Cross Keys December 2021 (Freemasonry)

Page 20

Bro. Sir William Biggart Lang The youngest of the five sons of John Lang founder of John Lang & Sons Engineering was William Biggart Lang (1868-1942) - the Johnstone company known worldwide as ‘Langs for Lathes’. Bro. Lang, whose death occurred on 17th February 1942 in his seventy-fourth year, was well known in the West of Scotland as a prominent engineering employer. He was associated with his father's firm, Messrs. John Lang and Sons, Ltd., lathe and machine tool manufacturers, of Johnstone, near Glasgow, during the whole of his professional career.

After receiving his education at the Paisley Grammar school and Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College, he entered the firm as an apprentice and in 1895, at the age For his services to his country and industry of twenty-seven, was appointed a director. he was knighted in 1937. In the same year he was elected a Member of the Institution of He married Agnes Barr in 1887 with the cou- Mechanical Engineers. ple’s first house being Springfield, South William Street, Johnstone and at a later time The He was initiated into 242 on 27th May, 1902. Grange, Park Road, Johnstone. He subse- He was buried in the family plot in Abbey quently became chairman of the board and Cemetery in Elderslie. retained this position for the remainder of his life. In addition he was chairman of the Machine Tool Committee of the Ministry of Munitions from 1915 to 1918, president of the North West Engineering Employers' Association in 1921 and 1922, and a member of the Management Board of the Engineering and Allied Employers' National Federation from 1921 until 1924. In 1937 he served as president of the Machine Tool Trades Association. Sir William was Provost of Johnstone from 1914 to 1923.

Cross Keys Dece,ber 2021

Page 20


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.