Reginald Langford - life story

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(Kindly sent by Linden Langford, Jim Langford's niece, January 2023).

The Generations:

My paternal grandfather, Reginald Langford, the ninth generation of Langfords in Shefford Woodlands, was born on 8th November 1881 at Templars. He died on 24th May 1962.

From what I was told and I can surmise, he was not an easy man to get on with, so I have little information about him from my uncle Jim or Joanna Waldron who both knew him but seldom spoke about him.  I know he was not pleased when my sister, Sheelagh, was born as she was the first girl born for a couple of generations and he was expecting a boy.   He would be pleased, of course, that Sheelagh has eight grandsons.   On the other hand, he was a very good farmer.  He taught his son, Jim, to care for the land and he involved himself in a number of local parish matters and was a Church Warden at St Mary’s Great Shefford for many years.  He was very active during the Second World War years inspecting farms in the neighbourhood of Great Shefford.

His parents:

His father was Henry Langford, born 30 April 1834 died 14th August 1914.

His mother was Fanny Hinton Stewart born circa 1842 died 9th June 1923 age 81

His brother:

Reginald was their second son.  His elder brother, by two years, was Henry Stewart born 1879.  Stewart died age 39 on 22 March 1918 at St Quentin, Northern France.  His name is on the First World War Memorial at Arras and his story is told separately.

The farm:

At the turn of the last century the family was still living at Templars and farming the same land near Great Shefford in Berkshire.

There is a Memorandum of Agreement between Captain Arnold Charles Burmester, the owner of the land, of Newtown Lodge, later known as Lovelocks, dated 23rd November 1912, with Reginald agreeing to rent all the farm called Newtown Lodge Farm at a rent of £173 per annum.  

Patagonia:

Letter from Stephen Waldron, Maud’s brother

Monte Dinero
Straits of Magellan
Punta Arenas
S America
Saturday March 11th 1899

Dear Reg

Just a few lines to let you know that I have not forgotten you.  You needn’t look at the end to see who writes this because it is Stiven.  Don’t that about knock you down, eh!  Well old chap how are you getting on, getting main proud I should think by the number of letters I have received from you, or is it not time to write ha, ha.  I know but I will be after forgiving you if you answer this rot.  Well, the shooting seasons over and I suppose you do nothing else but sit on that seat in the wood and watch the clouds of Night and Morning (or is it Boars Head) floating up to the blue sky (bit of a poet, eh!).  How is Julia, I suppose you do all the running now that I am away.  I hear she has a bike, but have not heard of your getting one yet so I suppose you sit on Coleridge Style and wait till you see the thingy on wheels approaching, then oh my etc.  Well give her my love old chap –

I wish you were out here to have a good gallop with me, these horses can move pretty well, I have seven old horses in my troop and am taking two colts on.  I rode one of them about a week ago, and he put me on the broad of my back twice within 5 minutes, but I stuck to him and he is beginning to know me now.  I got my horse bogged this morning and he put one over his head into a pool of water (pleasant eh) but I got him out alright.  

We have had two girls (Miss Fentons) staying with us for a fortnight or so.  We have been picnicking, fishing etc every day.  We have a creek about 10 miles away where we fish it in grand sport.  We have a large net, and boat and a canoe.  Sometimes we catch hundreds of fish at a draw.  Last time we were down there I was in the canoe when they made one laugh so much that I slipped about six inches of water and by the time I got to the side it was full to the brim, so I had to sit in the sun to dry.

The Miss Fenton’s left last Saturday.  I took them as far as Delgada just over 60 miles which is rather a long way for girls to ride.  We stopped at Condor on our way.  When I got back to Condor I found Fred, Maud, and Anne J there.  They are going to Tierra del Fuego and will be away for about 3 weeks, so I have to live by myself until they return, but I have plenty of work to do to keep me occupied.  I ride all day and have plenty of tobacco, whiskey and books to keep me company in the evenings.  I get plenty of riding here.  I shepherded a camp with 8,000 ewes in this last summer, just picking them off their backs and skinning the dead ones, but I am riding from 9am till 5pm except for an hour for lunch.  It took us 6 weeks shearing, but we only had 8 men who shear about 1,000 between them per day.  Our sheep average almost a pound more wool than the other farmers.  I weighed a wether hogget’s fleece which went over 14lbs.  We had just over 500 bales which averaged about 4cwt per back.  It is all shipped to England now and I hope it will fetch a good price.  Marking wild cattle over here is good fun, when we have lassoed and thrown them and marked them, we have to be very smart and getting over the kraal when we let them up as they charge like blazes.  I have had a bit of practice with the lasso lately and can throw it pretty accurately now.  We catch our horses with it in the mornings.

I could never shoot with a gun in England, but am pretty fair shot with a rifle (Winchester).  I have shot several ostriches.  I had two last Tuesday a right and a left.  I have only shot one guanaco but am going to have a turn at them soon as we have about 500 in one of our camps.  I was over at the Gap Station yesterday.  George Waldron had a fall off his horse and hurt his back, but I think he will be about in a day or so.  We have a telephone here from Punta Arenas, (180 miles) so can speak to all the stations on the line.  I was talking to Arthur, Condor, and Fred, Delgada, last night.  I shall have to take the mail over to The Gap tomorrow.  I suppose you will be in church (choir yet) winking at J.  How is Jessie.  Well must stop now or you will be getting tired of reading such rot, so with kind regards to Mr and Mrs Langford and yourself from

Yours faithfully R Stephen Waldron

In 1900 Walter Waldron, of the Patagonian Sheep Farming Company, wrote to him asking whether he would be interested in working on one of the Waldron farms.  

The Patagonian Sheep Farming Company Limited
Lucency, London (Telegraph address)
101 Leadenhall Street
London, March 16th 1900

Mr R Langford
Shefford Woodlands

Dear Sir

We want a young fellow on one of our farms in Patagonia and Mr S Waldron thought that you might like to go.

The terms we offer are 2nd Class passage from Liverpool to the farm and £25 for the first year.  For the second year £50.  After that you would be paid in accordance with what we thought your services were worth.  Board and lodging found.

If you think you would like to go come and see me here early next week and I can then give you full particulars and see if I thought you suitable.  We should want you to go at once if engaged.

Awaiting your reply

I am your truly

Walter Waldron

His wife:

For his birthday on 8 November 1898, Maud gave Reginald a miniature leatherbound Book of Common Prayer with an inscription: R Langford from his sincere friend MMW, November 8, 1898.  My half-sister Jane has this book.   In March 1899 Maud was in Patagonia as noted in the letter from Stephen Waldron to Reginald.

Reginald married Maud Waldron on 29th April 1908, the marriage being witnessed by his father Henry Langford and by his cousin Stephen Waldron.  Reginald was 26 and Maud was 35.     Their first child, Thomas, my father, was born in 1910 and Jim was born in 1915.

The year before their marriage they had considered going to Patagonia but received the following letter:

Condor
Punta Arenas
Straits of Magellan
October 14th 1907

 Dear Reggie

I have received your letter, and note that you, and Maud, wish to come to Patagonia to try your fortune; - of course I should very much like to see you all at Condor, but think it would be rather foolish for you to come out.  A man should come to this country when he is young, say seventeen, and work up from the bottom; - if you come now, everything would be new to you and you would get only about £6 per month; - after three- or four-year’s work, you could become a capataz earning £10 - £12 a month, which is not much to look forward to, so I think it much better to stick to the Old Country.

Surely you can make more there; besides the climate here is none too pleasant, and there are no amusements; - It is not much of a place for a lady, as the life is too dull, and our old shanties are none too comfortable; - some women stay several years in the country without going anywhere or seeing another woman, but it can’t be very nice; - I don’t know of any good billets in the country, there are so many fellows to jump into them and some good men have to work for very little.  I shall most likely be in England next summer when I can tell you more about it, but if you really wish to come out, I think it best to put in five years before you marry, then you will know something about it.

Hoping you have had a good harvest and with kindest regards to your people

Yours very sincerely

Arthur Waldron

Special Constable:

Reginald was a Special Constable, or part-time law enforcement officer.   He was also a County Councillor and during the war did a lot of work detailed in the farm diaries.

His Will:

Reginald appointed Cynthia Waldron, married to Raymond, another brother of Maud’s, and Jim, his son, as the trustees named on his will

His will left everything to Maud and Jim and £1,000 to Thomas, my father.  This was subsequently changed to £2,000 in 1961.

Obituary:

Newbury Weekly News, 31st May 1962.  Death of Mr R Langford, former county alderman.

Reginald Langford who had an outstanding record of public service, died in Battle Hospital, Reading age 80.

Born at Shefford Woodlands, he lived there all his life and farmed Newtown Lodge farm.  He was a practical man, an extremely keen agriculturalist and in fact his interests were always very much in country matters.

Mr Langford gave up public work about five years ago.  He represented his division on the County Council from 1919 and his services were recognised in 1931.  He was a member of many committees and his experience in agricultural matters made him an obvious choice for the chairmanship of the Smallholdings Committee, a position he held for 20 years.  For a long period also, he was chairman of the South Berks Highways and Bridges Advisory Committee.

In another sphere of local government, he served on Great Shefford parish council for a great many years.  He was also chairman of Lambourn School managers, as well as chairman of the Isbury Charity at Lambourn for a lengthy period.  A keen churchman he was churchwarden at Great Shefford for 40 years.

During the war he was chairman of the District Committee of the War Agricultural Executive Committee and in the same period he was in charge of the Royal Observer Corps, Great Shefford post.