Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Langley, Henry
LANGLEY, HENRY (1611–1679), puritan divine, born in 1611, was son of Thomas Langley, a shoemaker, of Abingdon, Berkshire. He was elected a chorister of Magdalen College, Oxford, in 1627, and on 6 Nov. 1629 matriculated from Pembroke College, of which he subsequently became fellow, graduating B.A. in 1632, and proceeding M.A. in 1635, B.D. in 1648, and D.D. in 1649. He is doubtless the Henry Langley, M.A., appointed rector of St. Mary, Newington, Surrey, by a parliamentary order of 20 June 1643. By a parliamentary order of 10 Sept. 1646 he was named one of the seven presbyterian ministers chosen to 'prepare the way' for the reformation of the university by the parliamentary visitors, and was authorised to preach in any church in Oxford he might choose for the purpose of winning the loyal scholars' submission to the parliamentary innovations. On the death, on 10 July 1647, of Thomas Clayton, master of Pembroke, the fellows elected Henry Wightwick to the vacant post, but their choice was overruled by the parliament. Langley was nominated on 26 Aug. 1647, and his appointment was confirmed by the parliamentary visitors on 8 Oct. following. He became a delegate to the visitors on 30 Sept. in the same year, served as one of the twenty delegates appointed by the proctors (19 May 1648) to answer and act in all things pertaining to the public good of the university, and on 5 July following was constituted member of the committee appointed for the examination of candidates for fellowships, scholarships, &c. He was nominated a canon of Christ Church by a parliamentary order of 2 March 1648, and held this dignity with the mastership of Pembroke till his ejection at the Restoration, when he retired to Tubney, near Abingdon, and according to Wood 'took sojourners (fanatick's sons) into his house ... taught them logic and philosophy, and admitted them to degrees.' It is said that on the appearance in March 1671–2 of the 'declaration of indulgence' to dissenters, he was chosen with three others to continue a course of preaching within the city of Oxford, in direct opposition to the will of the university authorities. Wood says that he was a constant preacher at Tom Pun's house in Broken Hayes. He died on or about 10 Sept. 1679, and was buried in St. Helen's Church, Abingdon.
[Wood's Athenæ Oxon. ed. Bliss, iv. 10, 592; Wood's Fasti Oxon. ed. Bliss, pt. ii. pp. 113, 157; Wood's Life and Times, ed. Clark (Oxf. Hist. Soc.), i. 130 aqq., ii. 1 sqq.; Foster's Alumni Oxonienaes, 1st ser. iii. 373; Bloxam's Magd. Coll. Reg. i. 38; Burrows's Reg. Oxf. Visitors, pp. 4, 6, 102, 141; Lords' Journals, viii. 486, ix. 387, 407. x. 87; Commons' Journals, iii. 135, v. 277, 284; Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1660–1, pp. 85, 174; Hist. MSS. Comm. 6th Rep. p. 192; Egerton MS. (Brit. Mus.) 2618, fol. 83.]