Philip Yonge

Philip YongeDD(1709 – 23 April 1783) was aBritishclergyman. He was appointedBishop of Bristolin 1758 and translated to becomeBishop of Norwichin 1761; he died in that office in 1783.

Bishop Yonge byFrederick Sandys

Yonge was the son of Francis and Elizabeth Yonge. Francis Yonge wasCommissaryof theOrdnanceduring theWar of the Spanish Succession,and later the London agent forSouth Carolina.Yonge was born inLisbonin 1709. He was educated atWestminster SchoolandTrinity College, Cambridge,and ordained in 1735.He was master ofJesus College, Cambridge(1752–58) and also acanon of Westminster Abbey(1750–1754) and a prebendary ofSt. Paul's Cathedral(1754–1761).

The diarist Sylas Neville, who was a dissenter, attended a service atNorwich Cathedralon Friday 21 August 1772, and recorded in his diary:

Heard an inanimate sermon at the Cathedral by Dr. Philip Yonge, Bishop of this Diocese for the benefit of theNorfolk Hospital.This fat blown-up fellow is said to be one of the best preachers in theEstablishment.But it is low in preachers, if that is the case. He seems quitedropsical.He took his text from that passage ofProverbs- 'The rich & poor meet together'.While Prayers were reading, he often lifted up his hand, as if joining in the petitions, in the most formal manner. This put me in mind of whatJuniuscalls 'the supercilious hypocrisy of a Bishop'.

In 1761 Yonge married Anne, daughter of Calverley Bewicke of Clapham. He died in his house in Upper Grosvenor Street,Mayfairon 23 April 1783 and was buried in theGrosvenor Chapelin Mayfair.

Yonge's contemporaries in Norwich regarded him as extraordinarily idle.