Sir John Jennings

Rear Admiral Sir John Jennings was buried in the centre part of the north transept of Westminster Abbey, but his gravestone inscription has now worn away. Charles James Fox was buried next to him. The inscription was recorded in an early 19th century book:

The Hon. Rear-Admiral Sir John Jennings, Governor of Greenwich Hospital, he died December 23 1743 aged 79

He was one of many children of Philip Jennings and his wife Christina (Eyton) of Dudleston Hall in Shropshire. In 1687 he entered the navy and was made a Captain in 1689. He served on the North American station and in the Mediterranean with Sir Clowdisley Shovell. In 1704 he was knighted for gallantry at the battle of Malaga against the French and the following year he was made a Rear Admiral and became Member of Parliament for Queenborough in Kent. Returning to sea he was commander in chief in the Mediterranean. In 1717 he married Alice Breton and they had a son George (died 1790). He was appointed Ranger of Greenwich Park and Governor of the Hospital for sailors there in 1720. He supervised Wren's plans for the new hospital and donated a statue of George II for the quadrangle.

Further reading

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 2004