So this past weeks prompt for Amy Johnson Crows challenge for 52 Ancestors in 52 weeks was Valentine. I was not inspired so I am skipping on to next week prompt. We have instead Heirloom. It was a challenge to pick one heirloom that I had not written about previously. There are so many family treasures I enjoy having incorporated into our home. Here is one that holds special interest to me. It’s an item that my third cousin shared with my sister and I. A collection of writings done by my 4x great maternal grandmother, Jane Langley Jones.
I was first made aware of Jane Langley by my grandmother, the great “story” teller, for she told a story about the “Three Langley Beauties”, and Jane was one of the three. So I decided to finally delve into Jane’s writings and make a transcription. In transcribing I have found that I am able to work out almost all the words written. Today was one of those rare snowy Sundays in the Pacific Northwest and a perfect time to get started. The hand writing could be atrocious or maybe it is only due to the fact that I hardly ever get to read something hand written in the 1830’s. There are also many pages that are too faint to read. The collection contains 48 pages.
Jane was born in England about 1814. One of 4 daughters (not three) born to Edward and Mary (Jones) Langley of Coleshill, Warwickshire England. How my cousin Bob A. came by these papers I do not know. What they are, are an assortment of poems, recipes and letters written by Jane. One item has a date of October 14th 1832 which would have been when Jane was about 18 years of age. The titles on some of her pages include:
To H-
Lemon Wine
Love Forgets
Good Bye
Ginger Wine
God save our Gracious King
My Mother
I give my heart to Thee for Thine
Affection
The Dead Twins
Reminecsence
The Child of Earth
Home
The Exiles Return
JTo the Forget Me Not
The Broken Promise
I can only speculate about the reason for these musings by Jane. Considering her age and the time period I believe she had been introduced to society and was quite the social young woman. The writings paint a picture of a young woman experiencing the drama of young love and the hardships of families.
The poem ” God Save our Gracious King” references King William who came to the throne in 1830 and reigned until his death in 1837.
Click on image to enlarge.
God save our Gracious King
William our Noble King
God Save the King
Send him Victorious
Happy and glorious
Long to Reign over us
God save the King
O Lord our God wise
Scatter his enemies
And make them fall
Confound their Politicts
Frustrate their R….cish tricks
On him our hopes we fix
God save us all
Thy cherish gifts in store
On William Reign to po…
Long may he …..
May he defend our laws
And even give us cause
To sing with heart and voice
God Save the King
Shield him thou good and great
And to our Queen and state
New Blessing Bring
Great Brittons th… and long
May the expecting thronge
For them re…..d the song
God save the King
I am speculating that Jane wrote this around the time of King William IV’s coronation. History notes that he was much beloved by the people.
Any help on those words I couldn’t workout?
Congratulations mmelo for winning last weeks drawing. Your surprise gift is going out Monday.
