Vice-Admiral Christopher Myngs 1625-1666

On 28th September 1623 [his father] John Myngs Shoemaker and [his mother] Katherine Parr [aged 18] were married.

On or before 22nd November 1625 Vice-Admiral Christopher Myngs was born to John Myngs Shoemaker and Katherine Parr [aged 20] at Manor House, Salthouse. Salthouse certain, Manor House probable. He was baptised at St Nicholas Church, Salthouse on 22nd November 1625.

Around 1657 Vice-Admiral Christopher Myngs [aged 31] and Rebecca m Myngs were married.

Around 1665 Peter Lely [aged 46]. Portrait of Vice-Admiral Christopher Myngs [aged 39]. One of the Flagmen of Lowestoft.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 5th July 1665. So to the office, where all the morning till noon, and so to the 'Change [Map], and thence home to dinner. In the afternoon I abroad to St. James's, and there with Mr. Coventry [aged 37] a good while, and understand how matters are ordered in the fleete: that is, my Lord Sandwich [aged 39] goes Admiral; under him Sir G. Ascue [aged 49], and Sir T. Teddiman; Vice-Admiral, Sir W. Pen [aged 44]; and under him Sir W. Barkeley [aged 26], and Sir Jos. Jordan: Reere-Admiral, Sir Thomas Allen [aged 32]; and under him Sir Christopher Mings [aged 39]¹, and Captain Harman [aged 40]. We talked in general of business of the Navy, among others how he had lately spoken to Sir G. Carteret [aged 55], and professed great resolution of friendship with him and reconciliation, and resolves to make it good as well as he can, though it troubles him, he tells me, that something will come before him wherein he must give him offence, but I do find upon the whole that Mr. Coventry do not listen to these complaints of money with the readiness and resolvedness to remedy that he used to do, and I think if he begins to draw in it is high time for me to do so too.

Note 1. The son of a shoemaker, bred to the sea-service; he rose to the rank of an admiral, and was killed in the fight with the Dutch, June, 1666. B. See post June 10th, 1666.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 18th September 1665. By and by was called a Council of Warr on board, when come Sir W. Pen [aged 44] there, and Sir Christopher Mings [aged 39], Sir Edward Spragg [aged 45], Sir Jos. Jordan, Sir Thomas Teddiman, and Sir Roger Cuttance, and so the necessity of the fleete for victuals, clothes, and money was discoursed, but by the discourse there of all but my Lord, that is to say, the counterfeit grave nonsense of Sir W. Pen and the poor mean discourse of the rest, methinks I saw how the government and management of the greatest business of the three nations is committed to very ordinary heads, saving my Lord, and in effect is only upon him, who is able to do what he pleases with them, they not having the meanest degree of reason to be able to oppose anything that he says, and so I fear it is ordered but like all the rest of the King's publique affayres.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 10th October 1665. So to the office, there to write my letters, and Cocke [aged 48] comes to tell me that Fisher is come to him, and that he doubts not to cajole Fisher and his companion and make them friends with drink and a bribe. This night comes Sir Christopher Mings [aged 39] to towne, and I went to see him, and by and by he being then out of the town comes to see me. He is newly come from Court, and carries direction for the making a show of getting out the fleete again to go fight the Dutch, but that it will end in a fleete of 20 good sayling frigates to go to the Northward or Southward, and that will be all. I enquired, but he would not be to know that he had heard any thing at Oxford about the business of the prize goods, which I did suspect, but he being gone, anon comes Cocke and tells me that he hath been with him a great while, and that he finds him sullen and speaking very high what disrespect he had received of my Lord, saying that he hath walked 3 or 4 hours together at that Earle's cabbin door for audience and could not be received, which, if true, I am sorry for. He tells me that Sir G. Ascue [aged 49] says, that he did from the beginning declare against these [prize] goods, and would not receive his dividend; and that he and Sir W. Pen [aged 44] are at odds about it, and that he fears Mings hath been doing ill offices to my Lord. I did to-night give my Lord an account of all this, and so home and to bed.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 14th October 1665. Very late writing letters at the office, and much satisfied to hear from Captain Cocke [aged 48] that he had got possession of some of his goods to his own house, and expected to have all to-night. The towne, I hear, is full of talke that there are great differences in the fleete among the great Commanders, and that Mings [aged 39] at Oxford did impeach my Lord of something, I think about these goods, but this is but talke.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 26th October 1665. The 'Change [Map] pretty full, and the town begins to be lively again, though the streets very empty, and most shops shut. So back again I and took boat and called for Sir Christopher Mings [aged 39] at St. Katharine's, who was followed with some ordinary friends, of which, he says, he is proud, and so down to Greenwich, Kent [Map], the wind furious high, and we with our sail up till I made it be taken down. I took him, it being 3 o'clock, to my lodgings and did give him a good dinner and so parted, he being pretty close to me as to any business of the fleete, knowing me to be a servant of my Lord Sandwich's [aged 40].

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 26th October 1665. Up, and, leaving my guests to make themselves ready, I to the office, and thither comes Sir Jer. Smith and Sir Christopher Mings [aged 39] to see me, being just come from Portsmouth, Hampshire [Map] and going down to the Fleete. Here I sat and talked with them a good while and then parted, only Sir Christopher Mings and I together by water to the Tower [Map]; and I find him a very witty well-spoken fellow, and mighty free to tell his parentage, being a shoemaker's son, to whom he is now going, and I to the 'Change [Map], where I hear how the French have taken two and sunk one of our merchant-men in the Streights, and carried the ships to Toulon; so that there is no expectation but we must fall out with them.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 18th March 1666. Thence by coach home and to my chamber about some accounts, and so to bed. Sir Christopher Mings [aged 40] is come home from Hambro without anything done, saving bringing home some pipestaves for us.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 18th April 1666. [Up] and by coach with Sir W. Batten [aged 65] and Sir Thos. Allen [aged 54] to White Hall, and there after attending the Duke [aged 32] as usual and there concluding of many things preparatory to the Prince [aged 46] and Generall's going to sea on Monday next, Sir W. Batten and Sir T. Allen and I to Mr. Lilly's [aged 47], the painter's; and there saw the heads, some finished, and all begun, of the Flaggmen in the late great fight with the Duke of Yorke against the Dutch. The Duke of Yorke hath them done to hang in his chamber, and very finely they are done indeed. Here is the Prince's, Sir G. Askue's [aged 50], Sir Thomas Teddiman's, Sir Christopher Mings [aged 40], Sir Joseph Jordan, Sir William Barkeley [aged 27], Sir Thomas Allen [aged 33], and Captain Harman's [aged 41], as also the Duke of Albemarle's [aged 57]; and will be my Lord Sandwich's [aged 40], Sir W. Pen's [aged 44], and Sir Jeremy Smith's. Being very well satisfied with this sight, and other good pictures hanging in the house, we parted, and I left them, and [to] pass away a little time went to the printed picture seller's in the way thence to the Exchange [Map], and there did see great plenty of fine prints; but did not buy any, only a print of an old pillar in Rome made for a Navall Triumph¹, which for the antiquity of the shape of ships, I buy and keepe.

Note 1. The columna rostrata erected in the Forum to C. Duilius, who obtained a triumph for the first naval victory over the Carthaginians, B.C. 261. Part of the column was discovered in the ruins of the Forum near the Arch of Septimius, and transferred to the Capitol. B.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 6th June 1666. By and by walking a little further, Sir Philip Frowde did meet the Duke [aged 32] with an expresse to Sir W. Coventry [aged 38] (who was by) from Captain Taylor, the Storekeeper at Harwich, Essex [Map], being the narration of Captain Hayward of The Dunkirke; who gives a very serious account, how upon Monday the two fleetes fought all day till seven at night, and then the whole fleete of Dutch did betake themselves to a very plain flight, and never looked back again. That Sir Christopher Mings [aged 40] is wounded in the leg; that the Generall is well. That it is conceived reasonably, that of all the Dutch fleete, which, with what recruits they had, come to one hundred sayle, there is not above fifty got home; and of them, few if any of their flags. And that little Captain Bell, in one of the fire-ships, did at the end of the day fire a ship of 70 guns. We were all so overtaken with this good newes, that the Duke ran with it to the King [aged 36], who was gone to chappell, and there all the Court was in a hubbub, being rejoiced over head and ears in this good newes.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 8th June 1666. Thence to the Exchequer about some Tangier businesses, and then home, where to my very great joy I find Balty [aged 26] come home without any hurt, after the utmost imaginable danger he hath gone through in the Henery, being upon the quarterdeck with Harman [aged 41] all the time; and for which service Harman I heard this day commended most seriously and most eminently by the Duke of Yorke [aged 32]. As also the Duke did do most utmost right to Sir Thomas Teddiman, of whom a scandal was raised, but without cause, he having behaved himself most eminently brave all the whole fight, and to extraordinary great service and purpose, having given Trump himself such a broadside as was hardly ever given to any ship. Mings [aged 40] is shot through the face, and into the shoulder, where the bullet is lodged. Young Holmes' is also ill wounded, and Ather in The Rupert. Balty tells me the case of the Henery; and it was, indeed, most extraordinary sad and desperate.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 10th June 1666. This evening we hear that Sir Christopher Mings [aged 40] is dead of his late wounds; and Sir W. Coventry [aged 38] did commend him to me in a most extraordinary manner. But this day, after three days' trial in vain, and the hazard of the spoiling of the ship in lying till next spring, besides the disgrace of it, newes is brought that the Loyall London is launched at Deptford, Kent [Map]. Having talked thus much with Sir G. Carteret [aged 56] we parted there, and I home by water, taking in my boat with me young Michell and my Betty his wife, meeting them accidentally going to look a boat. I set them down at the Old Swan [Map] and myself, went through bridge to the Tower, and so home, and after supper to bed.