Thomas Langton

“ The trusteeship of the school appears to have descended in the Langton family, and was held by the late Thomas Langton Birley, esq., whose father, Thomas Birley, had married Anne, the daughter and co-heiress of John Langton, of Kirkham. Clothing, as well as education, is supplied gratuitously to the scholars, who usually amount to 40, or thereabouts. ”

“ Langton, Brigadier-General Joseph Graham, Paymaster-General of the Militia Department, Ottawa, is the son of Thomas Langton, a merchant, and Fannie McKim Langton, and was born at Toronto, October 14, 1868, where he received his education in the public schools and the Jarvis Street Collegiate Institute. He has had an extensive military career, and has served continuously in the active militia of Canada since 1886. ”

“ It is noteworthy that during his imprisonment Langton still received writs of summons to parliament and to furnish his contingents for the king's wars (Parl. Writs) .
Langton had been too long a minister, and was too unfriendly to the constitutional opposition, to care to remain a martyr. He had great experience and ability, and as Edward's difficulties increased the king bethought himself that his imprisoned enemy might still be of service to him. The declaration of Winchelsea for the ordainers and against the king made Langton most willing to come to terms with Edward. ”

“ Of Sir Thomas Gerrarde of the Brynne, knight, Thomas Langton, baron of Newton, Myles Gerrarde of Ince, Esq., and Roger Bradshaw of Haigh, Esq., among the knights and esquires in the commission of the Peace, it is said that, though in some degree of conformitie, yet in general note they were of evil affection in religion, were non-communicants, and the wives of most of them were recusants; and among the "gentlemen of the better sorte" Edward Langton of Hyndley, in Wigan parish, was a "recusant and of such indicted." ”

“ It is figured on p. 16 of Hill's 'History of Langton.' His cousin, Edmund Peveril, was his next heir, and, despite all his misfortunes, he left land in eleven counties (Cal. Inq. post mortem, i. 300) . He is described as always dealing moderately with the people as an official (Ann. Dunst. in Ann. Mon. iii. 400) , and as 'homo imaginosus et cautissimus' (Hemingburgh, ii. 272) .
Despite the cares of state Langton found time and money to be a munificent benefactor to his church and see. About 1300 he began the building at Lichfield of the lady-chapel in which he was buried. ”

“ In 5 Eliz., 1562-3, there was a lawsuit between Sir Thomas Langton and Sir Thomas Gerrard, knights, concerning the tithes of corn and grain in the township of Pemberton, which Langton claimed as the purchaser of a lease granted by Thomas Stanley, dated 22nd March, 1 Eliz., 1559, to Edmund Burscough and William Straitbarell for a term of years yet enduring, they paying a yearly sum for the same. ”

“ Sir Thomas Langton, knight, John Ketchyn and Robert Hatton state that when Sir Thomas Langton presented Richard Kyghley to the benefice of Wigan, it being necessary to obtain sureties for the first fruits, the said Robert Hatton rode to London, and being unable to find any willing to become his security, agreed to take the responsibility upon himself together with John Ketchyn ”

“ On 14 March Langton was restored to his office of treasurer until the next parliament should assemble (ib. ii. 159) . He was believed to have betrayed the secrets of the confederate nobles to the king as the price of this advancement (Flores Hist. iii. 148) . The growing troubles of Edward from the lords ordainers are the best explanation of his falling back on his father's old minister; but Langton never got more than a half support from Edward II, 'ad semigratiam regis recipitur' (Trokelowe, p. 64) , and the ordainers, headed by the irreconcilable Winchelsea, soon turned against him. ”

“ In the afternoon, the Satellite ship's company re-embarked, and also the party of marines left by H. M. S. Success.
On Monday, the 17th, I learned that Langton, overseer of the prisoners, had taken to the bush, with another prisoner. This action appeared quite inexplicable, as far as regarded Langton, who had all along conducted himself with much propriety; and, from his general usefulness, stood in high favour with the Commandant. As he was liked by the natives, there is little doubt that he will be kindly treated by them, until the return of the Malay proas next season ”

“ She was given in marriage to John de Langton (brother of the Chancellor John de Langton, and son of Robert de Langton, of West Langton, in the county of Leicester) , to whom, in 1301, the King granted a weekly market and two annual fairs at his manor of Newton in Makerfield. ”

“ Clergy, pope, and baronage interceded in vain in Langton's favour. Even Winchelsea, who hated him, could not overlook the grave irregularity of confining a spiritual person without any spiritual sentence. In April 1308 Clement V strongly urged on Edward the contempt shown to clerical privilege by Langton's confinement. The legate, the bishop of Poitiers, pressed for his release. At last, on 3 Oct. 1308, Edward granted Langton the restitution of his temporalities (Fœdera, ii. 58) . ”

“ It was Langton, the detective. He followed me down the steps and out to the street, and then joined me.
"Well?" he laughed, "what do you think of your friends?"
"That I have been a fool."
He smiled with deep satisfaction. "What were you doing in there?" I asked.
"Looking after my friends. But I don't feel it necessary to invite them to cut my throat. One good turn deserves another," he proceeded. "You keep away from there or you'll find yourself in a bad way. That Wringman——"
"Is a scoundrel."
"Keep a lookout for him. He's after you and he has powerful friends. Good night. ”

“ James de Langton, "habens tonsuram clericalem", was presented to the church of Wigan by Ralph de Langton, patron, on the death of Walter de Campeden, late Rector, and he swore, after institution, to pay a pension of £20 a year due to the cathedral. ”

“ Therefore it is awarded, deemed and ordained that the said Lawrence de Standish should take out a writ of right to the advowson of the said church against Thomas the bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, Sir Ralph Langton, Henry Brightley, and William Langton, parson of the church of Wigan, and James Langton, returnable before the Justices at Lancaster at the sessions next to be held there or elsewhere within the county of Lancaster, to show his title and have his champion ready. ”

“ Oliver de Langton, late of Wigan, gentleman; William de Langton, late of Wigan, gentleman; and many others, chiefly from Wigan and the neighbourhood, including Margaret Holerobyn of Wigan, concubine of the aforesaid James de Langton. The above mentioned Edward de Langton, son of James, was accused of concealing two Wigan men who had committed murder. The morals of the English people generally, both clergy and laity, were deplorably low at that period, and the numerous ecclesiastical abuses which occurred were rapidly preparing the way for the reformation. ”

“ LANGTON, THOMAS (d. 1501) , bishop of Winchester and archbishop-elect of Canterbury, was born at Appleby in Westmoreland, and educated by the Carmelite friars there. He matriculated at Queen's College, Oxford, but soon removed to Cambridge, probably to Clare Hall, on account of the plague. In 1461 he was elected fellow of Pembroke Hall, serving as proctor in 1462. While at Cambridge he took both degrees in canon law, and was afterwards incorporated in them at Oxford. ”

“ Inq. post mortem, i. 300) . He was the nephew of William Langton, dean of York; but there seems no reason for making him a kinsman to John Langton [q.v.] , bishop of Chichester and chancellor, his contemporary. Neither can any real connection be traced between him and Stephen Langton [q.v.] , archbishop of Canterbury (Hill, Hist. of Langton, p. 17) . He started life as a poor man (Hemingburgh, ii. 272) , and became a clerk of the king's chancery. ”

“ On 13 April Edward strongly urged him to do his duty despite their threats (Fœdera, ii. 164) ; but power was with the ordainers, and Langton was forced to yield. Winchelsea excommunicated him for taking office against the injunctions of the ordainers. Langton now appealed to the pope, receiving on 1 May a safe-conduct to go abroad from the king, who still described him as treasurer (ib. ii. 166) , and wrote to the pope begging for his absolution (ib. ii. 167; cf. 171, 178) . Adam Murimuth the chronicler went to Avignon to represent Winchelsea (Murimuth, p. 18) . ”

“ IV. when John de Brodeheved, of Wigan, and Emma his wife sued Thomas de Gretherton of Wigan, draper, and Alice his wife for the third part of one messuage and acre of land, with the appurtenances, in Wigan, as the dower of the said Alice, which she had of the dowry of Robert Wade of Wigan, formerly her husband, before the King's Justices of Assize, James de Langton appeared, by his attorney, who produced the letters patent of King Edward III. to John de Winwick, together with the confirmation thereof by the present King, and claimed his right to have cognizance of that plea. ”

“ Robert appeared for himself and the others, and defended their action on the ground that the said Ivo was bound to pay him an annual rent of 20 marks, and £20 in every alternate year, and that the said Ivo had conceded to him the aforesaid tithes in lieu of the aforesaid rents, so that they were taken by his consent: and the jury find a verdict for Robert. [2] It is not unreasonable to suppose that this was the price which he had to pay to the patron for his presentation to the church. ”

“ But the pope's annulling the charter had paralysed the clerical supporters of the popular side, and the thoroughgoing policy of the twenty-five under Fitzwalter's guidance had alienated of the more moderate men. Fearing Archbhishop Langton might be forced to surrender his castle of Rochester, Fitzwalter, with the assent of the warden of the castle, Reginald of Cornhill, secretly occupied it with a large force. John's troops soon approached, and strove, by burning Rochester bridge and occupying the left bank of the way, to cut off Fitzwalter from his London confederates. ”

“ Langton entered Trinity College, Oxford, in 1757, at the age of sixteen. [46] The Doctor, who [176] had known him about three years, followed his career at the university with interest, writing to Langton’s tutor, then “dear Tom Warton,” just appointed to the professorship of poetry held by his father, and afterwards poet-laureate: “I see your pupil: his mind is as exalted as his stature,” and to Langton’s self the sweet generality: “I love, dear sir, to think of you.” He even paid his Freshman a visit, and swam sportively across a dangerous pool in the Isis, in the teeth of his warning ”

“ It follows that Langton must have found the thing out somewhere. I don't say for certain that he found it in a manuscript in the college library. I only say that, considering all the circumstances of the case, he's more likely to have found it there than anywhere else. That may not strike you as a very good hypothesis; but unless you have a better one to propose, it seems to me quite good enough to go on with. ”

“ It was not so much that his associates were below his own capacity—for Langton, though sensible and well bred, was not highly talented or refined—but that he lived without any steady purpose, that he had no one to attract him to his home, that he too easily allow'd himself to be tempted—which caused his life to be, of late, one continued scene of dissatisfaction. ”

“ He wrote, in 1760, a little book of essays entitled Rustics, which never got beyond the passivity of manuscript. The year before, under the date of July 28th, Langton contributed to the pages of The Idler the paper numbered 67 and entitled A Scholar’s Journal. It is a pleasant study of procrastination and of shifting plans, a gentle bit of humor to be ranked as autobiographic. There is an indorsement of Montrose in its heroic advice to “risk the certainty of little for the chance of much.” But Langton’s [183] graceful academic pen was not destined to a public career. ”

“ How much did Langton know, and what was the extent of the knowledge of that friend of his, the specialist in diseases of the throat and nose?
For a few moments I sat in silence, longing for the return of the bogus Professor, the man whom I had followed through Edinburgh and Glasgow, yet who had so very cleverly escaped my vigilance.
I was anxious to meet him, and to see what kind of man he could be. As an impostor he was, it seemed, shameless and bold beyond human credence. ”

“ Stephen Langton is, no doubt, a good and honest man, as times go, and eager enough for the public weal. But he is heart and soul with Fitzwalter and De Vesci, and is either dictating their measures or doing their bidding. In neither case, credit me, will he ever again admit the king to London, save as the slave or tool of the confederates; and I see clearly that John has pride enough left never to come on such terms. ”

“ OF GOLDEN WALTER AND HIS FATHER
Awhile ago there was a young man dwelling in a great and goodly city by the sea which had to name Langton on Holm. He was but of five and twenty winters, a fair-faced man, yellow-haired, tall and strong; rather wiser than foolisher than young men are mostly wont; a valiant youth, and a kind; not of many words but courteous of speech; no roisterer, nought masterful, but peaceable and knowing how to forbear: in a fray a perilous foe, and a trusty war-fellow. ”