Georgian Cabinet Makers c. 1700-1800

A new and revised edition

 by

Ralph Edwards and Margaret Joudain

MCMLV

LESSER-KNOWN AND MINOR CABINET-MAKERS

PETER LANGLOIS

Worked in England,

circa 1760—70

THE first recorded reference to this maker occurs in the accounts for refurnishing Woburn Abbey for the third Duke of Bedford, a payment to him of /378. 8s. ‘for a large inlaid com­mode table’ being entered in December 1760.1 Langlois’ name also occurs in the Description of Horace Walpole’s villa at Strawberry Hill, where on the writing table in the breakfast-room was ‘an inlaid writing box by Langlois. Walpole bought from him in 1763 ‘two commodes and two coins’ (encoignures) for the gallery. On March 21 of that year Caroline, first Lady Holland, writes from London to her sister, Emily, Countess of Kildare, about a present of furniture for a third sister, Lady Louisa Connolly, ‘I hear she like L’Anglay’s inlaid things very much, and I should wish to send her something that might suit some of her rooms, whether commode table, bureau or coins, which to be sure one might vulgarly call corner cupboards; but really they are lovely and finish a room so well. I have two beauties in the salon at Holland House’.2 The first Duchess of Northumberland notes in her memorandum book the purchase of ‘a table inlaid wood by Langlois’, which is probably one of the card tables with inlaid tops at Syon House.3 George Montague writes to Horace Walpole on March 12, 1766: ‘I will take my corporal oath that three parts of the japan you gave Langlois to make into commodes is still there, and so will Mr. Chute. He carried me to see his things, and there it was flowing about the rooms in panells and on the staircase; ‘tis a burning shame.’ In his trade card Langlois gives his address as Tottenham Court Road and states that he ‘makes all sorts of fine cabinets and commodes made and inlaid in the politest manner with brass and tortoiseshell, and likewise all rich ornamental clock cases and inlaid work mended with great care. Branch chandeliers and lanthorns in brass at the lowest prices The advertisement is printed in French and English, indicating that he sought to obtain a market in the country of his origin (Plate 227).

Peter Langlois, it is stated in Mortimer’s Universal Director (1763), ‘performs all sorts of curious inlaid work, particularly commodes in the foreign taste, inlaid with tortoiseshell, brass, etc.’ This notice shows that, like Gerreit Jensen (q.v.) at an earlier date he worked in a metal technique based on the practice of Andre Charles Boulle. He is possibly the Pierre— Eloi Langlois (1735—1803), who became a maitre-menusier in 1773 and apparently worked in Paris for the remainder of his life.3

1 Family Background, G. Scott Thomson, 1949, p. 53.

2 Correspondence of Emily, Duchess of Leinster, edited by Brian Fitzgerald, Irish MSS. Commission, Vol. I,

‘949.

 There is a pair of inlaid pier tables and a set of painted and gilt furniture, c. 1770 and certainly by the same maker, at Audley End.

 See also F. de Salverte, Les Ehe’nistes du XVIIIe Siecle, 1934.

About

I am working towards an MA by Research in History at the University of Leeds .
My thesis is about Charles Horneck aka "The Military Macaroni" but my research uinto family history goes back over ten years.

I have decided to share my ideas about two London families - the Haarnacks and the Hornecks which have captured my imagination.

Although entirely unconnected (except by a similar surname) these two studies of family history have provided an excellent opportunity to to explore the history of London and Londoners in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. I have separated the the strands into two blogs:
moirabonnington's posterous and
The Military Macaroni. .

Charles Horneck was the son of Kane William Horneck and Hannah Triggs of Plymouth. His great grandfather was the cleric and scholar, Anthony Horneck and his grandfather the soldier William Horneck. Both men were buried in Westminster Abbey.

Although referred to scathingly as a “ little lilly macaroni” in his youth, Charles Horneck appears to have had a distinguished army career reaching the rank of General by the time of his death in 1804 yet no obituary recording his life has been found.

Charles Horneck was educated at Westminster School and bought a commission as Ensign in the Third 3rd Footguards in 1768 . Based at St James barracks, the Guards had a reputation for parading in the nearby park in their finery and enjoying the attractions of London – frequenting the“ nunneries” of St James, the Pantheon, Vauxhall Gardens and Covent Garden. They were the subject of mockery and doubt was thrown on their masculinity, sexual preferences and general conduct. Charles Horneck had developed foppish tastes in clothing and made the acquaintance of the cross dressing French diplomat and spy - The Chevalier D'Eon. He dined with the Chevalier and his associates - Morande and Beaumarchais - and attended masquerades at the Pantheon . For some reason young Horneck was not popular and he attracted the attention of the satirical press as the the subject of two caricatures in the Darly macaroni print series and an article in the satirical press in the early 1770s.

In May 1773, Horneck married Sarah Keppel, the natural daughter of George, the deceased third Earl of Albemarle but the marriage was very shortlived. Mrs eloped with her husband's friend and fellow officer John Scawen less than a year after the wedding. The couple toured extensively on the continent and Horneck eventually petitioned for divorce in 1776.

Afterwards he continued to keep "unsuitable" company and became embroiled in the speculation over the sexual identity of the Chevalier D'Eon. After suffering similar insults about his own masculinity, he eventually challenged his accuser De Morande to a duel. Shortly after this matter was settled, Horneck embarked for America with his regiment .

I am still piecing together his adventures in the American War of Independence.

Horneck surrendered at Yorktown and returned to England. Snippets of evidence show him attending coffee houses and clubs, visiting Bath and even participating in amateur dramatics.

Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Horneck of the 3rd Regiment of Foot Guards exchanged regiments with Campbell of the 62nd Regiment of Foot on 5 June 1789. and two years later me married the daughter of General Gould - Frances Gould in Bath.

I have found reports of service in the West Indies and service in St Domingue and Corsica. During this latter period of his career , he served in some significant crisis spots often holding the fort in an isolated outpost with just a handful of men.By the end of his life Horneck was a sturdy establishment figure and he appears to have shaken off the macaroni image at last. His life was so colourful and event ful that it serves too illustrate many aspects of the life of a man of middling sorts in the Georgian era.

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