Widow Elizabeth Langaigne

Registered enslaved people in St George, Grenada, 1817-1826; in 1829 enslaved people registered by her agent. Deceased by 31/12/1832, her heir was her son Louis Felix Langaine who had died himself by 31/07/1834. The family had broad links to slavery; Elizabeth Mandilhon's aunt Catherine Elizabeth Mandilhon claimed compensation for 1 enslaved people (q.v), her sister Charlotte for 17 enslaved people (q.v.), and her uncles Rene, Philip and Philibert Mandilhon had an interest for the Point a Pierre Plaisance estate in Trinidad and claimed compensation for 59 enslaved workers.

Elizabeth Mandilhon married Louis Alexandre Langaine (1760-c1800), son of Joseph Langaine as evidenced in Louis's will. He registered his will in 1790 and 22/09/1799 and it appears that his last will and testament was made on 21/11/1800. It is likely he died shortly after this last will was made. In this will he acknowledged his wife Rene Elizabeth Mandilhon and their two sons Louis Felix Langaine and Charles Marie Langaine. Charles was the son of Joseph Langaigne and Marie Mandhilhon who may well have been related to Elizabeth.

In 1816, Charles Langaine registered two enslaved people, Louis Langoire and Jean Joseph, as owner in Trinidad. Both Louis Langoire and Jean Joseph were given as "Creole of Grenada." In the 1828 register, Elizabeth Langaigne registered that she had "acquired" Louis Langoire, but it's not clear where he was in the intervening period. (Jean Joseph was recorded as purchased by Daniel Reid and had been moved to Mayfield estate in Trinidad by 1819.) Charles Langaigne has not been identified after 1816, suggesting he may have died by the time of the slave register of 1817.

Charles's wife, that he referred to in his will, Rene Elizabeth Mandilhon, shared a family name with Louis’s mother, Marie Ignace Mandilhon. It is likely that they were related.

On 24/08/1819, Widow Elizabeth Langaigne entered a record of an indenture she made on 19/07/1819 as the widow and sole acting executor in the last will and testament of her husband Louis Alexander Langaine. Their sons Louis Philip and Charles Marie Langaine are named in the will as legatees. The indenture is between them and a John Bond from England as the sole acting executor of the merchant Thomas Bond from Lancaster. Note the indenture was signed by Felix Langaine and not Louis Philip Langaine, as the former was probably the name he was known by. A sum of 10 shillings was paid to each of them for the plantation at Bellvue Estate in St David. An area covering 180 acres, one Rood and 5 perches of land. These were sold and conveyed to Thomas Rawlinson, by Thomas Bond and John Proctor. Sales included the enslaved workers, cattle and horses.

On 20/07/1819, the family group entered an indenture with Jean Baptiste Gouzague(?) DeJean, a planter from St Lucia and John Bond again referring to a mortgage she had with husband Louis Alexandre Langaine on 23/12/1790 relating to Bellevue and Hampstead Hill plantations, enslaved workers, and livestock. This indenture confirms Louis Alexandre’s death on 25/09/1999. Rene Elizabeth and Lasource Mandilhon, her uncle, are listed as executors.

Rene Elizabeth proved her father's will on 1/11/1800.

T71/310 pp. 91-93; T71/334 pp. 55-57.

T71/501 p. 410; T71/514 p. 426; T 71/508 315 v - 316.

We are grateful to Stephen Lewis for his assistance with compiling this entry.