▁spent ▁his ▁early ▁years , ▁and ▁later ▁at ▁Br istol ▁C athedral ▁and ▁Arm agh ▁C athedral . ▁He ▁also ▁composed ▁church ▁music . ▁ ▁Early ▁career ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Ex eter ▁in ▁ 1 7 2 9 , ▁son ▁of ▁Charles ▁Lang don ▁and ▁a ▁grand son ▁of ▁Tob ias ▁Lang don ▁( 1 6 8 3 – 1 7 1 2 ), ▁Vic ar ▁ch oral ▁of ▁Ex eter ▁C athedral . ▁In ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 7 3 8 , ▁Richard ▁became ▁a ▁ch or ister ▁at ▁Ex eter ▁C athedral ▁and ▁retained ▁this ▁until ▁spring ▁ 1 7 4 8 ; ▁by ▁then ▁he ▁had ▁become ▁a ▁secondary . ▁Sub - chan ter ▁John ▁H icks ▁was ▁ordered ▁to ▁teach ▁Richard ▁the ▁organ ▁on ▁ 1 ▁December ▁ 1 7 4 4 . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 6 ▁June ▁ 1 7 5 3 , ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁as ▁Vic ar ▁ch oral ▁of ▁Ex eter ▁C athedral ▁following ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁former ▁organ ist ▁John ▁Sil v ester ; ▁soon ▁after , ▁on ▁ 2 3 ▁June , ▁was ▁also ▁appointed ▁the ▁c athedral ' s ▁organ ist . ▁Lang don ' s ▁early ▁career ▁was ▁marked ▁without ▁compla ints ▁over ▁him ▁or ▁his ▁compet ence ▁and ▁he ▁taught ▁writing ▁and ▁arithmetic ▁to ▁the ▁ch or ister s . ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 7 5 7 ▁to ▁ 1 7 6 9 , ▁large ▁sums ▁of ▁money ▁were ▁paid ▁to ▁Richard ▁for ▁subscri ptions ▁to