Longworth was born to unassuming (and therefore unnameable) parents in New Jersey in 1783. Longworth had an unremarkable childhood and did little until his early teens. At the age of 14 Longworth became horrifically intoxicated and visited a soothsayer who told young Longworth to head west to make his fortune...oh, and to swear allegiance to Satan. As she pointed out, it never hurts to hedge one's bets.