Falcon-Lang / ROGERS engagement

[Richard R]

From the Telegraph of 15 March 2019: Prof H.J. Falcon-Lang and Miss S.C.T. Rogers - The engagement is announced between Howard, son of the late Mr Stephen Falcon-Lang and of Mrs Falcon-Lang, of Sleaford, Lincolnshire, and Sophie, daughter of the Reverend Clive and Mrs Rogers, of Kingsbridge, Devon.

Prof Howard James (b 1974 reg Q3) s of Stephen FALCON-LANG (1924-2012) by his 1969 m (reg Q3 London) to Susan E GILLIES. (Note: Prof Falcon-Lang m 1st 2000 (reg Q4 Cambridgeshire) Hannah B Keith.

Sophie Claire Thorne (b 1977) d of Clive Trevor Thorne ROGERS and Alicia Lorraine (b 1953) d of Brian Harrington GRAYSON (1900-89, s of Lt-Col Sir Henry Mulleneux GRAYSON 1st Bt (1865-1951)) and his 2nd w (her 2nd h) Ruth d of Oscar Louis ANDERS by his 1903 m (reg Q3 London) to Grace Elizabeth MUNCASTER (1868-1907).

[G. Willis]

Just some notes re: the Falcon-Lang family- I looked into them just because the name caught my interest, and from what I could find it seems the only marriage record for Stephen Falcon-Lang was 1962, his wife being listed as 'Betty M. A. Falcon-Lang' or alternatively 'Betty M. A. Rao', or 'Falcon-Lang Rao'. I don't know what this implies. All five Falcon-Lang births I came across gave the mother's name as 'Ellis', including Howard J., starting with a daughter, Orietta, b. 1962; Stephen Falcon-Lang's death notice here- https://announcements.johnstonpress.co.uk/obituaries/sleafordstandard-uk/obituary.aspx?n=stephen-falcon-lang-basil&pid=182661095 - also indicates, with widow Betty, an eldest daughter Sheila; she wasn't amongst the births I found, so possibly daughter of his wife from a first marriage? Similarly, two sons, Ken and Howard (as above) mentioned, but the elder of S. Falcon-Lang's sons appears to be Stephen Robert (whom, it seems, also died 2012); as his father seems to have used the name 'Basil', perhaps he too uses another name, or the 'Ken' mentioned is also a child of his wife's hypothetical first marriage. I couldn't find any marriages for a 'Betty M. A. Ellis' to a 'Rao', but perhaps this occurred outside the jurisdiction of my usual records.

I was unable to locate the birth of a Stephen ('Basil') Falcon-Lang, under that name, as Stephen F. Lang, Stephen Lang, or Stephen Falcon, within U.K. birth records around his birth date, which is of course corroborated by the death notice. I couldn't find any mentions of him online anywhere either, save an indication on findmypast that he was a company director; Companies House however had nothing on record.

[G. Willis]

However, there is a 1979 marriage record for a Susan E. Falcon-Lang and Mark Watkins, which would fit with a marriage between Stephen Falcon-Lang and Susan E. Gillies... I'm rather confused at this point, but these details are just being put here for anyone else's reference- someone might be able to do something with them!

[G. Willis]

This seems to pertain to Stephen Falcon-Lang's wife, Betty- https://www.sleafordstandard.co.uk/news/betty-s-memoirs-book-published-1-394269 ; the situation is somewhat clarified in the article mentioning she was adopted daughter of Allan and Louise Ellis, of Sleaford; perhaps 'Rao' was her birth surname?