General at Sea Robert Blake (27 September 1598 – 7 August 1657) was an English naval officer who served as general at sea and the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports from 1656 to 1657. Blake served under Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War and Anglo-Spanish War, and as the commanding Admiral of the State's Navy during the First Anglo-Dutch War. Blake is recognised as the "chief founder of England's naval supremacy", a dominance subsequently inherited by the British Royal Navy well into the early 20th century.Westminster AbbeyBCW: Robert Blake, Essay
Despite this, due to deliberate attempts to expunge the Parliamentarians from historical records following the Stuart Restoration, Blake's achievements tend to remain relatively unrecognised.Bridgwater Blake Museum, 2016, Essay Blake's successes, however, are considered to have "never been excelled, not even by Nelson" according to one biographer,Yexley, 1911, p. 22 while Blake is often compared with Nelson by others.Dixon, 1852, pp. ix, xiHannay, 1886, pp. 1, 73, 188Powell, 1972, p. 309
Early life Robert Blake was the first son of thirteen children born to Humphrey Blake and Sarah Williams.Dixon, 1852, p. 4Evans, 2008, Bridgewater Town Council, Essay He was baptised at the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin in Somerset on 27 September 1598.Baumber, 2004, v. 6, p. 107 He attended Bridgwater Grammar School for Boys, then went to Wadham College, Oxford. He had hoped to follow an academic career, but failed to secure a fellowship to Merton College, probably in consideration of his political and religious views, but also because the warden of Merton, Sir Henry Savile, had "an eccentric distaste for men of low stature". Blake, at tall, thus failed to meet Savile's 'standard of manly beauty'.Dixon, 1852, pp. 12–13
When Blake's father died in 1625 he inherited the family estate of Knoll Hill. Here, taking on the responsibilities of the eldest son, he committed much of his time in the duty of educating his many brothers and sisters, and preparing them for adulthood. Blake biographer and historian David Hannay (1853–1934) maintains that was a likely reason why Blake never married, while pointing out also that other biographers offer differing reasons.Hannay, 1886, p. 6 English historian Edward Hyde, who lived in Blake's day writes of Blake, "... he was well enough versed in books for a man who intended not to be of any profession, having sufficient of his own to maintain him in the plenty he affected, and having then no appearance of ambition to be a greater man than he was."Powell, 1972, p. 14
The Blake family had a seat for several generations at (and were Lords of the Manor of) Tuxwell, in the parish of Bishops Lydeard, near Bridgwater, Somerset. The earliest member of the family located in records was Humphrey Blake, who lived in the reign of Henry VIII. Robert Blake's grandfather, also named Robert, was the first of the family to strike out on his own from country life as a merchant, hoping to become rich from Spanish trade. He served as chief magistrate and member of Parliament for Bridgwater several times, in recognition of the esteem in which the townspeople held him.Member Biographies. "Blake, Robert (c. 1525–92), of Bridgwater and Tuxwell, Som.". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 19 March 2021. His son, Humphrey, succeeded him in business, and in addition to his father's estates at Puriton (of which he held the lordship), Catcot, Bawdrip and Woolavington, came into the estate at Plainsfield held by the family of his wife, Sarah Williams, since the reign of Henry VII.Dixon, 1852, pp. 3–5
After his departure from university in 1625, it is believed that Blake was engaged in trade, and a Dutch writer subsequently claimed that he had lived for 'five or six years' in Schiedam. Having returned to Bridgwater, probably because of the death of his mother in 1638, he decided to stand for election to Parliament.
Political background
In April, 1640, Blake was elected as the Member of Parliament for Bridgwater in the Short Parliament, as one of two Burgesses for Bridgwater. When the English Civil War broke out during the period of the Long Parliament, and having failed to be re-elected in November, Blake began his military career on the side of the parliamentarians despite having no substantial experience of military or naval matters.
Blake returned to Parliament as member for Taunton in 1645, when the Royalist Colonel Windham was expelled.Mirza, 1911, v. iv, p. 35 He would later return to recover from an injury sustained in the Battle of Portland. During that time he represented Bridgwater in the Barebone's Parliament of 1653 and First Protectorate Parliament of 1654 and Taunton in the Second Protectorate Parliament of 1656 before returning to sea.
Naval service Blake is often referred to as the 'Father of the Royal Navy'. As well as being largely responsible for building the largest navy the country had ever known, from a few tens of ships to well over a hundred, he was also the first to keep a fleet at sea over the winter. Blake also produced the navy's first ever set of rules and regulations, The Laws of War and Ordinances of the Sea, the first version of which, containing 20 provisions, was passed by the House of Commons on 5 March 1649,House of Commons Journal, 1802, pp. 154–157 listing 39 offences and their punishments—mostly death.Laws of War and ordinances of the sea National Library of Australia The Instructions of the Admirals and Generals of the Fleet for Councils of War, issued in 1653 by Blake, George Monck, John Disbrowe and William Penn, also instituted the first naval courts-martial in the English navy.
Blake developed new techniques to conduct blockades and landings; his Sailing Instructions and Fighting Instructions, which were major overhauls of naval tactics written while recovering from injury in 1653, were the foundation of English naval tactics in the Age of Sail. Blake's Fighting Instructions, issued by the generals at sea on 29 March 1653, are the first-known instructions to be written in any language to adopt the use of the single line ahead battle formation.Fighting Instructions, 1530–1816 Sir Julian Stafford Corbett, Publications of the Navy Records Society Vol. XXIX. Blake was also the first to successfully attack despite fire from shore forts.
English Civil War
Before Blake embarked on a naval career he joined the New Model Army as a captain in Alexander Popham's regiment, Blake distinguished himself at the Siege of Bristol (July 1643) and was promoted to lieutenant colonel. After his leading role in holding Lyme Regis in the Siege of Lyme Regis (April 1644) he was promoted to colonel. He went on to hold the Parliamentary enclave of Taunton during the Siege of Taunton in 1645. Taunton was of great strategic importance as it was situated where all the main roads converged, commanding all lines of communication, which at the time Blake alone understood.Laughton, 1886, p. 171 After he took it by surprise, the siege earned him national recognition; it was where he famously declared that he would eat three of his four pairs of boots before he would surrender. He subsequently succeeded in winning the Siege of Dunster (November 1645).Blake Museum, Essay
In March 1649 the newly established Commonwealth government appointed Popham, Blake and Deane as Generals at Sea, in that respective order of command, even though Blake had little experience at sea up until that time.Baumber, 2004, v. ix, p. 108 With Deane committed in Scotland, Blake's first naval commission was in 1649, as second in command of the Dutch NavyHannay, 1886, p. 35Baumber, 1989, p. 78 against a domestic enemy with the objective of crushing the weary remnants of the Royalist party. King Charles I's followers were completely conquered and expelled from the mainland in England, but they still continued to fight on the sea and were taking many prizes, causing outcries from many of the merchants.Hannay, 1886, p. 48 Parliament was thus compelled to establish a naval administration, which appointed Blake, Popham and Deane as commanders of a fleet they were putting together and outfitting.Hannay, 1886, p. 50 Some three weeks before the execution of Charles I, on 11 January 1649, Prince Rupert of the Rhine led eight undermanned ships to Kinsale where the King's flag was still flying, in Ireland, in an attempt to prevent the Parliamentarians taking Ireland from the Royalists.Clowes, 1897, v.2, p. 81Hannay, 1886, p. 50 Blake blockaded Rupert's fleet in Kinsale from 22 May, allowing Oliver Cromwell, who placed great confidence in Blake, to land at Dublin on 15 August.Baumber, 1989, pp. 75–76 Blake was driven off by a storm in October and Rupert escaped via Spain to Lisbon.Baumber, 1989, p. 79 When it was learned that Rupert had fled to Lisbon, all cautionary protocols were suspended for the navy. Blake was recalled to Plymouth to supervise the fitting out of a fleet that was expanded to thirteen ships.Clowes, 1897, v.2, p. 122 With his refurbished and well supplied fleet, Blake put to sea in February 1650 and dropped anchor off Lisbon in an attempt to persuade the Portuguese king to expel Rupert. After two months the king decided to back Rupert. Blake was joined by another eight warships commanded by Edward Popham, who brought authority to go to war with Portugal.Clowes, 1897, v.2, pp. 122–123Gardiner, 1897, v. 1, p. 334 Blake now bore the risk and responsibility of a prolonged blockade, where now neither food nor water were accessible from the shore, making it necessary to periodically dispatch ships to Vigo or Cádiz for supplies,Gardiner, 1897, v. 1, p. 344 to which Richard Badiley was given the charge.Spalding, 1899, p. 45
Rupert twice failed to break the blockade, which was finally raised after Blake sailed for Cádiz with seven ships he had captured after a three-hour engagement with 23 ships of the Portuguese fleet (during which the Portuguese vice-admiral was also sunk.) Blake re-engaged with Rupert, now with six ships, on 3 November near Málaga, capturing one ship. Two days later Rupert's other ships in the area were driven ashore attempting to escape from Cartagena, securing Parliamentarian supremacy at sea, and the recognition of the Parliamentary government by many European states. Parliament voted Blake 1,000 pounds by way of thanks in February 1651. In June of the same year Blake captured the Isles of Scilly, the last outpost of the Royalist navy, for which he again received Parliament's thanks. Soon afterwards he was made a member of the Council of State.Mirza, 1911, p. 35–36
In 1651 Blake received orders to remove the Royalist Sir John Granville from the Isles of Scilly, where he had been appointed Governor by Charles II after a local rebellion. Granville had around 1,000 men under his command. The majority of Royalists forces were holding the main island of St Mary's, also defended by the guns of Star Castle and several frigates anchored, including the most powerful of the Royalist warships, making a direct assault very dangerous. Blake subsequently decided to secure Tresco and Bryher first, which would give the Commonwealth force a safe anchorage at New Grimsby harbour. After a failed attempt due to unfavourable winds, and other delays Blake finally prevailed and demanded Granville's surrender and ultimately secured the isles, also capturing many commanders and suppliesDixon, 1874, pp. 121–122BCW, Scilly Isles, Essay
First Anglo-Dutch War
Blake's next adventures were during the First Anglo-Dutch War (1652–1654). The war started prematurely with a skirmish between the Dutch fleet of Maarten Tromp and Blake on 29 May 1652, at the Battle of Dover.