Robert Blake

Robert Blake (1599-1657), English admiral, born in Bridgwater, and educated at the University of Oxford. During the English Revolution, he commanded the Parliamentary fleet of Oliver Cromwell that in 1650 defeated and sank most of the Royalist fleet in the Mediterranean Sea. In 1652 and 1653, during the naval war brought on by English economic restrictions aimed at Dutch trade, Blake commanded the English forces that won a series of notable victories over the Dutch navy, including a fleet commanded by the famous Dutch admiral Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp. These victories led to the breaking of Dutch naval supremacy. In 1657, during a war with Spain over the English seizure of Jamaica in the West Indies, Blake won a notable victory over the Spanish West Indian fleet. He was a member of both the Short Parliament and the Barebone's Parliament.