LANGTON, STEPHEN, celebrated in the history of the liberties of England, was b. probably in Lincoln or Devonshire, in the early part of the 12th century. He received the chief part of his education in the university of Paris, where he was the fellow-student and friend of Innocent Ill.; and having completed his studies, he rose through succes sive grades to the office of chancellor of the university. After the elevation of Innocent, Langton, having visited Rome, was named to the cardinalate by the pope; and. on occasion of the disputed election to the see of Canterbury, he was recommended to those who had conic to Home on the appeal, and having been elected by them, was consecrated by Innocent himself at Viterbo, June 27, 1207. His appointment, neverthe less, was resisted by king John; and for 6 years, Langton was excluded from the see, to which he was only admitted on the adjustinent, in 1213, of the king's dispute with Inno cent through the legate Pandulf. Sce INNOCENT HI. This reconciliation, however, was but temporary. In the conflict of John with his barons, Langton was a warm partisan of the latter, and his name is the first of the subscribing witnesses of Magna Charm.
When the pope,' acting on the representation of John, and espousing his cause as that of a vassal of the holy see, excommunicated the barons. Langton refused to publish the excommunication, and was in consequence suspended from his functions in 1215. He was restored, however, probably in the following year; and on the accession of Henry III., he was reinstated (1218) in the see of Canterbury. from which time he chiefly occu pied Iffinselc with church reforms till his death, which took place July 9, 1228. Langton was a leariied and successful writer, but his writings arc lost, and the chief trace which he has left in sacred literature is the division of the Bible into chapters, which is ascribed to him. Giraldus Canffirensis (q.v.) dedicated several of his books to Langton.—See Wharton's Anglia, Sacra, vols. i. and ii.; Lingard, vol. ii.; Milman's Latin Christianity, vol. iv.; and Dr. Hook's Lives of the Archbishops of Canterbury, vol. H. 1801.