Gerard Langbaine was an English dramatic biographer and critic, best known for his An Account of the English Dramatic Poets, the earliest work to give biographical and critical information on the playwrights of English Renaissance theatre.
Background
He is sometimes called Junior or the Younger to distinguish him from his father (1609-1658) of the same name, a Doctor of Divinity who was Provost of Queens College, Oxford (1646-1658) and Keeper of the University Archives. The younger Langbaine was born in the parish of Saint Peter-in-the-East, Oxford. His father"s second son, he was apprenticed to a bookseller in Saint Paul"s Churchyard in London, but was sent to University after his older brother William died in 1672.
Education
He was educated at University College, Oxford, married, and settled in the neighborhood of Oxford.
Career
In 1690 he acquired a post at the University, as "yeoman bedel in arts," and in the following year was promoted to "esquire bedel of law and architypographus." (In his post as "architypographus" or printer, he issued an Appendix to the University Catalogue of Graduates)
Langbaine"s widow Mary remarried after his death, to a Review
