Robert Blake (admiral)

Robert Blake
Robert Blake, General at Sea, 1598–1657
(by Henry Perronet Briggs, painted 1829)
General at Sea, 1598–1657
Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports,
1656 to 1657
In office
1656–1657
Preceded byThomas Kelsey
Succeeded byLord Winchilsea
Personal details
Born(1598-09-27)27 September 1598
Bridgwater, England
Died7 August 1657(1657-08-07) (aged 58)[1]
Off Plymouth, English Channel
Resting placeWestminster Abbey (initially);
St Margaret's (now)
RelationsJoseph Blake (nephew)
Nickname"Father of the Royal Navy"
Military service
Allegiance Commonwealth of England
 The Protectorate
Branch/service Royal Navy
Years of service1649–1657
RankGeneral at sea
CommandsMediterranean Fleet
Battles/warsEnglish Civil War
First Anglo-Dutch War
Anglo-Spanish War

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 recognized as the "chief founder of England's naval supremacy", a dominance subsequently inherited by the British Royal Navy well into the early 20th century.[2][3] Despite this, due to deliberate attempts to expunge the Parliamentarians from historical records following the Stuart Restoration, Blake's achievements tend to remain relatively unrecognized.[1][4] Blake's successes, however, are considered to have "never been excelled, not even by Nelson" according to one biographer,[5] while Blake is often compared with Nelson by others.[6][7][8]

  1. ^ a b "British Civil Wars, Commonwealth and Protectorate – Robert Blake 1599–1657". British-civil-wars.co.uk. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  2. ^ Westminster Abbey
  3. ^ BCW: Robert Blake, Essay
  4. ^ Bridgwater Blake Museum, 2016, Essay
  5. ^ Yexley, 1911, p. 22
  6. ^ Dixon, 1852, pp. ix, xi
  7. ^ Hannay, 1886, pp. 1, 73, 188
  8. ^ Powell, 1972, p. 309