Gov. John Langdon, Signer of the US Constitution

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Langdon

John Langdon (June 26, 1741 – September 18, 1819) was a politician from Portsmouth, New Hampshire and one of the first two United States senators from that state. Langdon was an early supporter of the Revolutionary War and later served in the Continental Congress. After being in Congress for 12 years, including serving as the first president pro tempore of the Senate, Langdon became governor of New Hampshire. He turned down a nomination for vice presidential candidate in 1812, and later retired until his death in 1819.

Langdon served as a member of the First Continental Congress from 1775 to 1776. He resigned in June 1776 to become agent for the Continental forces against the British and superintended the construction of several warships including the Raleigh, the America, and the Ranger, which was captained by John Paul Jones. In 1777, he equipped an expedition against the British, participating in the Battle of Bennington and commanding Langdon's Company of Light Horse Volunteers at Saratoga and in Rhode Island. War ended in 1783.

__________________________________

John Langdon From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John Langdon (June 26, 1741—September 18, 1819) was a politician from New Hampshire and one of the first two United States Senators from that state. Langdon was an early supporter of the American Revolutionary War and later served in the Continental Congress. After being in Congress for 12 years, including serving as the first President pro tempore of the Senate, Langdon became Governor of New Hampshire. He turned down a nomination for Vice Presidential candidate in 1812, and later retired until his death in 1819. Today, Langdon is considered the most important New Hampshire politician in early American history.

Langdon was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. His father was a prosperous farmer and local politician, whose family had emigrated to America before 1660 and was among the first to settle near the mouth of Piscataqua River, a settlement which became Portsmouth, one of New England's major seaports. Langdon attended the local grammar school, run by a veteran of the 1745 siege against the French at Fortress Louisbourg in Canada. After finishing his primary education, Langdon served an apprenticeship as a clerk. He and his older brother, Woodbury, rejected the opportunity to join in their father's successful agricultural pursuits, and went to sea instead, apprenticed themselves to local naval merchants.

By age 22, Langdon was captain of a cargo ship called the Andromache sailing to the West Indies. Four years later he owned his first merchantman, and would continue over time to acquire a small fleet of vessels, engaged in the triangular trade between Portsmouth, the Caribbean, and London. His older brother was even more successful in international trade, and by 1770 both young men were among Portsmouth's wealthiest citizens.

British control of the shipping industries greatly hurt Langdon's business, motivating him to become a vigorous and prominent supporter of the revolutionary movement in the 1770s. He served on the New Hampshire committee of correspondence and a nonimportation committee, and also attended various patriot assemblies. In 1774, he participated in the seizure and confiscation of British munitions from Fort William and Mary.

Langdon served as a member of the First Continental Congress from 1775 to 1776. He resigned in June 1776 to become agent for the Continental forces against the British and superintended the construction of several warships including the Raleigh, the America, and the Ranger which was captained by John Paul Jones. In 1777, he equipped an expedition against the British, participating in the Battle of Bennington and commanding Langdon's Company of Light Horse Volunteers at Saratoga and in Rhode Island.

Langdon was again a member of the Continental Congress in 1787 and became a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1787, serving as a member of the New Hampshire delegation. Langdon was elected to the U.S. Senate and served from March 4, 1789, to March 3, 1801. He was elected the first President pro tempore of the Senate on April 6, 1789, and also served as President pro tempore during the Second Congress.

Langdon later served as a member of the New Hampshire legislature (1801-05), with the last two terms as Speaker; he served as Governor of New Hampshire from 1805-11, with the exception of 1809. Langdon declined the nomination to be a candidate for Vice President in 1812, and later retired. He died in his hometown of Portsmouth in 1819, and was interred at the Langdon Tomb in the North Cemetery.

The town of Langdon, New Hampshire is named after John Langdon.

Sources Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress "The Founding Fathers: New Hampshire." U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.[1] "John Langdon." Soldier-Statesmen of the Constitution. U.S. Army Center of Military History.[2]

http://capecodhistory.us/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I25314&tr...

===========================================================================================================================================

Birth: Jun. 26, 1741 Death: Sep. 18, 1819

US Senator, Governor of New Hampshire, Signer of US Constitution. This native of Portsmouth, New Hampshire became a successful international merchant, acquiring a fleet of ships to conduct business in both London and the Caribbean. Britain's tax policies hurt his shipping business and his colony's economy compelling the businessman to enter politics. He served on several local committees and patriot assemblies designed to monitor British governance and enhance communication between the colonies. In 1774 he led a group of men in confiscating ammunition from a British fort after the King outlawed the exporting of gunpowder and weapons to America. This is considered the first overt act of the Revolutionary movement. From 1775 to 1776 he served in the Continental Congress before resigning to return to New Hampshire to oversee the building of three frigates to be used in the Patriot cause. Although giving up his Congressional seat he remained in public service by serving in the New Hampshire legislature upon his return home. Reportedly in 1777 after a British victory at Ticonderoga the statesman pledged his wealth to help the cash-strapped colony put together an army to defend against a possible enemy invasion. He returned to the Continental Congress in 1787 and soon found himself in Philadelphia as a delegate at the new nation's Constitutional Convention. He supported the proceedings there, seeing the need for a stronger federal government and returned to New Hampshire to work towards the document's ratification. On June 21, 1788 New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify, making the Constitution law. Later that year he was elected to the US Senate. The Senate elected Langdon as its president where in this role he counted the electoral votes of the first national election. He was given the honor of letting George Washington know of his election to the presidency and on April 30, 1789 he administered the oath of office to the nation's first President. He resigned his Senate seat in 1801 and returned to the New Hampshire state legislature serving from 1801 to 1805, before serving six terms as governor during the period spanning 1805 to 1811. In 1812 he refused the Republican nomination for Vice-President of the US choosing instead to retire from public service. Seven years later he died in his hometown of Portsmouth. (bio by: Bigwoo)

Burial: North Cemetery Portsmouth Rockingham County New Hampshire, USA GPS (lat/lon): 43.07803, -70.76308

Maintained by: Find A Grave Record added: Mar 15, 1999 Find A Grave Memorial# 4710 http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=4710