Gerard Langbaine the elder was born in 1609 in Westmorland, and in 1625 came to the Queen's College, Oxford, where he was successively bateller, servitor, tabarder, fellow (1633), and provost (1646). In 1644 he was elected Keeper of the Archives. Although a staunch Royalist he managed to retain his provostship until his death on 10 February 1658, which was caused by 'an extreme cold taken sitting in the University Library'. He must be distinguished from his younger son of the same name, the dramatic biographer and critic who lived from 1656 to 1692.

Langbaine wrote many valuable catalogues, lists, and volumes of excerpts relating to Bodleian manuscripts, chiefly in 1654-5, and much of his work was printed in the Old Catalogue of 1697. Further details are given in the Dictionary of National Biography.