Barak Longmate (1738 – 23 July 1793) was an English

genealogist Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinsh ...

and editor, heraldic engraver and publisher.

Life and work

Longmate was born in 1738, son of Barak and Elizabeth Longmate of

St James's St James's is a central district in the City of Westminster, London, forming part of the West End. In the 17th century the area developed as a residential location for the British aristocracy, and around the 19th century was the focus of the de ...

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. He

engraved Engraving is the practice of incising a design onto a hard, usually flat surface by cutting grooves into it with a burin. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an in ...

some topographical drawings, but was more distinguished as an

heraldic Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branc ...

engraver (a branch of bright cut engraving). He died on 23 July 1793 in Noel Street,

Soho Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century. The area was develop ...

, and was buried on the 27th of that month in

St Marylebone Parish Church St Marylebone Parish Church is an Anglican church on the Marylebone Road in London. It was built to the designs of Thomas Hardwick in 1813–17. The present site is the third used by the parish for its church. The first was further south, near Ox ...

's churchyard. He had a son Barak by his wife Elizabeth (d. 1781). His small but valuable library, and a large collection of heraldic manuscripts, were auctioned off at

Sotheby's Sotheby's () is a British-founded American multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, and ...

on 10 March 1794, realising just over £235—considered not a great sum. The only known copy of the catalogue is preserved in the

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the British ...

. Longmate published an edition (the fifth) of Collins' ''Peerage'' (8 vols. 8vo, London, 1779), and a 'Supplement' in 1784. Of this work he left materials for a new edition. He also edited the 'Pocket Peerage of England, Scotland, and Ireland,' (12mo, London, 1788, new edition, 1790). For Sir Richard Sullivan's ''Thoughts on the Early Ages of the Irish Nation and History'', (4to, 1789), he engraved an elaborate genealogical plate, entitled 'A Genealogical History of the Family of O'Sullivan More from Duach Donn, monarch of Ireland. Anno Mundi 912.' which he regarded as his masterpiece (Martin, 'Cat. of Privately Printed Books', p. 105). William Sharp (1749–1824) and

John Swaine John Swaine (26 June 1775 – 25 November 1860), was an English draughtsman and engraver. Life and work Swaine was born at Stanwell, Middlesex, on 26 June 1775, the son of John and Margaret Swaine, and became a pupil first of Jacob Schnebbelie ...

(1775–1860) were both pupils of Longmate.

Barak Longmate the younger

His son, Barak Longmate (1768–1836), born in 1768, succeeded his father in his profession and as editor of the ''Pocket Peerage'', of which he issued an edition in two duodecimo volumes in 1813; but the increased success of

Debrett's Debrett's () is a British professional coaching company, publisher and authority on etiquette and behaviour, founded in 1769 with the publication of the first edition of ''The New Peerage''. The company takes its name from its founder, John Deb ...

''Peerage'' badly affected sales. He was a good draughtsman, and well skilled in heraldry, and was of much assistance to John Nichols and other

antiquarian An antiquarian or antiquary () is an fan (person), aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifact (archaeology), artifac ...

s in their topographical labours. About 1801 he made notes respecting the churches in many

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...

parishes, with the view of publishing a continuation of

Ralph Bigland Ralph Bigland (29 January 1712 – 27 March 1784) was an English officer of arms, antiquarian and cheesemaker. He was born at Stepney, Middlesex, and was the only son of Richard Bigland and his wife, Mary. His father was a native of Westmorland, ...

's ''History'' of that county.An original history of the city of Gloucester
Owing, however, to the fire at Nichols' printing-office in 1808, the work was abandoned, and the manuscript was deposited, instead, among the collections of Sir

Thomas Phillipps Sir Thomas Phillipps, 1st Baronet (2 July 1792 – 6 February 1872), was an English antiquary and book collector Book collecting is the collecting of books, including seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, ...

at Middle Hill,

Broadway, Worcestershire Broadway is a large village and civil parish in the Cotswolds, England, with a population of 2,540 at the 2011 census. It is in the far southeast of Worcestershire, close to the Gloucestershire border, midway between Evesham and Moreton-in-Marsh ...

. Longmate the younger died on 25 February 1836.

References

External links

Portrait engravings by Barak Longmate
(National Portrait Gallery). {{DEFAULTSORT:Longmate, Barak 1738 births 1793 deaths 18th-century English businesspeople 18th-century English historians 18th-century engravers 18th-century publishers (people) English engravers English genealogists Publishers (people) from London Burials at St Marylebone Parish Church