John Langworth (bef. 1545 - bef. 1613)

Born before 28 Feb 1545 in Chaddesley Corbett, Worcestershire, England

Husband of Frances (Finch) Langworth — married 28 Feb 1587 in Ospringe, Kent, England

Descendants

Died before 13 Jan 1613 at about age 67 in Canterbury, Kent, England

Biography

John Langworth was born in Worcestershire, England.

John was born about 1545, the son of Lancelot Langworth Esquire of Kertlebury in Worcestershire, England. The Esquire after his fathers name indicates Lancelot was a Knights Shield Bearer and in due course may be knighted himself, ranking just below the Gentry. Kertlebury is not easily found on current maps in Worcestershire, the probability is its a transcription error that refers to Hartlebury in Worcs. England. A record of a baptism that occurred on the 28th February 1545 in Chaddesly Corbett, Worcestershire, England which is four miles from Hartlebury does not name his parents. ^[1]

Although John started his education at Cambridge it was at its rival Oxford where he gained his BA, MA and then Bachelor of Divinity. ^[2] John's education culminated in his being assigned as a Doctor of Divinity, so appearing to be distinctly religious. England was a Catholic nation under the rule of Henry VII (1485-1509) and during much of Henry VIII's (1509-1547) reign. Church services were held in Latin. When Henry VIII came to the throne, he was a devout Catholic and defended the Church against Protestants. The Bible was translated into English in 1539. However, towards the end of his reign, Henry passed the Six Articles (1539) which meant the Church remained Catholic. Protestants who denied the Catholic faith were persecuted and even burned. But when Henry declared himself Supreme Head of the Church in England in 1533, following the Pope's refusal to sanction his divorce from Katherine of Aragon, that decision initiated the Reformation of English religion.

Dr John Langworth was the Rector at Buxtead in Sussex in 1571. Clergy had only been allowed to marry since 1548. On the 7th February 1581 a marriage occurred in St Cosmus and Damian in Blean, Kent between John Langworth and a widow named Sybil Symes both from Blean. The Church is unusual being only one of four in Britain dedicated to these Saints. In the domesday book there are a number of homesteads around the Church but after the "black death" or plague the village relocated further afield.^[3]

On the 28th February 1587 in the St Peter and Paul's Church in Ospringe John married Frances (maiden name Finch) Greenstreet, a widow, daughter of John Finch from the Manor of Sandhurst, Faversham. One can infer, one, that Sybil died prior to 1587 and two, that John had a certain appeal to widows. ^[4] Although Johns role in the Church was initiated in Worcester, he became Archdeacon of Wells in Kent in 1614.^[5] This information was also recorded in the 1619 records in the Visitations of Kent that named their children as Thomas, Mary who married Richard Hawkins, who had been born in 1581. He was the son of Sir Thomas Hawkins (1548 – 1617) of Nash Court in Boughton under Blean, Anna, (Anna married William Hildesley of Oxfordshire), Helena born in the 1590s. According to the record of the Kent Visitation of 1619, she was the fourth daughter of John and Frances Langworth, born after Mary and Ann but before Martha. She is described in the record as ‘Helena p’mo nupta Nathaniel Spurrett civis Londiniensis’. (so the wife of Nathaniel Spurrett who married on 21st October 1611 in the church of St Botolph, Aldgate,)

There is some conjecture about the Doctor of Divinity's religIous followings with some gossip regarding his papist leanings. His works of religious sonnets are alluded to.

3. JOHN LANGWORTH, S. T. P. educated in New college, Oxford, being the son of Lancelot Langworth, esq. of Kertlebury, in Worcestershire, was next installed in this prebend in 1578, and in 1579 was likewise promoted to a stall in the church of Worcester, and became archdeacon of Wells in 1588. He died in 1613, and was buried in Canterbury cathedral on January 13, that year. (fn. 21) (https://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol12/pp55-108#fnn21) STP Meaning in Religion - Study, Teach, Pray / Serenity, Tranquility, and Peace

John Langworth died in 1613 and was buried in Canterbury Cathedral on 13th January, 1613-4. ^[6] His will, proved January 22, 1613, is in the Prerog. off. Canterbury. Willis's Cath. vol. i. p. 668.

Research

A Dr John Langworth from ^[7] John Langworth was born in 1547. He matriculated at St John’s College, Cambridge in 1566, the same year as his brother Adam, but in the previous (Easter) term. He graduated B.A. in 1567-8, M.A. 1572 and B.D. (Bachelor of Divinity) in 1577-8. John was a Fellow of St John’s in 1568. At some point he moved to Oxford University where he was incorporated in 1572 and graduated D.D. (Doctor of Divinity) in 1579. At Oxford John attended Hart Hall, the forerunner of present-day Hertford College.

Search- John Langworth in the following in October 2021 (https://ia600202.us.archive.org/11/items/p1alumnicantabri03univuoft/p1alumnicantabri03univuoft.pdf) Alumni cantabrigienses; a biographical list of all known students, graduates and holders of office at the University of Cambridge, from the earliest times to 1900; by University of Cambridge; Venn, John, 1834-1923; Venn, J. A. (John Archibald), b. 1883

Journals Publication Model (https://academic.oup.com/journals/pages/open_access/funder_policies/chorus/standard_publication_model ) 5 Langworth held several ecclesiastical posts at Worcester Cathedral, and later Canterbury Cathedral. He is also cited as University preacher of Oxford in 1577

TIMELINE

1625 Accession of King Charles I

1642 English Civil War begins

1649 Execution of King Charles I

1660 Restoration of monarchy under King Charles II

1665 Great Plague

1666 Great Fire of London

1685 Accession of King James II

1688 King James II deposed by William of Orange

An unmarried child named Margaret Langhworths buried in Staffordshire in 1651 is probably kin. ^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ Name: Jhon Langworth Sex: Male Christening Date: 28 Feb 1545 Place: Chaddesley Corbett, Worcester, England Digital Folder Number: 008005421 Microfilm Number: 435231 Originating System: ODM Indexing Batch: C04007-2 "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NYKP-9Y2 : 10 April 2021), Jhon Langworth, 1545.
2. ↑ (https://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol12/pp55-108) Listed as a Canon in the second prebend "3. JOHN LANGWORTH, S. T. P. educated in New college, Oxford, being the son of Lancelot Langworth, esq. of Kertlebury, in Worcestershire, was next installed in this prebend in 1578, and in 1579 was likewise promoted to a stall in the church of Worcester, and became archdeacon of Wells in 1588. He died in 1613, and was buried in Canterbury cathedral on January 13, that year. (fn. 21)"
3. ↑ (https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=GBPRS%2FEASTKENT%2FMAR%2F023952%2F1) Accessed 20 October 2021: First name(s) John Last name Langworth Residence Blean Year 1581 Marriage date 07 Feb 1581 Marriage place Blean, Ss Cosmus & Damian Spouse's first name(s) Sybil Spouse's last name Symes Spouse's marital status Widow Spouse's residence Blean County Kent Country England Archive Canterbury Cathedral Archives Record set Kent Marriages And Banns Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records Subcategory Parish Marriages Collections from England, Great Britain
4. ↑ Findmypast.co.Uk: as referenced. Accessed 20thOctober2021 First name(s) John Last name Langworth Residence Ospringe Year 1587 Marriage date 28 Feb 1587 Marriage place Ospringe, Ss Peter & Paul Spouse's first name(s) Fran Spouse's last name Greenstreet Spouse's marital status Widow Spouse's residence Ospringe Notes D.D. County Kent Country England Archive Canterbury Cathedral Archives Record set Kent Marriages And Banns Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records Subcategory Parish Marriages Collections from England, Great Britain
   • Find My Past Subscription needed: Accessed 20 October 2021 Transcript Noted (https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=GBPRS%2FEASTKENT%2FMAR%2F023953%2F1)
5. ↑ (https://www.ourfamtree.org/records/rectors.php?denom=&first=&last=langworth&dt=&otherrole=&state=England&county=Kent&place=Canterbury&btn=Search) from the Alumni cantabrigienses; a biographical list of all known students, graduates and holders of office at the University of Cambridge, from the earliest times to 1900: accessed 20 October 2021
6. ↑ "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4KDB-VD6Z : 5 August 2020), John Langworth, ; Burial, Canterbury, City of Canterbury, Kent, England, Canterbury Cathedral; citing record ID 204079961, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.
7. ↑ (https://recusantsandrenegades.wordpress.com/2014/11/06/looking-for-the-langworths/) Recusants and renegades ~ faith, family and resistance in early modern England.
8. ↑ Name: Langhworths Sex: M Household Role Sex Age Birthplace Margaret Langhworths Child U Langhworths Wife F Langhworths U Digital Folder Number: 101093228 Microfilm Number: 101093228 Image Number: 00284 Citing this Record "England, Staffordshire, Church Records, 1538-1944," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QL7C-V17L : 8 July 2020), null in entry for Margaret Langhworths, 8 Jun 1651; citing Burial, Lichfield, Staffordshire, England, Staffordshire & Stoke on Trent Archive Service, Stafford; FHL microfilm 101,093,228.

• https://www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/research/monumental-inscriptions/wilmington

'= Acknowledgement = This profile has been improved by a member of the England Project's Orphan Trail