1509-1657), English parliamentarian and admiral, was born
at Bridgwater in Somersetshire. The day of his birth is not known, but
he was baptized on the 27th of September 1599. Blake was the eldest son
of a well-to-do merchant, and received his early education at the
grammar school of Bridgwater. In 1615 he was sent to Oxford, entering at
first St Alban's Hall, but removing afterwards to Wadham College, then
recently founded. He remained at the university till 1625, but failed to
obtain any college preferment. Nothing is known of his life with
certainty for the next fifteen years. An anonymous Dutch writer, in the
_Hollandische Mercurius_ (1652), represents him as saying that he had
lived in Schiedam "for five or six years" in his youth. He doubtless
engaged in trade, and apparently with success. When, after eleven years
of kingship without parliaments, a parliament was summoned to meet in
April 1640, Blake was elected to represent his native borough. This
parliament, named "the Short," was dissolved in three weeks, and the
career of Blake as a politician was suspended. Two years later the
inevitable conflict began. Blake declared for the Parliament, and served
under Sir John Horner. In 1643 he was entrusted with the command of one
of the forts of Bristol. This he stoutly held during the siege of the
town by Prince Rupert, and earned the approval of parliament by refusing
to surrender his post till duly informed of the capitulation. In 1644 he
gained high distinction by the resolute defence of Lyme in Dorsetshire.
The siege was raised on the 23rd of May, and on the 8th of July Blake
took Taunton by surprise, and notwithstanding its imperfect defences and
inadequate supplies, held the town for the Parliament against two sieges
by the Royalists until July 1645, when it was relieved by Fairfax. In
1645 he re-entered parliament as member for Taunton, when the Royalist
Colonel Windham was expelled.

He adhered to the Parliamentary party after the king's death, and within
a month (February 1649) was appointed, with Colonels Dean and Popham, to
the command of the fleet, under the title of General of the Sea. In
April he was sent in pursuit of Prince Rupert, who with the Royalist
fleet had entered the harbour of Kinsale in Ireland. There he blockaded
the prince for six months; and when the latter, in want of provisions,
and hopeless of relief, succeeded in making his escape with the fleet
and in reaching the Tagus, Blake followed