Enslaved People associated with the Lang Family

As I have written previously in my post, Slaveholder Ancestors, I have a number of slaveholder ancestors; my paternal ancestry being predominantly from the southern states of America, it is not surprising that I inevitably come across enslaved people associated with my slaveholder families. One such ancestral family is the Lang family.

I wrote about Richard Lang in my previous post Loyalist - Rebel - Justice of the Peace: Richard Lang (1744-1816) with some mention of some of his other family members. I am not entirely sure exactly how I relate to Richard Lang. However, I am reasonably sure that his parents Robert and Millicent (Myrick) Lang are my 5th Great Grandparents as I explained in my post My Relationship to Richard Lang - What Does the DNA Say?.

The information I have gathered so far about the enslaved persons associated with the Lang family is limited but I have made a start in pulling it together. There is a lot more research to do, particularly in terms of researching slave schedules, Wills etc.

Robert and Millicent (Myrick) Lang

It was common for enslaved people to be bequeathed to family in Wills, so a good starting place in reviewing what I know so far is to start with Robert and Millicent (Myrick) Lang.

Robert’s Will, written 13 August 1762, proved 22 July 1763[1],  mentions 'one negro man' and '1 negro girl'.  They are bequeathed to 'my dearly beloved wife Millicent' and, after her death, to 'the Eldest of my sons to help and maintain the younger children'.  Richard was Robert’s eldest son.  From the Will itself, it isn’t clear what the rest of the Estate includes. The Will required the Estate to be equally divided amongst all his children except 100 acres bequeathed 'to Thomas Largen my Son in Law'. Millicent (wife) and Richard Lang (eldest son) were appointed as executors. Witnesses were Andrew Brown, Daniel Burnet, Henry Foster.

From 1 October to 8 October 1763, Millicent ran an advertisement in the South Carolina Gazette advising of a sale to be held at a public venue ‘for ready money’ on the ‘5th day of November next, if fair, if not on the next day after, at Mr David Webb’s in Saxe-Gotha’. To be sold at this sale was part of the ‘personal estate of Robert Lang, late of Saludy, deceased; consisting of two negroes, some horses, cattle, and other articles’[2].  It seems likely that the reference to ‘two negroes’ is to two enslaved people that were considered to be part of ‘the rest of the estate’, as referred to above.

Millicent died sometime after 29 May 1771.  On 29 May 1771, she acquired 100 acres of land in Craven County on the North side of the Saluda River[3]. To date, I have been unable to find a death date or associated evidence such as a Will.

Richard Lang, Isaac Lang and Family

The earliest mention of an enslaved person directly associated with Richard Lang that I have been able to find is in the 1787 Spanish Census of Householders of Amelia Island, Spanish East Florida. This makes mention of ‘one negro’ in Richard’s household[4]. By the time of the December 1789 Spanish Census of Householders of St Mary's River, Spanish East Florida there were ‘no slaves’ in Richard’s household[5].  This same census shows ‘one negro’ in the household of Richard’s son, Isaac[6]. This may or may not have been the enslaved person who was in Richard’s household in 1787. For the time being, I have recorded these entries in my Beyond Kin tree as 2 different people.

When Richard's son, Isaac, died in 1815[7] in Camden County, Georgia, there were a number of enslaved people associated with his estate which may or may not have included the enslaved person who was in his household in 1797. To date, I have been unable to find a Will. He may have died intestate as he was only 47 years old when he died. From the evidence I have found so far, it isn’t clear how he died.

After Isaac Lang’s death, a number of sales of enslaved people occurred in relation to his Estate, as follows [8]:

• K 178-179: 19 May 1818. Deed of negro slave. William Lang for estate of Isaac Lang, grantor to Francis Starling, grantee. For in consideration of $300.00 for slave girl Haner. Signed by William Lang, Isaac Lang, Elizabeth Bailey, Eady Brown, Lydia Summerlin, Jno. Gorman and David Lang. Witnessed by Isaac Bailey. Recorded by John Bailey on 22 July 1819.

• K 179: 19 May 1818. Deed of negro slaves. William Lang, for estate of Isaac Lang, grantor to Elizabeth Bailey, grantee. For in consideration of $600.00 for slaves Fanny and her daughter Turedcey (?). Signed by William Lang for heirs of Isaac Lang, Lydia Summerlin, Eady Brown, Jno. Gorman, David Lang and Francis Starling. Witnessed by Isaac Bailey. Recorded by John Bailey on 22 July 1819.

• K 180: 19 May 1818. Deed of negro slave. William Lang, for estate of Isaac Lang, grantor to Catharine Lang, grantee. For in consideration of $500.00 for a male slave Fortin. Signed by William Lang for heirs of Isaac Lang, Lydia Summerlin, Eady Brown, Jno. Gorman, David Lang and Francis Starling. Witnessed by Isaac Bailey. Recorded by John Bailey on 22 July 1819.

The William Lang referred to in these records is most likely the deceased Isaac’s oldest son, Isaac Lang is Isaac’s son. Francis Starling (Sterling) is Isaac’s brother-in-law (married to his sister, Mary). Elizabeth Bailey, Eady Brown and Lydia Summerlin are the deceased Isaac’s sisters. Jno. Gorman is the deceased Isaac’s brother-in-law and David Lang is his brother. Catharine Lang is his widow.

To date, I have found 4 other mentions[9] of Richard Lang (1744-1816) as either grantor or grantee of a slave deed. These are as follows:

• BC 242: 29 July 1796. Deed of negro slave. William Mills, grantor, of East Florida to Richard Lang, grantee, of Georgia (St. Marys River, Camden County). No amount listed. Slave man Toney, who had run away from Mills two weeks previously with another slave, Sam. Sam was sold to Lang separately. Signed by William Mills. Witnessed by James Seagrove. Recorded by R. McD. J. Elliott on 18 August 1796.

• G 434-435: 15 August 1807. Deed of negro slave. Thomas Rogers, grantor to Richard Lang, grantee. For in consideration of $190.00 for slave Ellen. Signed by Thomas Rogers. Witnessed by Abraham Bessent and Jos. Crews. Recorded by Isaac Crews on 23 July 1808.

• G 398-399: 11 February 1808. Deed of negro slaves. James Seagrove, grantor, of Camden County, Georgia to Richard Lang, grantee, of Camden County, Georgia. For in consideration of $650.00 for slaves Janny and her children Lucy and Samson. Signed by James Seagrove. Witnessed by Charles Magill, Jr. and William Marcum. Recorded by Isaac Crews on 20 June 1808.

• I 194: 29 August 1813. Deed of gift of negro slave. Richard Lang, grantor to Lidia Lang, grantee. For slave Sealey. Signed by Richard Lang. Witnessed by David Lang and R. McGillis. Recorded by Isaac Crews on 03 January 1815

Clearly, there is more research to do.

Notes

[1] Wills and Miscellaneous Probate Records, 1671-1868; Author: Charleston County (South Carolina). Probate Judge; Probate Place: Charleston, South Carolina. Image via Ancestry.com South Carolina, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1670-1980 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Accessed 4 May 2022. (Proved 22 July 1763. Recorded in Will Book 1767-71 (p.64) - Wills, Vol 11-13, 1767-1771).

[2] Unfortunately, I have been unable to access the actual advertisement. This is taken from a transcript via Ancestry.com. Accessed 4 May 2022. Originally shared to Ancestry.com by Ralan64 on 4 May 2013.

[3] Lang, Melisant, Plat for 11 acres in Craven County. Names indexed: John Bremar, John Dooly, William Ellis, Melisant Lang, Robert Lang. Series: S213184 Volume: 0016 Page: 00281 Item: 01
Date: 29 May 1771 Image via Ancestry.com. Originally shared to Ancestry.com by myoldjed on 21 Feb 2013. Accessed 4 May 2022.

[4] Extract from: Donna Rachal Mills (1992) Florida’s First Families - Translated Abstracts of Pre-1821 Spanish Censuses, Mills historical press Tuscaloosa, Alabama & Naples, Florida (p.64) Transcript via Ancestry.com. Originally shared to Ancestry.com by Ralan64 on 10 June 2013 . Accessed 4 May 2022.

[5] Donna Rachal Mills (1992)  (p.115) See Note 4.

[6] Donna Rachal Mills (1992) (p.114) See Note 4.

[7] Lang Family Bible Image via Ancestry.com. Originally shared to Ancestry.com by Martha2474 on 18 September 2012. Accessed 20 February 2020.

[8] Tara D. Fields (2008)  Camden County, Georgia Slave Deed Abstracts. Compiled by Tara D. Fields 2004-2008) via Yumpu.com. Accessed 7 Feb 2020 

[9] Tara D. Fields (2008) - See Note 8.