Attack of John Jennings

Santa Cruz de Tenerife · Category: Memory · Subcategory: Historic sites · Year: 1706

The repulse of the attack by the English fleet commanded by Rear Admiral John Jennings in November 1706 was an event of extraordinary significance in the historical development of Santa Cruz. 

Jennings' assault on Santa Cruz de Tenerife must be placed within a long conflagration that ravaged Europe for more than twelve years at the beginning of the 18th century, known as the War of the Spanish Succession. England, allied with the Austrian pretensions to place Archduke Charles on the Spanish throne, was confronting both Spanish colonial power and France, its greatest enemy at the time, which had succeeded in establishing a new dynasty in Spain, the Bourbons, in the person of Philip V.

Rear Admiral John Jennings had already taken part in several naval actions in this conflict: the battle in the Vigo estuary in 1702, the capture of Gibraltar in 1704, and several more battles in the Mediterranean. He was attached to the navy of his superior, Admiral Leake, with whom he had participated in spring 1706 in an action against Barcelona. Afterwards, Leake remained in the waters of the Balearic Islands, while Jennings, following orders from his commander, headed to the Canary Islands with the aim of striking a blow in the islands.

Jennings appeared at the Anaga point at dusk on 5 November 1706 with a squadron of 13 ships and artillery totalling more than 800 cannons. Immediately, the lookouts stationed on the peaks gave the alarm signal to Santa Cruz, where troops were urgently assembled and both the castles and coastal batteries were put on alert. At that time, the Captain General of the Canaries, Agustín de Robles, was in Gran Canaria attending to matters at the Audiencia, so command in Tenerife was taken by the corregidor and captain José de Ayala y Rojas.

At dawn the following day, the English fleet was positioned off Santa Cruz but out of range of the batteries. The attackers first flew French flags, then Swedish, and later blue ensigns, which was the insignia of their division, sowing confusion and suspicion among the defending forces. From the Castle of San Cristóbal a warning shot was fired, and immediately the English launched 37 boats with men for landing from their ships. It was then that fire was opened from all the coastal batteries against the wave of approaching boats. Faced with the hail of fire falling on them, the barges began to retreat to their mother ships, from which the coast was already being bombarded without causing much damage. After two hours of cannonading, the fire ceased. Jennings wished to negotiate by sending a boat with a white flag and envoys carrying a letter in his own hand, in which he stated that what he was seeking in these parts was a squadron of French enemies; he added that firing had been opened without his orders and that the war, both in Europe and Spain, was being won by the pretender Charles, so the eviction of the Bourbons from the country was imminent. Furthermore, he indicated that all towns and people who voluntarily submitted to whom he considered the legitimate sovereign would suffer no harm and that the military and authorities would be maintained in their posts. The next day, after a tense night, a reply was sent from the Castle of San Cristóbal, in which the corregidor assured him, among other things, that he had different news regarding the course of the war and that both in the plaza and the rest of the islands Philip V was considered the legitimate king, whom he recognised as a faithful servant.

After receiving the reply, Jennings remained opposite Santa Cruz throughout that day. After verifying that the city was well armed and well defended, at dusk on 7 November 1706, he sailed northwards, to the relief of the entire population.

Philip V, informed of the brave behaviour of the islanders, expressed his satisfaction by letter dated 28 December, in which he conveyed his gratitude for the heroic and valiant attitude of the people of Tenerife.

This defensive event led to the incorporation into the city’s coat of arms of the second lion’s head of the three it has. The first had been earned almost fifty years earlier in the confrontation against Admiral Blake. For the third, almost a century would have to wait for the arrival of Nelson.

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