a celebrated seaman, traveller, and poet, the third son of Andrew
a celebrated seaman, traveller, and poet, the third son of Andrew Mennes,
esq. of Sandwich in Kent, was born there March 1, 159S.
He was educated at Corpus Christ! college, Oxford, where
he distinguished himself by his literary acquirements; and
afterwards became a great traveller, and well skilled in
naval architecture. In the reign of James I. he had a place
in the Navy-office, and by Charles i. was appointed its
comptroller. In the subsequent troubles he took an active
part, both military and naval, in favour of his royal master: and being a vice-admiral, in 1641 was knighted at
Dover. In 1642, he commanded the Rainbow: but was
afterwards displaced from his services at sea for his loyalty,
and was implicated in the Kentish insurrection in favour
of the king in 1648. After the Restoration he was made
governor of Dover-castle, and chief comptroller of the
navy, which he retained till his death. In 1661 he was appointed commander of the Henry, and received a commission to act as vice-admiral and commander in chief of
his majesty’s fleet in the North Seas. He died Feb. 18,
1670-1, at the Navy-office in Seething-lane, London,
with the character of an honest, stout, generous, and religious man, whose company had always been delightful to
the ingenious and witty. He was buried in the church of
St. Olave, Hart-street, where a monument and inscription
were erected over his grave, and are there still. Wood
says he was the author of a poem entitled “Epsom Wells,
”
and several other poems scattered in other men’s works.
What can with most certainty be attributed to him are
contained in a volume entitled “Musarum Deliciae, or the
Muses Recreation,
” second edit. Sir John got
him an ambling nag,
” &c. was written by Mennes. The
poems in this volume are the joint compositions of sir John
Mennes and Dr. James Smith.