Carl Frederick Augustus Lange (1842 - 1919)

Born 5 Feb 1842 in Stettin, Pomerania, Poland

Husband of Wilhelmena Dorothea (Prignitz) Lange — married 1866 in Stettin, Pomerania, Prussia

Died 13 Sep 1919 at age 77 in Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand

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Biography

Charles Lange has Polish Roots.

Charles Lange migrated from Germany to New Zealand.

Carl and Wilhelmina landed at Holmes Bay, Lyttelton on the 30 Aug 1872 in “Friedeburg” with Ferdinand and Ernst having left Hamburg, Germany 19 May 1872 on the sailing vessel FRIEDEBURG ^[1]

They decided to leave Germany when Bismarck announced conscription for every able-bodied male. They chose New Zealand because of enticing advertisements for hard workers in 1860’s-1890.

They had to work extremely hard to earn a small cottage and land, near Keisanowskis and Kotloskis (Polish). They worked first for Robert Rhodes as labourers, then as tenant farmers at Rhodes Swamp, Marshlands Christchurch where there is a Lange Rd named after them.

In “A Return of the Freeholders of New Zealand “compiled by Property Tax Department 1882, Carl was listed as having 30 acres in Selwyn County worth £80. The family was naturalised 29 Jun 1889. They were described as a “rare type of a strong, healthy, energetic family”.

Carl was blind when making his will and is buried with his wife as “Charles” which was Wilhelmina’s signature

Research Notes

The Lange family are believed to have been valets, military officers (including Generals and Colonels in Napoleon’s army).

They are believed to have escaped Huguenot attacks and settled in Germany for 2 generations.According to recollections from Bill Sugrue’s conversations with family members, Carl and August had two brothers, one of whom went to Virginia, USA. (He wrote to George’s sister Amy in German).

There is oral family history that August and his brother Carl's ancestors were officers in Napoleon's army, that they were driven out of France by the Hugenots and escaped to somewhere in Poland which was German and when the brothers were going to be drafted into the German army.

Great Grand child is Godfrey Lange

Sources

1. ↑ http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~nzbound/genealogy/Friedeburg.htm

• "Births, Deaths & Marriages Online", [digital index], New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs (http://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz).
  • Death Registration / 1919/6561 / Name: Lange, Carl Augustus Frederick / Aged:77Y
• Archives New Zealand: R22395518 LANGE Carl August Frederick - Papanui - Retired Farmer, probate record.