John Larpent

John Larpent (1741–1824) was an English inspector of plays.

Born 14 November 1741, he was the second son of John Larpent (1710–1797), who was forty-three years in the Foreign Office, and twenty-five years chief clerk there. His mother was a daughter of James Payzant of a refugee Norman family. John was educated at Westminster, and entered the foreign office. He was secretary to John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford at the Peace of Paris (1763), and to Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Marquess of Hertford when Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.

In November 1778 he was appointed inspector of plays by the Marquis of Hertford, who was then Lord Chamberlain. He is said to have been strict and careful, and to have left behind him manuscript copies of all the plays submitted to the inspector from 1737 till 1824. He died 18 January 1824.

Larpent married, first, on 14 August 1773, Frances (d. 9 November 1777), eldest daughter of Maximilian Western of Cokethorpe Park, Oxfordshire, and by her he had two sons, the eldest was Francis Seymour Larpent. His second wife, whom he married 25 April 1782, was Anna Margaretta Larpent, elder daughter of Sir James Porter, by Clarissa Catherine, eldest daughter of Elberd, second baron de Hochepied (of the German empire); by her he had two sons, John James and George Gerard de Hochepied Larpent, both of whom, by licence dated 14 June 1819, added the name De Hochepied. On 25 March 1828 the elder son succeeded his mother's brother as seventh Baron de Hochepied, a licence to bear the title in England having been granted 27 September 1819.Anna Margaretta Larpent is known today because of the seventeen volume daily diary that she kept from 1773 to 1830.

 "". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. 

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