A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Langdon, William
LANGDON. (Lieut., 1811. f-p., 10; h-p., 33.)
William Langdon was born 6 Nov. 1790, at Montacute Vicarage, co. Somerset.
This officer entered the Navy, 13 April, 1804, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Weymouth 44, Capt. John Draper, and after serving for a year and a half, the chief part of the time as Midshipman, on the East India and Brazilian stations, removed, in April, 1806, to the Monarch 74, Capts. John Clarke Searle and Rich. Lee. On 15 of the following July we find him employed with a detachment of boats at the cutting out, in face of a desperate and well-concerted resistance, at the entrance of the river Gironde, of the French corvette Le César, mounting 16 guns, with a complement of 86 men, who, with a loss to themselves of 14 killed and wounded, occasioned the British one altogether of 9 killed and 39 wounded. He was also, on 25 Sept. in the same year, present at the capture, by a squadron under Sir Sam. Hood, of four heavy French frigates off Rochefort; on which occasion the Monarch enacted a very conspicuous part, compelled La Minerve, of 44 guns and 650 men, to surrender, and experienced a total loss of 4 killed and 25 wounded. In the Champion 24, Capts. Jas. Coutts Crawford and Robt. Henderson, to which vessel he removed in Aug. 1807, Mr. Langdon came frequently into contact with the batteries on the coast of France, and contributed to the capture of a French privateer near St. Maloes. Removing, as Master’s Mate, in Jan. 1810, to the Badger 10, Capt. John Lampen Manley, he served for 14 months in that vessel in the North Sea and in the rivers Elbe, Ems, and Weser. In Aug. 1811, after he had been for five months borne as a Supernumerary on the books of the Dragon 74, bearing the flag in the West Indies of Sir Fras. Laforey, he became Acting-Lieutenant of the Ringdove 18, Capt. Wm. Dowers – to which vessel he was confirmed by commission dated 29 of the ensuing Oct. He invalided in May, 1812, and was lastly, from the next Oct. until Sept. 1814, employed in the Bermdda 10, Capts. Jas. John Gordon Bremer and Wm. Wolrige, on the Downs station (where he was often in action with the Boulogne batteries, and assisted in making several captures), and also off Gottenborg and the north coast of Sweden.
Lieut. Langdon married Anne, daughter of Wm. Elliott, Esq., of co. Somerset, by whom, who died 20 May, 1844, he has issue an only child, Anne Elliott, now the wife of Sir Thos. Howland Roberts, Bart., of Brightfieldstown, co. Cork. Agents – Pettet and Newton.