Thread: Pierre Langlois

I would love some help in trying to locate further information regarding a Pierre Langlois (aka John Peter Langlois) who lived and worked in London, England during the 1750's-1760's. Pierre was my great grandfather x 5. Pierre was/is highly regarded by English and other furniture experts to be one of the leading Ebenistes (French cabinetmakers) who worked in England during the mid 1700's and is credited with introducing into England during the mid 1700's the French style of ornate cabinetmaking. Pierre had a workshop at 39 Tottenham Court, St Pancras, Camden, London. There is much information about Pierre Langlois' furniture on the internet and some of his pieces are at Buckingham Palace, Woburn Abbey, the Fitzwilliam Museum and other places. The furniture is worth a lot of money, but unfortunately he left none of it to his great great grandson (me).

It was between 1750-1760's he attracted the patronage of some of England's foremost patrons, among them the 4th Duke of Bedford, the 6th Earl of Coventry, and Horace Walpole, as well as other members of fashionable society, including the 4th Earl of Cardigan, late Duke of Montagu, Lady Louisa Connolly of Castletown, County Kildare, and her sister, Caroline Lady Holland.

Much useful information can be gleaned from Pierre Langlois' own trade card, a copy of which is preserved in the Heal collection at the British Museum. Half is written in French and half in English. The trade card was the skilful work of Francois-Antoine Aveline who was born in Paris and worked in London (1727-80). The plate measures 9 and 3/16 x 6 and 7/16 inches.

Pierre was married to a 'Tracey' who took over Pierre's rates after his death (burial record St Pancras Parish Church - 10 Feb 1767). This death record is in the name of John Peter Langlois however it is believed to be Pierre Langlois. His wife Tracey Langlois' death record is also located in the St Pancras Parish Church records in 1781 (1 April).

Pierre's children were Marie Francoise Josephine; Jane Alexandra (or Alexandrina) and Peter Daniel and all were married in the St Pancras Parish Church of Camden. Marie married a Dominique Jean (who was a French Guilder and who later took over Pierre's business) in 1765, Jane married a Charles Peret in 1776 and Peter married Sarah Wynn in 1777. All of these records are on ancestry.com. I have also had difficulty in locating any other records of Pierre's children Marie Francoise and Jane Alexandra. I am descended down the line of Peter Daniel Langlois. Virtually all of Peter Daniel's children's records are available on ancesty.com as they were baptised in such places as St Pancras Old Church, Percy Chapel etc. Jane Alexandra I know had one child named Peter Dominic Peret. His baptism record is on Ancestry.com however nothing else is available. Marie Francoise Langlois who married Dominique Jean also had a daughter named Elizabeth Jean.

It is evident that Pierre was either born in France and emigrated to London in the early to mid 1750's or he was born in London of French parents. It is possible that Pierre's wife, 'Tracey' had anglicized her name. If she was born in France, Tracey is not a typical French name. Tracey is the Irish equivalent of Teresa.

Apart from Pierre's trade-card being written in French and English, many of Pierre's trade bills were also written in French. I also have copies of Pierre's insurance policy via the London archives.

Some English furniture experts believe that Pierre may have come from a Langlois family that lived in the cabinet making district of Faubourg St Antoine, Paris in the 1700's, however I do not know. I don't even know if I can access records from this area.

I am unable to access any Paris records that may suggest that Pierre or the French equivalent of John Peter (perhaps Jean Pierre) Langlois was born in Paris, possibly married someone called Tracey in Paris or in fact whether his children were born in Paris or London.

There is no information as to where Pierre Langlois was born or where he was married or where his children were born. I have scoured through thousands of pages of Parish records in and around the Camden and Westminster areas where a few Langlois names appeared with no luck. The name is extremely rare and the only family I have managed to locate in the St Pancras areas between 1750 and 1780 are descendants of Pierre and his son Peter Daniel Langlois. I have not been able to go back the other way. I have checked familysearch.com and there are a few other Langlois names that appear and were born in the Huguenot churches, however there is no suggestion Pierre was of Huguenot stock. Anyway this was according to a researcher who had access to the Huguenot records.

There are other families whose records appear in the churches of St Anne’s Soho, St Clement Danes, St George Hanover Square, however unfortunately these records do not go back further than 1800 at present on Ancestry.com. I am really looking forward to and becoming frustratingly impatient for these records to be made available. The only way I can access these records is to take a trip to London and search them manually. This is an expensive option. I know these families exist as they appear on Familysearch.com. The difficulty is linking them together.

If any person has any useful information, both from a French and English perspective it would be greatly appreciated.

Regards

Michael Langlois