 Cosmo Gordon Lang was born in 1864 at the manse in Fyvie , Aberdeenshire , the third son of the local Church of Scotland minister , the Reverend John Marshall Lang , and his wife Hannah Agnes Lang . Cosmo was baptised at Fyvie church by a neighbouring minister , the name " William " being added inadvertently to his given names , perhaps because the local laird was called William Cosmo Gordon . The additional name was rarely used subsequently . In January 1865 the family moved to Glasgow on John Lang 's appointment as a minister in the Anderston district . Subsequent moves followed : in 1868 to Morningside , Edinburgh and , in 1873 , back to Glasgow when John Lang was appointed minister to the historic Barony Church . 
