LANGTON, Dennis (Grimwade p.575 and 756)

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This is the News of the World version of Grimwade.
A tale of slave trading, dodgy financial dealing, crime and adultery.

The marriage of Dennis Langton and Hannah Roberts on 8th September 1715 at Saint Vedast Foster Lane And Saint Michael Le Querne, London is recorded by IGI. This is almost certainly his marriage.

There is a reference to him in writings by Capt. George Roberts (fl 1705 —1726) in "The four years voyages of Captain George Robert” by Daniel Defoe and George Roberts.
This starts "In the year of our Lord 1721.. .. .. I made a contract with Mr Dennis Langton, merchant and goldsmith, living at the Wheatsheath in Lombard Street, Mr William Ady, packer.. .. .. and Captain Andrew Scot to go to Virginia to take possession of the sloop Dolphin. His instructions were to proceed from there to the Guinea coast and transport slaves to Virginia or Barbados before loading freight for London”. The infamous triangular run.
It would appear that Dennis Langton had interests in many things including the slave trade.


December 1737 — Middlesex Sessions: Sessions Papers - Justices' Working Documents
King against. Mary, Wife of Dennis Langton
The Bail was put up by Robert Weatherill of High Holborn in the Parish of St. Giles in the Fields in the County of Middx Taylor and Alice Lee of the Grays Inn Lane in the Parish of St. Andrew Holborn, Widow
This almost certainly relates to Mary Mordaunt, his common law wife of whom we will hear more

13 November 1738 - Daily Post reported "Last week was buried in St Mary Overys , Southwark ,the corpse of Mr Denis Langton formerly a noted Goldsmith in Lombard Street , who in the year 1720 was deeply concerned in the Bubbles and made the greatest Noise and Bustle in the Town , excepting John Long, of any man in his position "

2nd November 1738 — Will of Dennis Langton, Citizen and Haberdasher of London dated 6th April 1738 was proved at PCC
It gave a guinea to Mr John Langton of Lombard Street London Goldsmith for a ring, the remainder to Mrs Mary Mordaunt, widow of the parish of St Clement Danes ,who was also named as executrix and who proved the will .No mention whatsoever of any other beneficiaries.

Subsequently Hannah Langton , Dennis Langdon's widow , contested the will but judgement was made in favour of Mary Mordaunt. (sentence PROB 11/698 of 22nd November 1739)
Some details of the lawsuit are in National Archives PROB 18/51/57 Langton v Mordant, concerning the deceased Dennis Langton, citizen and haberdasher of St Luke, Middlesex.
This shows that Langton left two wills, one of 1724 leaving virtually everything to his "Loving and indulging Wife Hannah Langton " and a later will of 1738 leaving virtually everything to Mary Mordaunt.
Hannah Langton claimed that Dennis Langton and Mary Mordaunt "lived together in open adultery for several years before and to the time of the Deceased death and that during such time living together she had several Bastard or base begotten Children born by her and begotten by the said Deceased..."


Grimwade records that Mary Mordaunt petioned (probably as executix of Dennis Langton) for the bankruptcy of Thomas Mouldon in July 1739. Mouldon was an apprentice of Dru Dury who entered a smallworkers mark in 1722. He was made bankrupt in 1734 and again in 1739 as goldsmith of Fleet Street.

[MCB]

The burial record is for St Saviour, Southwark dated 5th November 1738 and endorsed "ringmaker".

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Seems that inaccurate reporting by the newspapers is not new !