The diary of Henry Teonge, chaplain on board H.M.'s ships Assistance, Bristol, and Royal Oak, 1675-1679 / transcribed from the original manuscript and edited with an introduction and notes by G.E. Manwaring.

  • Henry Teonge
Date:
[1927]
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The diary of Henry Teonge, chaplain on board H.M.'s ships Assistance, Bristol, and Royal Oak, 1675-1679 / transcribed from the original manuscript and edited with an introduction and notes by G.E. Manwaring. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    let fall into the sea, sometimes twise, sometimes three severall tymes one after another ; and if the offence be very fowle, he is alsoe drawne under the very keele of the shippe, the which is termed keel-rakinge ; and whilst hee is thus under water a great gunn is given fire unto righte over his head ; the which is done as well to astonish him the more with the thunder thereof, which much troubles him, as to give warning untoe all others to looke out, and to beware by his harms. As for all pettie pilferinges and commissiones of that kind, these are generally punished with the whippe, the offender being to that purpose bound fa£t to the capstan; and the waggery and idleness of shyppe boyes are paid by the Boatswayne with the rodd, and commonlie this execution is done upon the Mondaye morninges, and is soe frequentlie in use that some meere seamen and saylors doe believe in good earnest that they shall never have a fayre wind untill the poore boyes be duelye brought to the cheft; that is, whipped, every Monday morninge.” 23 The French privateers at this period infe&ed the Channel in such a manner that, without any regard to the neutrality of England, they seized her ships, and, as if in open war, made prizes of them. It was this description of enemy that the fleet in which Teonge sailed expe&ed to encounter. During the whole of this year (1675) matter was engaging the serious attention of the Admiralty. [See Navy Records Soc., vol. lvii, pp. 128 jyy.] 24 MS. cittydell. 25 Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, born 1591. When the Parliamentary infantry was surrounded at Lo&withiel, 2nd September, 1644, their Commander, the Earl of Essex, escaped to Plymouth in a small vessel. The incident caused a Royalist journal to make the follow¬ ing pertinent remark : “ Why the rebels voted to live and die with the Earl of Essex, since the Earl hath declared that he will not live and die with them.5’ 26 The western promontory of Plymouth Sound. 27 What would now be called a tender. 28 The Mewftone and Eddyftone are different rocks: the former at the Eaft entrance of the Sound ; the latter where Teonge describes it. 29 MS. lite of. 30 MS. Plimworth. 31 Cape St Vincent. 32 Sic in MS. Teonge, of course, means an hour. 33 Sallee, on W. coa£t of Morocco. The name was frequently used for the Barbary pirates generally. 34 Cape Roca, known to English sailors as the Rock of Lisbon. 35 i.e. As plentiful as. 36 Cales, in the MS.