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 of twenty-seven, was appointed a director.

He married Agnes Barr in 1887 with the couple’s first house being Springfield, South William Street, Johnstone and at a later time The Grange, Park Road, Johnstone. He subsequently became chairman of the board and 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. For his services to his country and industry he was knighted in 1937. In the same year he was elected a Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

He was initiated into 242 on 27th May, 1902. He was buried in the family plot in Abbey Cemetery in Elderslie.