Admiral Robert Blake
Robert Blake was born in 1599 and educated at Wadham College, Oxford University and became one of the most influential men of the period of the Civil Wars and the Commonwealth of England. He followed three remarkable careers and excelled in all three. He entered Parliament as a politician who espoused the Parliamentarian cause, became a military leader when war broke out and a naval commander when it became necessary to defend the Commonwealth from attack from the sea. His exploits on land included his stout defence of the besieged city of Taunton, a notable military triumph. He was appointed General at Sea or Admiral and he rapidly built up a large navy. He led his fleet successfully against the Royalists led by Prince Rupert and other enemies of Parliamentarian Government. His many contributions as a sailor included the revision of naval tactics in his Fighting Instructions, Sailing Instructions and Conduct of Naval Warfare. He died in 1657 and was buried in Westminster Abbey but on the return to power of the Royalists and Blake’s remains were exhumed and deposited in a lime kiln. Today he is considered ‘The Father of the Royal Navy’ and his fame as a naval commander is second only to that of Lord Nelson.
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Location: London England
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License: Licensed
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