Sir William Langhorne, 1st Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir William Langhorne, 1st Baronet (c.
1631 – 26 February 1715) was the Agent
of Madras from January 1670 to 27 January 1678.
, the son of William Langhorne and Mary née Oxenbridge.
Langhorne was born in a well-off family. His uncle Needham Langhorne left behind a vast fortune upon his death in 1673, his favourite property being the manor of Newton Bromswold
in Northamptonshire
. Langhorne was also a distant relation of first President of the United States
George Washington
.
Langhorne's father (also named William) was himself active in the East India Company, and had residences in Hitchin
and in the parish of St Gabriel Fenchurch
in the City of London
.
Langhorne entered
Trinity College
, Cambridge
on 23 October 1649. After taking his degree he became a barrister
with his admission to Gray's Inn
on 6 August 1664 but there is no evidence that he actively practised as a lawyer. Following his father's death he inherited stock in the East India Company, began to make money and was created a Baronet
(in the Baronetage of England) in 1668.
.
under Charles II
withdrew from the Triple Alliance and concluded peace with the French
. Hostilities broke out with the British taking the side of the French against the Dutch
thereby triggering the Third Anglo-Dutch War
.
Hostilities were triggered on the Coromandel Coast
when a French fleet of twelve ships of the newly established French East India Company
commanded by Admiral De La Haye landed with three hundred men along the coast of St Thome
and besieged the town which was under the sovereignty of Golconda
. In July 1672, St Thome was stormed compelling the Sultan of Golconda to approach the British
at Madraspatnam. The factors at Madras, who were Protestants like the Dutch, secretly nourished pro-Dutch and anti-French sympathies. But the alliance that the British had with the French in Europe landed them in a dilemma. William Langhorne, the Agent of Madras, despite his hatred of the French, chose to remain inactive.
In the meantime, a Dutch fleet under Rickloff Van Goens, the Governor-General of Dutch India
, laid siege to St Thome but were unsuccessful. An engagement took place between the Dutch fleet of fourteen ships and a British fleet of ten ships on the 22 August 1673 in which three ships belonging to the British East India Company
were sunk.
The French at St Thome who expected the British to help them against the Dutch were disheartened. They strengthened their fortifications at St Thome and established a new camp at Triplicane
thereby posing a direct threat to the British settlement at Madras. The British held a consultation on 2 February 1674, but before the authorities could come to a conclusion of the proposed course of action, information of the peace concluded between England and Holland reached Fort St George thereby bringing hostilities to an end. The French at St Thome surrendered to the Dutch on 16 August 1674 who in turn handed over the city to the authorities of the Sultan of Golconda thereby bringing the hostilities to an end. Triplicane was liberated in 1672 and made over to the British East India Company at an annual rent of 50 pagodas.
who were regarded as "old friends of the Company" apart from Lingappa, the Naik of Poonamallee
.
. However, as the Qutb Shah was making plans to invade Madras the invasion of the Marathas consumed his attention. Madras was spared from an invasion but restrictions were imposed on trade with the colony. Trade of rice and corn were forbidden and Madras was required to present a thousand hundred yards of cloth along with an increased tribute.
The Company yielded at once and presented Golconda as well as Lingappa Naik in order to appease. The influence that Lingappa wielded increased manifold and he held supreme power between Armaghaum and Bijapur
.
were brought forth against William Langhorne by the Directors of the Company. Major Puckle who was sent to investigate the charges concluded that Langhorne was receiving an annual sum of 20,000 pagodas from an Italian merchant of Fort St George called Casa Verona. Both denied the accusations. Other sources state that he had a private income of £7000 a year, well above the £300 allowed by the Company. However, despite Langhorne's violent protests he was recalled in January 1678 and replaced with Streynsham Master
as the Agent of Madras.
of Charlton, Kent
in 1680. This estate had previously been owned by William Ducie
. In 1707 he also purchased Hampstead
, Middlesex
. His marriage to Grace Chaworth, the Dowager Viscountess Chaworth, a sister of John Manners, 1st Duke of Rutland
made him one of the richest men in England, despite lasting less than year before she died on 15 February 1700. On 16 October 1714 he remarried to one Mary Aston. He died on 26 February 1715 at the age of 85 without leaving behind any direct heirs to his fortune, his baronetcy became extinct on his death. He is buried in Charlton Parish Church.
Of his fortune, his will which was proved
on 8 March 1715, left at least £1600 to be used in a similar manner to Queen Anne's Bounty
, providing increased income to the clergy of poorer benefice
s. His estates were inherited by Sir John Conyers, bt
, his sister's son.
Circa
Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
1631 – 26 February 1715) was the Agent
Governors of Madras
-English Agents:In 1639, the grant of Madras to the English was finalized between the factors of the Masulipatnam factory, represented by Francis Day, and the Raja of Chandragiri. In 1640, Andrew Cogan, the chief of the Masulipatnam factory, made his way to Madras in the company of Francis Day and...
of Madras from January 1670 to 27 January 1678.
Family and early life
William Langhorne was baptised on 26 July 1631 at St Gabriel FenchurchSt Gabriel Fenchurch
St Gabriel Fenchurch was a parish church in the Langbourn Ward of the City of London, destroyed in the Great Fire of London and not rebuilt.-History:The church stood between Rood Lane and Mincing Lane...
, the son of William Langhorne and Mary née Oxenbridge.
Langhorne was born in a well-off family. His uncle Needham Langhorne left behind a vast fortune upon his death in 1673, his favourite property being the manor of Newton Bromswold
Newton Bromswold
Newton Bromswold is a village and civil parish about east of Rushden, just inside Northamptonshire's border with Bedfordshire. At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's population was 62 people in 27 households. It is near the villages of Wymington, Chelveston, Knotting, Knotting Green,...
in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
. Langhorne was also a distant relation of first President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
.
Langhorne's father (also named William) was himself active in the East India Company, and had residences in Hitchin
Hitchin
Hitchin is a town in Hertfordshire, England, with an estimated population of 30,360.-History:Hitchin is first noted as the central place of the Hicce people mentioned in a 7th century document, the Tribal Hidage. The tribal name is Brittonic rather than Old English and derives from *siccā, meaning...
and in the parish of St Gabriel Fenchurch
St Gabriel Fenchurch
St Gabriel Fenchurch was a parish church in the Langbourn Ward of the City of London, destroyed in the Great Fire of London and not rebuilt.-History:The church stood between Rood Lane and Mincing Lane...
in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
.
Langhorne entered
Matriculation
Matriculation, in the broadest sense, means to be registered or added to a list, from the Latin matricula – little list. In Scottish heraldry, for instance, a matriculation is a registration of armorial bearings...
Trinity College
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
on 23 October 1649. After taking his degree he became a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
with his admission to Gray's Inn
Gray's Inn
The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
on 6 August 1664 but there is no evidence that he actively practised as a lawyer. Following his father's death he inherited stock in the East India Company, began to make money and was created a Baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
(in the Baronetage of England) in 1668.
Tenure as Agent of Madras
Langhorne arrived in Madras in 1670 to adjudicate in a dispute. A few months later, he was appointed as the Agent of MadrasGovernors of Madras
-English Agents:In 1639, the grant of Madras to the English was finalized between the factors of the Masulipatnam factory, represented by Francis Day, and the Raja of Chandragiri. In 1640, Andrew Cogan, the chief of the Masulipatnam factory, made his way to Madras in the company of Francis Day and...
.
French siege of St Thome
In 1670, EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
under Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
withdrew from the Triple Alliance and concluded peace with the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Hostilities broke out with the British taking the side of the French against the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
thereby triggering the Third Anglo-Dutch War
Third Anglo-Dutch War
The Third Anglo–Dutch War or Third Dutch War was a military conflict between England and the Dutch Republic lasting from 1672 to 1674. It was part of the larger Franco-Dutch War...
.
Hostilities were triggered on the Coromandel Coast
Coromandel Coast
The Coromandel Coast is the name given to the southeastern coast of the Indian Subcontinent between Cape Comorin and False Divi Point...
when a French fleet of twelve ships of the newly established French East India Company
French East India Company
The French East India Company was a commercial enterprise, founded in 1664 to compete with the British and Dutch East India companies in colonial India....
commanded by Admiral De La Haye landed with three hundred men along the coast of St Thome
Santhome
-History:The word Santhome or San Thome is derived from Saint Thomas, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. The local Christian belief is that the apostle came to India in A.D.52, was martyred in A.D.72 at St.Thomas Mount in the City and was interred in Mylapore. A church was built over his...
and besieged the town which was under the sovereignty of Golconda
Golkonda
Golkonda or Golla konda a ruined city of south-central India and capital of ancient Kingdom of Golkonda , is situated 11 km west of Hyderabad.The most important builder of Golkonda was a Hindu Kakatiya King...
. In July 1672, St Thome was stormed compelling the Sultan of Golconda to approach the British
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
at Madraspatnam. The factors at Madras, who were Protestants like the Dutch, secretly nourished pro-Dutch and anti-French sympathies. But the alliance that the British had with the French in Europe landed them in a dilemma. William Langhorne, the Agent of Madras, despite his hatred of the French, chose to remain inactive.
In the meantime, a Dutch fleet under Rickloff Van Goens, the Governor-General of Dutch India
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
, laid siege to St Thome but were unsuccessful. An engagement took place between the Dutch fleet of fourteen ships and a British fleet of ten ships on the 22 August 1673 in which three ships belonging to the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
were sunk.
The French at St Thome who expected the British to help them against the Dutch were disheartened. They strengthened their fortifications at St Thome and established a new camp at Triplicane
Triplicane
Triplicane also has the famous powerful Ellamman temple in SMV Koil street. A beautiful Sundaramurthy Vinayagar temple is right opposite to the Ellamman Temple....
thereby posing a direct threat to the British settlement at Madras. The British held a consultation on 2 February 1674, but before the authorities could come to a conclusion of the proposed course of action, information of the peace concluded between England and Holland reached Fort St George thereby bringing hostilities to an end. The French at St Thome surrendered to the Dutch on 16 August 1674 who in turn handed over the city to the authorities of the Sultan of Golconda thereby bringing the hostilities to an end. Triplicane was liberated in 1672 and made over to the British East India Company at an annual rent of 50 pagodas.
Payment of tribute
Despite its official existence as an independent entity, the Agency of Madras paid a tribute of 1200 pagodas to Neiknam Khan, the commander-in-chief of Golconda and later, his son Mirza Ibrahim Khan during the whole length of Langhorne's tenure. The Agency also paid an annual tribute to one Madan Pant who was the Prime Minister of Golconda. From 1674 onwards, the Agency also paid a regular tribute to the Naik of Chingleput and PallavaramPallavaram
Pallavapuram Municipality was constituted as a III Grade Municipality on 17.01.1970 vide G.o.No. 55 R.D. & L.A. Department dated 12.01.1970, by Combining the following Town Panchayats and Panchayats.* Zamin Pallavaram Town Panchayat* Issa Pallavaram Town Panchayat...
who were regarded as "old friends of the Company" apart from Lingappa, the Naik of Poonamallee
Poonamallee
Poonamallee is a town in the Poonamallee taluk of the Thiruvallur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu...
.
Hostilities with Golconda
Around this time, Lingappa, the Naik of Poonamallee turned against the British when they refused to pay tribute. He complained to Golconda on the arrogance of the British of Madras exhorting the Qutb Shah of Golconda to invade and capture Fort St GeorgeFort St George
Fort St George is the name of the first English fortress in India, founded in 1639 at the coastal city of Madras, the modern city of Chennai. The construction of the Fort provided the impetus for further settlements and trading activity, in what was originally a no man's land...
. However, as the Qutb Shah was making plans to invade Madras the invasion of the Marathas consumed his attention. Madras was spared from an invasion but restrictions were imposed on trade with the colony. Trade of rice and corn were forbidden and Madras was required to present a thousand hundred yards of cloth along with an increased tribute.
The Company yielded at once and presented Golconda as well as Lingappa Naik in order to appease. The influence that Lingappa wielded increased manifold and he held supreme power between Armaghaum and Bijapur
Bijapur, Karnataka
Bijapur Urdu:بیجاپور city is the district headquarters of Bijapur District of Karnataka state. Bijapur city is well known for its historical monuments of architectural importance built during the rule of Adil Shahi dynasty...
.
Charges of private trade and recall
In 1676, charges of private tradePrivateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
were brought forth against William Langhorne by the Directors of the Company. Major Puckle who was sent to investigate the charges concluded that Langhorne was receiving an annual sum of 20,000 pagodas from an Italian merchant of Fort St George called Casa Verona. Both denied the accusations. Other sources state that he had a private income of £7000 a year, well above the £300 allowed by the Company. However, despite Langhorne's violent protests he was recalled in January 1678 and replaced with Streynsham Master
Streynsham Master
Sir Streynsham Master was one of the 17th century pioneers of the English East India Company. He served as the Agent of Madras from 27 January 1678 to 3 July 1681 and is credited with having introduced the first administrative reforms in the Madras Government.Returning to England, in 1692 he...
as the Agent of Madras.
Later life and death
Langhorne amassed an enormous fortune through private illegal trade carried out during his tenure as the Agent of Madras and through trade with the Levant. Having arrived back in England he purchased the manorManorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Charlton, Kent
Charlton, London
Charlton is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Greenwich. It is located east-southeast of Charing Cross. Charlton next Woolwich was an ancient parish in the county of Kent, which became part of the metropolitan area of London in 1855. It is home to Charlton...
in 1680. This estate had previously been owned by William Ducie
Viscount Downe
Viscount Downe is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Ireland. The first creation came in 1675 for William Ducie. However, the title became extinct on his death in 1679. The second creation came in 1680 for John Dawnay. He had earlier represented Yorkshire and Pontefract in the...
. In 1707 he also purchased Hampstead
Hampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
. His marriage to Grace Chaworth, the Dowager Viscountess Chaworth, a sister of John Manners, 1st Duke of Rutland
John Manners, 1st Duke of Rutland
John Manners, 1st Duke of Rutland and 9th Earl of Rutland was the son of John Manners, 8th Earl of Rutland and Frances Montagu. His maternal grandparents were Sir Edward Montagu, 1st Baron Montagu of Boughton and his wife Elizabeth Jeffries...
made him one of the richest men in England, despite lasting less than year before she died on 15 February 1700. On 16 October 1714 he remarried to one Mary Aston. He died on 26 February 1715 at the age of 85 without leaving behind any direct heirs to his fortune, his baronetcy became extinct on his death. He is buried in Charlton Parish Church.
Of his fortune, his will which was proved
Probate
Probate is the legal process of administering the estate of a deceased person by resolving all claims and distributing the deceased person's property under the valid will. A probate court decides the validity of a testator's will...
on 8 March 1715, left at least £1600 to be used in a similar manner to Queen Anne's Bounty
Queen Anne's Bounty
Queen Anne's Bounty was a fund established in 1704 to augment the incomes of the poorer clergy of the Church of England. The bounty was funded by the tax on the incomes of all Church of England clergy, which was paid to the Pope until the Reformation, and thereafter to the Crown.In 1890, the total...
, providing increased income to the clergy of poorer benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
s. His estates were inherited by Sir John Conyers, bt
Conyers Baronets
The Baronetcy of Conyers of Horden was created in the Baronetage of England on 14 July 1628 for John Conyers of Horden, County Durham.Between 1099 and 1133 the then Bishop of Durham, Ralph Flambard, granted lands at Sockburn, in County Durham and Hutton, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, to a Roger...
, his sister's son.
Legacy
It was during the tenure of Sir William Langhorne that the residency of the Agents of Madras, a garden-house called the Guindy Lodge, was constructed. On India's independence, this became the Raj Bhavan and is the official residence of the Governor of Tamil Nadu. It was also during this time that an Office of Archives was established to maintain the records of the Agency. The Council Room of Fort St George was allocated for this purpose. This later became the Madras Record Office. In 1909, the office was shifted to Egmore and has since become the Tamil Nadu State Archives. The Tamil Nadu State Archives is, therefore, one of the oldest record-keeping offices of the world and certainly the oldest such institution established by the British East India Company.External sources
- Wheeler, J. T. (1861). Madras in the olden time: being a history of the presidency from the first foundation. Madras, Printed for J. Higginbotham by Graves and co.