 
Take Care;
Kelly :)
January 7, 2006:
Good day folks,
 
I got your email from bytown.net and was wondering if you still answer local 
genealogical queries in your spare time?
 
My great grandfather George Lang (b. 17 Aug 1831) married Mary Jane Purdy of the 
Purdy / Oakes farming family in Carleton County. I have some of their children 
identified through the work of Bill Pierson ("The Purdys of Carleton County"). 
I cannot however locate any information on George's parents. 
 
I have an extract from the Registry of Deaths at the Ontario Archives that names 
his parents as George Lang and Margaret Laird (could be Caird) with Geroge Sr. being 
born in Scotland. Confirmation through other means such as the 1901 and 1911 census 
and the Ottawa Directories of the late 1800s, I am 100% certain that this is true. 
 
The problem is, I cannot locate any information on George and Margaret, even via 
the UK census that is availble online. One has to assume that they lived in the same 
area as the Purdys, which allowed George and Mary Jane to meet and marry. The 
Registry of Deaths lists George Jr. as a farmer and subsequently the census list 
him as a labourer. In his later years he lived at 97 Rochester St. in the Dalhousie 
Ward in Ottawa. HIs son William (my grandfather) lived at 4 Munro St. 
 
Anything you can provide will be greatly appreciated.
 
Thanks 
... Sandy Lang
____________________
more from Sandy:

Thanks Al,
 
By all means add my email address to the web site.
 
The Purdys farmed 100+ acres near Franktown in Goulbourn Twp as far back as 1842.
(I read the census at Centerpointe Library just yesterday) They produced wheat, oats 
and potatoes, with only a handfull of livestock. I believe it was on Dwyer Hill Rd. 
south of Richardson Side Rd. 
 
The Purdy's apparently were one of the first settlers in Blackburn after a fire 
at their homestead in 1870. (The Great Fire)
 
... Sandy
February 6, 2006:

Thanks to Al Crosby for the following information:

The Ottawa Land Registry Book shows Agnes Searth Lang obtaining the 200
acres from James Stevenson on 5 Dec 1857.  Stevenson got the land from the
Crown on 8 Jun 1842. Agnes Searth Lang then appears to deed the land to 3
women (Is it her daughters? They all have names starting with an "A".).
Annie E Lang, Ann M Lang and Agnes M Lang around 14 Jan 1879. Agnes M Lang
appears to have become Mrs. Agnes M Rothwell later on when she sells her
land.

The site http://www.bytown.net/lang.htm with the 1881 census data probably
has the descendents of James and Matilda Lang from the Pontiac area that you
are related to. It lists Ann, Martha and Alice Lang. I was wondering if
there was brother-sister connection between Agnes Searth Lang and James
Lang? Agnes may have deeded her land to her brother's 3 daughters, but the
names don't quite match.

Having 5 G. Lang's and 5 A. Lang's can be very confusing. Have you figured
out which Lang lived when and where? Lang's Road has shrunk quite a bit
since the 1800's but it would be nice to know who actually owned the
property back then and where they came from, or where they went. "

(See also our Beacon Hill page regarding information on Rockville / Rockvillage,
also sent in by Al Crosby).

Cheers,
... Al Crosby
February 7, 2006:

Al Crosby has sent in an example of the history of the ownership of some property
in Gloucester Township. Here is the entry for Lot 24, Concession I, Gloucester.

 January 8, 2008:
Hello, 

I have discovered your website and see you are looking for information on the 
Lang's from Pontiac County.  My name is Gerald, great-grandson of John Alexander, 
grandson of Gerald Alexander. We are from the Township of Thorne located in the 
Shawville area.  Our family indicates that we have ancestry in Fermanagh, Ireland, 
however, we are traced back to Scotland.
 
Hope this helps.
 
Gerald R. Lang