BLAKE, Robert, British admiral: b. Bridgewater, Somerset, August 1599; d. 17 Aug. 1657. After attending the grammar school of his native place he was sent to Wadham College, Oxford, where he took the degree of B.A. in 1617. On his return to Bridgewater he lived quietly on the fortune left him by his father, and was led to embrace the principles of the Puritans, by whose interest he was elected mem ber for Bridgewater in the Parliament of 1640, but lost his seat on the dissolution. He served in the Parliamentary forces during the Civil War as lieutenant-colonel; he held Lyme against the Royalists in 1643, and captured and held Taunton, 1644-45. In 1649 he was sent to com mand the fleet in conjunction with Colonels Deane and Popham, and thus commenced his naval career. He immediately sailed to Kinsale in quest of Prince Rupert, whom he attempted to block up in that port. The Prince escaped to Lisbon, where Blake followed him; and being refused permission to attack him in the Tagus by the King of Portugal, he took several rich prizes from the Portuguese (against whom the Parliament declared war), and followed Rupert to Malaga, where, without asking permission of Spain, he attacked him and nearly destroyed the whole of his fleet. On his return to England he was made warden of the Cinque Ports, and soon after reduced the islands of Scilly and Guernsey. In 1651 he became a member of the Council of State. In 1652 he was made sole admiral, and on the 19th of May was attacked in the Downs by Van Tromp with a fleet of 45 sail, the force of Blake amounting only to 23. He fought so pertinaciously, however, against the heavy odds, that Van Tromp was obliged to retreat. He then continued his cruise, took a number of Dutch merchantmen, and after several partial actions drove the enemy off and returned to the Downs. On 29 November he was again attacked by Van Tromp, whose fleet was now increased to 80 sail. Blake engaged this vast force with a very inferior number and an unfavorable wind; but, after every possible exertion, was obliged to retreat into the Thames. After this engagement, according to a story which is entirely unsupported by contemporary evidence, Van Tromp was so much elated that he sailed through the Channel with a broom at his masthead, to signify that he had swept the sea of British ships. In the February following, Blake, having with great diligence repaired his fleet, put to sea with 60 sail, and soon after met the Dutch admiral, who had 70 sail and 300 merchantmen under convoy. During three days
a furious running fight up the Channel was maintained with obstinate valor on both sides, the result of which was the loss of 11 men-of war and 30 merchant ships by the Dutch, while that of the English was only one man-of-war. It was in April of this year that Cromwell assumed the protectorate—a change of status that did not affect Blake's loyalty. is not for us,* said Blake to his officers, mind state affairs, but to keep the foreigners from fooling us." On 3 June he again engaged Van Tromp with dubious success; but, renewing the action the next day, he forced the Dutch to retire with a considerable loss in ships and men. On his return he was received by Cromwell with great respect, and was elected member for Bridgewater in the new Parliament. Aware of his affection for a republican government, the Protector was not displeased at having occasion to send him with a strong fleet, to enforce a due respect to the British flag in the Medi terranean. He sailed first to Algiers, which submitted, and then demolished the castles of Goletta and Porto Ferino, at Tunis, because the Dey refused to deliver up the British captives. A squadron of his ships also blocked up Cadiz and intercepted a Spanish fleet from the river Plate. Being now very sick, he resolved to do one more service to his country before his death, and sailed with 24 ships to Santa Cruz, in Teneriffe, and, notwithstanding the strength of the place, burned the ships of another Span ish Plate fleet which had taken shelter there, and by a fortunate change of wind came out without loss. His.brother having failed in some part of duty during this service, he immediately removed him from his command. Finding his disorder making rapid progress he then sailed for England, and expired while the fleet was entering Plymouth Sound. His body was honored with a magnificent public funeral, and interred in Westminster Abbey, whence it was, with pitiful spite, removed at the Restoration and buried in Saint Margaret's churchyard. So disinterested was Blake that, after all his rich captures and high posts, he scarcely left behind him t2,500 of acquired property, freely sharing all with his friends and seamen, into whom he infused that intrepidity and spirit of enterprise by which the British navy has been ever since so highly distinguished. Consult 'Lives' by Dixon (1852), S. Johnson (1792) and Steven son (1910) ; and Gardiner's 'History of the Commonwealth and Protectorate' (1894-1900).