Henry Teonge
Encyclopedia
Henry Teonge was an English cleric and Royal Navy
chaplain who kept informative diaries of voyages he made in 1675–76 and 1678–79.
, Warwickshire. He was educated at Warwick School
and at Christ's College, Cambridge
, receiving his B. A. in 1643. He became rector of Alcester
, Warwickshire, some time between 1648 and 1654, adding to it the adjacent living of Spernall in 1670, but not resigning Alcester until 1675. By this time he had a wife, Jane, three sons and a daughter to support, and his youngest son, Henry, was at Christ's College, Cambridge. It was almost certainly debts that made him take the surprising decision at the age of 55 to look for a chaplaincy posting in the Royal Navy.
The account of the first voyage begins with him in London and describes his difficulty in finding enough money to buy bedding to take on board the Assistance. Teonge relates that he "gott a good summ of monys" from that voyage (a total of about £75), but he was back at sea again after an interval of two years. In 1679 he returned to Spernall for the last eleven years of his life. Duty in Spernall was done in his absences by his son Henry—ordained in 1673 and rector of nearby Coughton from 1675 until his death in 1682. Teonge lost his wife in the same year, married again to Penelope Hunt in 1686, and died at Spernall on 21 March 1690. His will, made a few months before, valued his possessions at £66.
, including a raid on a fleet of Barbary corsairs
at Tripoli
in 1675, under the command of Sir John Narborough
. The risk posed to shipping by the "Tripolines" is a recurrent theme in the account of the first voyage.
Teonge seems to have taken to naval life with boyish enthusiasm, especially the drinking and eating. He preached on Sunday whenever possible — the diary gives his text but little else about each sermon. He describes the various routines on board ship, including striking or dipping flags
and the gun salutes, of which he kept a close count: "At 10 we salute the town (Tangier) with nine guns; they give us eleven, which makes us wonder; we give five; they give as many; and we give five more."
The account of the first voyage (from June 1, 1675 to November 16, 1676) includes extended descriptions of the defences at Malta
, of Cyprus
, and of a trip he took on horseback from İskenderun
(Skandaroon in the diary) to Aleppo
. The topographical information in the diary is largely confirmed, for instance, by the more famous account of George Sandys
. Teonge includes several extempore verses and songs of his own. His ship, the Assistance
(a 555-ton ship of the line
built in 1650 and commanded by Captain William Houlding) eventually limped home leaking badly: "Friday, the 17th of November, we are paid off at Deptford
, where we leave the rottenest frigate that ever came to England." Teonge dated the fair copy of his account July 25th, 1678.
with his ship, the Bristol
(547 tons, built in 1653, commanded by Captain Antony Langston, whom he already knew and liked), by which time he had only 6d. in his pocket. He had earned by his first voyage £57 for his groats (4d. per lunar month for every man on board) and a net £17 8s. 6d. in pay at the rate for an ordinary seaman.
Things did not go so well on the second voyage. Teonge had hoped the Bristol would be sent back to Virginia
, from where she had come. Instead, after a short trip ferrying soldiers to Ostend
, she was ordered to the West Mediterranean, where the "Algerine" Barbary corsairs of Algiers
, were being as troublesome as the Tripolines of two years before. There was an unpleasant incident when a volunteer, Lord Mordaunt, sought to preach a sermon in Teonge's place: "I found the zealous Lord with our Captain, whom I did so handle in a smart and short discourse that he went out of the cabin in great wrath." Later the captain confined the master of the ship to his cabin for insubordination. There was an exchange of commands in Port Mahon
, Minorca
, when Teonge followed Langston onto the 64-gun Royal Oak
(1107 tons, built in 1674, wartime complement 390). There were some pleasant meetings with old shipmates, as the Assistance was in port as well. But by then, deaths aboard the Royal Oak were becoming frequent, and on March 19, 1678 Captain Langston himself died in Alicante
Roads. By the time the Royal Oak reached England at the end of May 1679, the lives of over 60 crew had been lost, and on May 30, "we sent to shore [at Dover] thirty-two sick men—pitiful creatures." Teonge received his pay on June 22, but had to wait for his groats until Michaelmas
(September 29).
in 1699-1700 and whose uncle had property in Spernall. It was not published until 1825. The manuscript then disappeared, which prompted allegations that it was a forgery, but it re-emerged at a Sotheby's
auction in London in 1918. The 1927 scholarly edition edited by G. E. Manwaring under the eye of series editors Edward Denison Ross
and Eileen Power
has an informative introduction and notes. It was reprinted in 2005.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
chaplain who kept informative diaries of voyages he made in 1675–76 and 1678–79.
Life
Teonge was the son of George Teonge, rector of Wolverton in 1619-62, and his wife Dorothy, daughter of Henry Nicholls of SouthamSoutham
Southam is a small market town in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England. The 2001 census recorded a population of 6,509 in the town.The nearest sizeable town to Southam is Leamington Spa, located roughly 7 miles to the west...
, Warwickshire. He was educated at Warwick School
Warwick School
Warwick School is an independent school with boarding facilities for boys in Warwick, England, and is reputed to be the third-oldest surviving school in the country after King's School, Canterbury and St Peter's School, York; and the oldest boy's school in England...
and at Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
, receiving his B. A. in 1643. He became rector of Alcester
Alcester
Alcester is an old market town of Roman origin at the junction of the River Alne and River Arrow in Warwickshire, England. It is situated approximately west of Stratford-upon-Avon, and 8 miles south of Redditch, close to the Worcestershire border...
, Warwickshire, some time between 1648 and 1654, adding to it the adjacent living of Spernall in 1670, but not resigning Alcester until 1675. By this time he had a wife, Jane, three sons and a daughter to support, and his youngest son, Henry, was at Christ's College, Cambridge. It was almost certainly debts that made him take the surprising decision at the age of 55 to look for a chaplaincy posting in the Royal Navy.
The account of the first voyage begins with him in London and describes his difficulty in finding enough money to buy bedding to take on board the Assistance. Teonge relates that he "gott a good summ of monys" from that voyage (a total of about £75), but he was back at sea again after an interval of two years. In 1679 he returned to Spernall for the last eleven years of his life. Duty in Spernall was done in his absences by his son Henry—ordained in 1673 and rector of nearby Coughton from 1675 until his death in 1682. Teonge lost his wife in the same year, married again to Penelope Hunt in 1686, and died at Spernall on 21 March 1690. His will, made a few months before, valued his possessions at £66.
First voyage
The diary provides lively reports of two voyages to the Mediterranean and the LevantLevant
The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
, including a raid on a fleet of Barbary corsairs
Barbary corsairs
The Barbary Corsairs, sometimes called Ottoman Corsairs or Barbary Pirates, were pirates and privateers who operated from North Africa, based primarily in the ports of Tunis, Tripoli and Algiers. This area was known in Europe as the Barbary Coast, a term derived from the name of its Berber...
at Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
in 1675, under the command of Sir John Narborough
John Narborough
Rear-Admiral Sir John Narborough or Narbrough was an English naval commander of the 17th century. He served with distinction during the Anglo-Dutch Wars and against the Barbary Coast pirates.-Early life:...
. The risk posed to shipping by the "Tripolines" is a recurrent theme in the account of the first voyage.
Teonge seems to have taken to naval life with boyish enthusiasm, especially the drinking and eating. He preached on Sunday whenever possible — the diary gives his text but little else about each sermon. He describes the various routines on board ship, including striking or dipping flags
Striking the colors
Striking the colors is the universally recognized indication of surrender, particularly for ships at sea. Surrender is dated from the time the ensign is struck.-In international law:# "Colors. A national flag . The colors . ....
and the gun salutes, of which he kept a close count: "At 10 we salute the town (Tangier) with nine guns; they give us eleven, which makes us wonder; we give five; they give as many; and we give five more."
The account of the first voyage (from June 1, 1675 to November 16, 1676) includes extended descriptions of the defences at Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, of Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, and of a trip he took on horseback from İskenderun
Iskenderun
İskenderun is a city and urban district in the province of Hatay on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. The current mayor is Yusuf Hamit Civelek .-Names:...
(Skandaroon in the diary) to Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
. The topographical information in the diary is largely confirmed, for instance, by the more famous account of George Sandys
George Sandys
George Sandys was an English traveller, colonist and poet.-Life:He was born in Bishopsthorpe, the seventh and youngest son of Edwin Sandys, archbishop of York. He studied at St Mary Hall, Oxford, but took no degree...
. Teonge includes several extempore verses and songs of his own. His ship, the Assistance
HMS Assistance (1650)
HMS Assistance was a 40-gun fourth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy, originally built for the navy of the Commonwealth of England at Deptford, and launched in 1650. By 1677 her armament had been increased to 48 guns....
(a 555-ton ship of the line
Ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
built in 1650 and commanded by Captain William Houlding) eventually limped home leaking badly: "Friday, the 17th of November, we are paid off at Deptford
Deptford
Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...
, where we leave the rottenest frigate that ever came to England." Teonge dated the fair copy of his account July 25th, 1678.
Second voyage
Teonge was kept waiting in London and Warwickshire for orders to make a second voyage, which eventually came on April 11, 1678. However, it was not until May 2 that he caught up at GravesendGravesend, Kent
Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, on the south bank of the Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. It is the administrative town of the Borough of Gravesham and, because of its geographical position, has always had an important role to play in the history and communications of this part of...
with his ship, the Bristol
HMS Bristol (1653)
HMS Bristol was a 44-gun fourth-rate frigate of the English Royal Navy, originally built for the navy of the Commonwealth of England at Portsmouth, and launched in 1653. She was the first ship of the Royal Navy to bear this name. By 1677 her armament had been increased to 48 guns...
(547 tons, built in 1653, commanded by Captain Antony Langston, whom he already knew and liked), by which time he had only 6d. in his pocket. He had earned by his first voyage £57 for his groats (4d. per lunar month for every man on board) and a net £17 8s. 6d. in pay at the rate for an ordinary seaman.
Things did not go so well on the second voyage. Teonge had hoped the Bristol would be sent back to Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, from where she had come. Instead, after a short trip ferrying soldiers to Ostend
Ostend
Ostend is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke , Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast....
, she was ordered to the West Mediterranean, where the "Algerine" Barbary corsairs of Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
, were being as troublesome as the Tripolines of two years before. There was an unpleasant incident when a volunteer, Lord Mordaunt, sought to preach a sermon in Teonge's place: "I found the zealous Lord with our Captain, whom I did so handle in a smart and short discourse that he went out of the cabin in great wrath." Later the captain confined the master of the ship to his cabin for insubordination. There was an exchange of commands in Port Mahon
Mahon
Mahón is a municipality and the capital city of the Balearic Island of Minorca , located in the eastern part of the island. Mahon has the second deepest natural harbor in the world: 5 km long and up to 900m. wide...
, Minorca
Minorca
Min Orca or Menorca is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. It takes its name from being smaller than the nearby island of Majorca....
, when Teonge followed Langston onto the 64-gun Royal Oak
HMS Royal Oak (1674)
HMS Royal Oak was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by Jonas Shish at Deptford and launched in 1674. She was one of only three Royal Navy ships to be equipped with the Rupertinoe naval gun...
(1107 tons, built in 1674, wartime complement 390). There were some pleasant meetings with old shipmates, as the Assistance was in port as well. But by then, deaths aboard the Royal Oak were becoming frequent, and on March 19, 1678 Captain Langston himself died in Alicante
Alicante
Alicante or Alacant is a city in Spain, the capital of the province of Alicante and of the comarca of Alacantí, in the south of the Valencian Community. It is also a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city of Alicante proper was 334,418, estimated , ranking as the second-largest...
Roads. By the time the Royal Oak reached England at the end of May 1679, the lives of over 60 crew had been lost, and on May 30, "we sent to shore [at Dover] thirty-two sick men—pitiful creatures." Teonge received his pay on June 22, but had to wait for his groats until Michaelmas
Michaelmas
Michaelmas, the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel is a day in the Western Christian calendar which occurs on 29 September...
(September 29).
Manuscript and editions
The diary passed after Teonge's death to a certain John Holyoake, probably the man of that name who was mayor of WarwickWarwick
Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England. The town lies upon the River Avon, south of Coventry and just west of Leamington Spa and Whitnash with which it is conjoined. As of the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 23,350...
in 1699-1700 and whose uncle had property in Spernall. It was not published until 1825. The manuscript then disappeared, which prompted allegations that it was a forgery, but it re-emerged at a Sotheby's
Sotheby's
Sotheby's is the world's fourth oldest auction house in continuous operation.-History:The oldest auction house in operation is the Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674, the second oldest is Göteborgs Auktionsverk founded in 1681 and third oldest being founded in 1731, all Swedish...
auction in London in 1918. The 1927 scholarly edition edited by G. E. Manwaring under the eye of series editors Edward Denison Ross
Edward Denison Ross
Sir Edward Denison Ross was an Orientalist and one of the world's foremost linguists, specializing in languages of the Far East. He could read 49 languages, and speak 30 of them. He was director of the British Information Bureau for the Near East. Along with Eileen Power, he wrote and edited a...
and Eileen Power
Eileen Power
Eileen Edna LePoer Power was an important British economic historian and medievalist. Eileen Power was the eldest daughter of a stockbroker and was born at Altrincham in 1889. She was a sister of Rhoda Power, the children's writer and broadcaster...
has an informative introduction and notes. It was reprinted in 2005.