The Langham Baronets

 This family is descended from WILLIAM, son of Henry de Langham, who held land in Langham, Rutland, during the reign of EDWARD I.

The fourteenth in lineal descent from him was

ALDERMAN SIR JOHN LANGHAM (1584-1671), Knight, Sheriff of London, 1642, who was created a baronet in 1660, designated of Cottesbrooke, Northamptonshire.

The conferral of a baronetcy was as a recompense for his sufferings in the royal cause (having been twice committed to the Tower, with the Lord Mayor and other aldermen, for refusing to publish an act for the abolition of royalty). Sir John, who acquired a large fortune as a turkey merchant, represented the City of London in parliament in 1654, and the borough of Southwark, 1660.

He married Mary, daughter of James Bunce, and was succeeded at his decease by his eldest son,

SIR JAMES LANGHAM, 2nd Baronet (1621-99), who married thrice, but left one daughter only by his first wife Mary, daughter and co-heir of Sir Edward Alston, Knight; namely Mary, wedded to Henry, Earl of Warrington.

Following his decease the title devolved upon his brother,

SIR WILLIAM LANGHAM, 3rd Baronet (c1625-1700), of Walgrave, Sheriff of Northampton, 1672, MP for Northampton, who married thrice, but had issue by his third marriage only (with Martha, daughter of Herbert Hay), a son, his successor,

SIR JOHN LANGHAM, 4th Baronet (c1670-1747), who espoused firstly, Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Sir Thomas Samwell Bt, of Upton, Northamptonshire, and had, with other children,

JAMES &
JOHN, successive baronets;
William, father of JAMES, 7th Baronet.

Sir John married secondly, Maria, eldest daughter of Sir Richard Temple KB, and widow of the Rev Dr West, and had several children.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR JAMES LANGHAM, 5th Baronet (c1696-1749); who died without issue, when the title devolved upon his brother,

SIR JOHN LANGHAM, 6th Baronet (c1698-1766), who transmitted his memory to posterity by placing £6,000 in new South-Sea annuities, in the hands of the Corporation of London, for the purpose of founding a society for the relief of distressed soldiers and sailors, and their families.

Sir John died without issue, when the title devolved upon (the son of his deceased brother, William) his nephew,

SIR JAMES LANGHAM, 7th Baronet (1736-95), High Sheriff of Northamptonshire, 1797, who married firstly, in 1767, Juliana, sister and sole heiress of Thomas Musgrave, of Old Cleve, Somerset, and had, with other issue,

WILLIAM, his successor;

JAMES, 10th Baronet.

Sir James was succeeded by his second son,

SIR WILLIAM LANGHAM, 8th Baronet (1771-1812), High Sheriff of Northamptonshire, 1797, who espoused firstly, 1795, Henrietta Elizabeth Frederica, only daughter and heiress of the Hon Charles Vane, of Mount Ida, Norfolk, and had issue,

WILLIAM HENRY, 9th Baronet;

Henrietta; Charlotte.

He wedded secondly, in 1810, Augusta Priscilla, only daughter of the Hon William Henry Irby, and niece of Lord Boston.

Sir William was succeeded by his only son,

SIR WILLIAM HENRY LANGHAM, 9th Baronet (1796-1812), who died unmarried, and was succeeded by his uncle,

SIR JAMES LANGHAM, 10th Baronet (1776-1833), MP for St Germains, High Sheriff of Northamptonshire, 1816, who married, in 1800, Elizabeth, youngest daughter of Francis Burdett, and sister of Sir Francis Burdett Bt, of Foremark, Derbyshire, by whom he had, with other issue,

JAMES HAY, his successor;

Herbert;

Henrietta.

Sir James was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR JAMES HAY LANGHAM, 11th Baronet (1802-93), who wedded, in 1828, Margaret Emma, eldest daughter of 2nd Baron Kenyon, and dsp 1893, and was succeeded by his nephew,

SIR HERBERT HAY LANGHAM, 12th Baronet (1840-1909), JP DL, who espoused, in 1868, Anna Maria Frances, second daughter of 3rd Baron Sandys, and had issue,

HERBERT CHARLES ARTHUR, his successor;

*Cecily (Rockfield Cottage, Portaferry, County Down).

He was succeeded by his only son,

SIR HERBERT CHARLES ARTHUR LANGHAM, 13th Baronet (1870-1951), JP DL, of Cottesbrooke, Northamptonshire, High Sheriff of County Fermanagh, 1930, who wedded, in 1893, Ethel Sarah, eldest daughter of Sir William Emerson-Tennent, 2nd Baronet, of Tempo Manor, County Fermanagh, and had issue,

JOHN CHARLES PATRICK, his successor.

He was succeeded by his only son,

SIR JOHN CHARLES PATRICK LANGHAM, 14th Baronet (1894-1972), JP DL, of Tempo Manor, who married, in 1930, Rosamond Christabel, younger daughter of Arthur Rashleigh, of Holy Well House, Malvern Wells, Worcestershire, and had issue,

JAMES MICHAEL, his successor.

Sir John was succeeded by his only son,

SIR JAMES MICHAEL LANGHAM, 15th Baronet (1932-2002), TD, of Tempo Manor, Captain, North Irish Horse, who married, in 1959, Marion Ellen Audrey Barratt, daughter of Oswald Horner Barratt, and had issue,

JOHN STEPHEN, his successor;

Rupert William;

Lucinda Jane.

Sir James was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR JOHN STEPHEN LANGHAM, 16th Baronet (1960-), of Tempo Manor, who married, in 1991, Sarah Jane, daughter of John Denis Greene, and has issue,

TYRONE DENIS JAMES, his successor;

Phœbe Tara; Isabella Hay.

*****

SIR CHARLES LANGHAM, 13th Baronet, sold the ancestral seat, Cottesbrooke Park, in 1911.

He married Ethel Tennent in 1893 and they lived at TEMPO MANOR, which his wife had inherited.

The Langhams acquired the Cottesbrooke estate in around 1635-40. They progressed from very humble beginnings in Guilsborough to becoming Lord Mayor of London, accumulating huge wealth trading with Turkey and the Middle East. In 1660, John Langham was sent to Breda in Holland to petition King Charles II to return to England – he was rewarded with a baronetcy.

Langham Place, London, as the short stretch of new road linking Upper Regent Street with Portland Place was known, took its name from Sir James Langham, 10th Baronet, whom Nash secured in 1813 as client for the biggest house to be erected on the surplus Foley House plots that he had set aside for building on.

Former seats ~ Cottesbrooke Hall, Northamptonshire; Glyndebourne, East Sussex; Southend, Essex.

Former London residence ~ Langham House, Portland Place.

First published in April, 2014.