Tonge of Tonge, Co. Pal. Lanc.; Worksop Park, Co. Notts; and London.

London Visitation, 1633-34

By William Asheton Tonge

In March 1895, a query of mine appeared in Notts and Derbyshire Notes and Queries with respect to the Lancashire ancestry of German Tonge, who signed the above pedigree in 1634.  Quite recently I have come across "reasonable proofs" that the direct male line from the above-mentioned German did not terminate with the death of German Tonge in 1649, although that would be the natural conclusion one would arrive at on perusal of the pedigree, as the only sons therein mentioned are stated to have died "without issue.

The Registers of St. Vedast, Foster Lane, London; Merchant Taylors' School Register; and the Admons. at Somerset House, however, furnish proof to the contrary.

The St. Vedast Registers contain the following:

• Bap. 1635, Aug 23, Francis s. German Tonge
• Bap. 1636, Nov 18, German s. German Tonge
• Bap. 1638, Jan 7, John s. German Tonge
• Bap. 1639, Dec 22, Thomas s. German Tonge

Merchant Taylors' School Register.

Admission

• Oct 1644. Francis Tonge, eld. son of German, merchant taylor, b. in Foster's par. 17 Aug., 1635
• Oct 1644. German Tonge, second son of the same, b. in same par. 12 Nov., 1636
• 1645. John Tong, third son of German, merchant taylor, b. in Foster's par. 28 Dec., 1637
• 1647.  Thomas Tonge, fourth son of German, merchant taylor, b. in foster's par. 22 Dec., 1639

[Note.- The above issue was not in existence in 1633-34, the date of the London Visitation.]

The following entries in the Worksop Registers confirm portions of this pedigree:

• Burd. Feb 25 1630, Judith w. Thomas Tong
• Burd. May 17, 1644, Thomas Tonge.
• Burd. Aug 15, 1646, Francis Tonge.
• Marrd. Aug 17, 1623, Francis Tonge & Elizabeth Hawcke
• Bapt. May 14, 1691, Mary, d. Gervase Tongue
• Bapt Oct 6, 1693, Jane, d. Gervase Tongue
• Burd. 1705, Mary w. Gervas Tonge, Sep 4, Aff. 5

The following marriage may afford some clue to the parentage of Elizabeth Hawcke:

• Nov 13, 1594.  Thomas Hauck & Elsabeth Hodgskin

[In 1614 Thomas Haucke was one of the churchwardens.]

Armorial bearings of "Tonge of Lancashire" or of Lancashire origin, according to memoranda sent me March 6, 1888, by Mr. Bellasis, Lancaster Herald (the official Visitations only), are as follows:

C. 24, 407.  London Visitation, 1633-34, of Tong, co. Lanc.; Worksop, Notts; and London.  Arms, crest, and descent [4 and sig.]

C. 37, 143.  Lancashire Visitations, 1664, of Tong and Middleton descent (4) "Respite given for shewing and proving the Arms," certified by Jonathan Tonge.

As regards the respite Mr. Bellasis wrote me: "No further visitations took place and no proof is noted as ever given.  The words 'no proof made', however, do not appear [as is usual in these respites] ...the arms question is in suspense.  It is open for any descendents to prove the descent of that line from other Tonges legally bearing arms.  Until this is done, it cannot be really assumed that the branch is entitled."

Burke'd Landed Gentry, third edition, 1858, contains the following:

Tonge of Highway [Co. Wilts].

Lineage.- Henry Tonge, a merchant of Bristol, descended from a Lancaster family which claims for its patriach one of the companions of the Conqueror.

In conclusion, I append a more exhaustive and extended pedigree of the London Visitation of 1633-34, handed in by German Tonge, the additions printed in italics, and should be much obliged if any of you correspondents could give me a clue to the identification of the first item in the pedigree- viz., "Francis Tong of Tong, co. Pal., Lanc.,", and inform me whether any descendents of this branch are still existent.  With reference to a suggested Warwickshire residence of "Thomas Tong of Worksop," a branch of the Tonges flourised in the above county in the sixteenth century, as per the following wills:

Prer. Court of Canterbury [35 Holgrave.]

 

Dated 2 July , 1505

Proved 23 Aug., 1505 - George Tonge [place not given]

 

[Inter alia] To be buried in the Church of St. John's, where my Lord Kendal lies buried, and if not to be bur. in St. John's Church by my sister Isabel

 

To the White Friars in Coventry, 10s

To my brother, Sir John Tonge (?) priest

To my brother, Sir William Tonge (?) priest

To my father, John Tonge.

To my mother, Katherine

Exors.- Dame Margery my wife, father John Tonge, and Henry Smyth of Coventry

Witness [inter alios] Sir Wm. Cheston, priest

 

Prer. Ct. of Canterbury [32 Woodhall]

 

Dated 30 April, 1601

Proved 25 May, 1601 - Peter Tonge of Asteley in County Warwick, Gent.

[A will of great length]

All my messuages, lands, etc., in the parishes of St. Dunstan in the West in Fleet Street and St. Botolph's without Aldersgate in the suburbs of the City of London to Anne, my wife, for her life...

Tenements in the Crown Court in Chancery Lane.

Which said messuage and tenements are situate in TONGE'S ALLEY in Aldersgate.

Tenements in the tenure of John Osborne in Crown Court.

Overseers: Isaack Hopkins of London, tailor, and Wm. Becke als. Betteridge of Asteley, Yeoman.

 

From Coll. Arms [C. 24, 407].  London Visitation, 1633-34, Faringdon Within,

TONGE.

Arms.- Az., a bend or, cottised or, between 6 martlets of the last

Crest.- An arm habited "grey" holding a grappling iron in bend or.

                  Francis Tong =...dau. of ...

                 of Tonge, co. | Cartwright

                               |

                               |

                             Thomas Tong = Judeth, dau.

                             of Worksop, | of ...Heron 

                         co. Nottingham  | of Lincolne.

[Query if living at Polesworth in. co.   | [Buried at

Warwick in 1610, as per following entry  | Worksop Feb

in Apprentice Book of Merchant Taylors'  | 25, 1630,

Company , June 25, 1610 (App. Bk., vol vi| Judith, wife

p89): "Jermin Tonge filius Thomae Tonge  | Thomas Tong.]

de Poulesworth in Com. Warw. Generosi    |

po se apprend Roberto Herne Junier de    |

Cheapside pro septem annis."  Admitted   |

to the Freedom July 29, 1617.]  Query    |

buried at Worksop May 17, 1644           |

                                         |

  ---------------------------------------------------

  |           |           |                       |||

1.Thomas 2.German=Mary Francis Tonge=Elizabeth 4.Cockin

Tong,    Tong, of|dau.      Gent. of|dau. of   5.Joseph

eldest     London|of    Worksop Park|...Hawcke.   Ellen.

son.     Merchant|Tho-  in co. Notts|[Query if

[Query    Taylour|mas   according to|first wife.

if      anno 1634|Pur-   "memoranda"|Information of

ident-       Late|Slow   now at York|Vicar of Worksop

with the   of the|of   dated Aug 26,|in 1889:

following  parish|Stoke         1646|"1630. Ffra Tonge

1612,      of St.|in      citing the|for wife's grave

Jan 18    Gregory|co.   last will of|4s.Cd. (This was a

(App.    near St.|Suf-     the above|payment to the

Bk.,      Paul's,|folk   in which is|churchwardens.  I

vol vi     London|[and     named his|presume this was

p193),     Admon.|sister     brother|the lady referred

Thomas   Aug. 13,|of     "Mr. German|to above.) Although

Tong     1649, to|John    Tonge" [to|I have not verified

filius        his|and    whom Admon.|the above statement

Thomae     relict|Pur-   was granted|I am inclined to

Tong de     Marie|slowe       by the|to think that the

Alciter          |de-      Exchequer|Christian name

in Com.          |ceased    Court of|should be "Thomas",

Warwick          |ante     York Oct.|for wife Judith

Yeoman po se     |Oct 9, 1646]; "his|buried in 1630.

apprend Thome    |1676]        wife"|

Wheateley de     |           Witness|

Budgrow pro novem|     [inter alios]|

annis. Admitted  |    Garvase Tonge;|

to the Freedom   |        married at|

April 16, 1621]  |   Worksop Aug 17,|

                 |   1623; buried at|

                 |   Worksop Aug. 15|

                 | 1646. Admon. Aug.|

                 | 21, 1649 to Marie|

                 |   Tong, relict of|

                 | German Tong, bro-|

                 |   ther of Francis|

                 |     Tonge,late of|

                 |       Workesoppe,|

                 |  deceased, during|

                 |   the minority of|

                 |    Francis Tonge,|

                 |         "Junior",|

                 |        grandchild|

                 |    [neopotis] and|

                 |   and next-of-kin|

                 |  of said Francis,|

                 |          deceased|

                 |                  |

                 |                  |

                 |                 Son ...=...

                 |   ob, ante Aug 21 1649 |

                 |                        |

                 |                    Francis Tonge,

                 |                    junior, heir to

                 |                    his grandfather

                 |

 -----------------------------------

 ||||      |        |       |      |

German  Francis  German   John   Thomas Tonge, born Dec

Tong,   Tonge,   Tonge,   Tong, 22, 1639; bapt; same day

ob.s.p. born     born     born  at St. Vedast's Foster

Thomas  Aug 17   Nov 12   Dec   Lane, London; admitted to

Tong,   1635;    1636;    28    Merchant Taylors' School

ob.s.p. bapt.    bapt.    1637; 1647, as "fourth son of

Mary.   Aug 23   Nov 18   bapt. German Tonge"; ob. ante

Eliza-  1635     1636     Jan 7 Aug. 2, 1672 (a bachelor)

beth.   at St.   at St.   1638  on the high seas in the

        Vedasts, Vedasts, at    ship called the "Royal

        Foster   Foster   St.   James". Admon. Aug. 2,

        Lane,    Lane,    Ved-  1672, to John Purslowe,

        London;  London;  asts, uncle of Thomas Tong;

        admitted admitted Fos-  admon. May 30, 1673, to

        Merchant Merchant ter   Jane Tonge, cousin-german

        Taylors' Taylors' Lane, of Thos. Tonge, of goods

        School,  School,  Lon- left unadm. by John Pur-

        Oct.     Oct.     don;  slowe, his uncle, now

        1644,    1644,    ad-   deceased; admon. Nov 2

        as       as       mit- 1674, to Thos. Purslow,

        "eldest  "second  ted  uncle and next-of-kin;

        son of   son of   to    admon. Oct. 9, 1676, to

        German   German   Mer-  Jane Tonge, cousin-german

        Tonge,   Tonge,   chant of goods left unadm. by

        Merchant Merchant Tay-  his uncle Thos. Purslowe,

        Taylor." Taylor." lor's now also deceased.

                          Sch-

                          ool

                          1645 as

                         "third son of

                           German Tonge"