106) to have belonged to "a very respectable family in the county of Hertford," a statement probably due to some confusion with Sir John Jennings, who does not appear to have any relation.
Le Neve, who may have had a personal reason, has noted him, though doubtfully, as a younger brother of Sir Robert Jennings of Ripon (Pedigrees of the Knights, Harl.
He still commanded the Ruby in the four-days' fight of 1–4 June 1666, after which he was moved into the Lion, and in her took part in the action of July 25.
Jennens, afterwards, was appointed to the Sapphire, and in the disastrous summer of 1667, had charge of a division of the small vessels together for the defense of the Thames.
Pepys implies that he was a man of dissolute and profane life,[1] and speaks of him as "a proud, idle fellow," whom he suspected of malpractices (ib.
In 1670, Jennens commanded the Princess, in which he conducted a convoy to the Mediterranean, and on his return was imprisoned in the Marshalsea, "only", as he wrote, "for having his wife on board some part of the late voyage, which was no prejudice to the service" (State Papers, Dom.
The Duke of York would seem to have condoned the offence, and in 1673, Jennens commanded the Victory in the several engagements between Prince Rupert and De Ruyter.
On 5 September 1688, he was, notwithstanding, appointed to the Rupert, which was still fitting out in October, but was probably one of the fleet with Lord Dartmouth in November (cf.
Charnock says "he condescended to become third captain to a French admiral;" and an intercepted letter to another traitor speaks of him as "one of their admirals" (Alice Teate to her husband, Matthew Teate, July 16, enclosed in Killigrew's letter of 18 July, in Home Office Records, Admiralty, vol.