Author: Langhorne, John
Biography:
LANGHORNE, John (1735-79: ODNB)
Born at Winton in Westmorland, he was the younger son of Isabel and Joseph Langhorne; both he and his brother William became clergymen like their father. He attended Appleby Grammar School and began his working life as a private tutor at 18--at which point he also began writing poetry and contributing to periodicals. He took deacon's orders, spent a short time at Cambridge, but left the university without a degree to take up his first curacy in 1761. Between 1761 and 1768 he wrote about 300 reviews for the Monthly Review and was appointed to preaching positions in London parishes. In 1766 he became rector of Blagdon in Somerset. He married twice but both wives died young, in childbirth, in 1768 and 1776 respectively. With his brother William, who also published poems and sermons (but the poetry appeared before 1770), he translated Plutarch's Lives . . . with Notes (6 vols 1770). His poetry had admirers in his day but his translations, which included Milton's Italian poems, have proven more durable. He died at Blagdon and is buried there. (ODNB 9 Sept. 2019) HJ
Other Names:
- Langhorne
- Mr. Langhorne
- Dr. Langhorne