Bath, in the early nineteenth century
still a fashionable resort for the wealthy, became home
to a number of refugees from French revolution and the wars
that followed. It had a strong Catholic community, a factor
which would have been of importance to the Langton family who were
devout Catholics. The Langtons took lodgings first in
Westgate Street, then moved to better lodgings at 3 Henry
Street, and finally moved in 1813 to 14 South Parade, a
house which Miguel Theobald bought.
Cadiz, the home of the
Langton family from the early eighteenth century, was a
wealthy and powerful centre of commerce and trade with the
Spanish colonies in South America. During the Peninsular War
(1808-1814), the city remained free of French
control. It was besieged by the French from 5 February 1810
until 24 August 1812, but it could be provisioned from
the sea, where British naval power ensured that ships could
for the most part pass freely.
Waterford, Ireland, was the
location of the 'Poor House', a charitable institution for poor
widows and single women which was founded by Laurence Carew
(Lorenzo Careu), the grandather of Miguel Langton.
Responsibility for funding and administering the Poor
House lay with the Langton family.
A view of South Parade, Bath, by John
Claude Nattes, 1804. The house nearest the river is number
14, where the Langtons lived. (Victoria Art Gallery, Bath and North
East Somerset Council)
A photograph of the house in Cadiz in which the
Langton family used to live. The property is now occupied by a
Regional Government department. (Photograph copyright Bath Record
Office)