Hide
hide
Hide

Transcript

of

Rev. Duke Yonge [Obituary]

Trans. Devon Assoc., 1882, Vol XIV, p. 121.

by

Rev. W. Harpley, (Ed.).

Prepared by Michael Steer

The Yonge family had become established at Puslinch where James Yonge 1679-1745 married Mary Upton the last survivor of the Upton's of Puslinch. This marriage was a symbol of and the cause of the family's rise to the world of English gentry. That James Yonge was the son of Dr James Yonge a noted Plymouth surgeon and doctor of his day who wrote a fascinating journal about his life, published some 60 years ago. Members of the family still live in the area and the Puslinch branch is treated as the senior branch of the family now although the family is spread all over the English speaking world in The United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The article, from a copy of a rare and much sought-after journal can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.

The Rev. Duke Yonge, rector of Newton Ferrers, died at his residence, Puslinch, during the night of Friday, 7th October, 1881, after a brief illness. Mr. Duke Yonge succeeded his father in the rectory of Newton Ferrers in 1877, and gained the love and esteem of all with whom he came in contact, by the gentleness of his disposition and his kindness to the poor. He was well known in Plymouth for the great interest he took in the charitable institutions of the town. He was a regular attendant at the annual meetings of most of them, and in the management of several he took part as a member of committee. Mr. Duke Yonge succeeded his father - the Rev. John Yonge -  in the manor of Puslinch, as well as in the living of Newton Ferrers. The manor originally passed, in 1709, by marriage, into the hands of his ancestor, James Yonge, M.D., of Plymouth. The Rev. John Yonge, his father, was inducted in 1813, and at the time of his death, in 1877, was the oldest incumbent in the diocese. Mr. Duke Yonge was educated at Winchester, and afterwards at Exeter College, Oxford, where he graduated B.A. in 1846, M.A. in 1849, and was ordained by the late Bishop of Exeter deacon in 1847, priest in 1848, He first was curate of Thorverton, but he became his father's curate in 1849, when he resided at Court House, Newton Ferrers, and remained there the rest of his life.

Mr. Tonge was born in 1823, and was therefore about 58 years of age. He married, in 1862, Charlotte Cordelia, second daughter of Thomas Julian Pode, of Plymouth, and he leaves a large family. He joined the Association in 1880.