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Question Title Posted By Question Date
William Lang of Devon UK Cephas Saturday, June 26, 2010

Question:

Thank you for your response and your tracing then origins of my name to its modern derivation.

Ironically in naming me my mother, and incidentally we are late converts, had no knowledge of biblical ties and gave me a second name of Rhodes, this if it be traced back, strangely enough its feminine translates to Rhoda, the maid that served both Christ and recognize Peter (Cephas) when he sought entry to the upper room. I could go on but that is another story which entails a period of my Catholicism as a 13 year old which bears painful wounds not of the sexual nature but the unbending strictures of a church which I struggle to understand every day.

Now to that old chestnut "William Lang" you mentioned in your response that you could not find anything of him in lists of papists.

I refer you to http://genuki.cs.ncl.ac.uk/DEV/DevonMisc/Papists.html and here you will find him mentioned as dec'd.

I ache for this man for I feel history and the manipulations of some, attempt to hide some of the dedicated Catholics of the "Henry/Elizabeth" era.

I have been able to ascertain that he left Bradworthy having been a day laborer traveled and is said to have spent four years in Ireland and on his return proposed that he had taken Holy Orders. His wife at that time was known as Agnes and as your research indicated he had a daughter Dorothy whom he used to "catechize members of is flock"
His parish was at that time was known as the Church of St. Peter and located nearby St. Peters Holy Well... The "Well" so named remains today, but after his execution the Church was renamed that of St. John... maybe the reference to Peter was too much and too Roman for the English Church to bear.

Again I am sorry to ramble but as an old man I think my years entitle me some little lee way.

In my heart of hearts I feel that a devoted Catholic priest has been denigrated and an attempt made to bury him in the pages of history.

Thanks again and from other communications scanned may I wish you a belated Fathers Day.



Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Cephas:

Thanks for the update.

That document you linked does not appear to be a "List of Papist" only. It is entitled, List of Papists and Delinquents. William is not listed as a papist -- the "P" code. He certainly would have been a "delinquent" by virtue of the charges against him listed in the indictment (which did not include being a Papist). I presume the reason there is no code at all next to his name is that one cannot be a papist or delinquent from the grave.

Anyway, it does not appear to me that he was Catholic, at least according to these documents. But, I have not researched this. I am not a genealogist.

Anyway, I hoped a little anyway.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary


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