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Robert Blake ( 1599– August 17, 1657) was one the most important military commanders of the Commonwealth of England, and the most famous English Admiral until eclipsed by Horatio Nelson.
Blake was one of thirteen siblings born the son of a merchant in Bridgwater, Somerset, UK, where he attended grammar school. After attending Oxford University, he had hoped to follow an academic career, but failed to secure a fellowship to Merton College, probably because of his political and religious views. Having returned to Bridgwater, probably because of the death of his mother in 1638, he decided to stand for Parliament.
In 1640 Blake was elected as the Member of Parliament for Bridgwater in the Short ParliamentThe Short Parliament (April-May, 1640) of King Charles I is so called because it lasted only three weeks. Charles recalled Parliament in 1640, after eleven years of attempting to rule without one. He was forced to call the Short Parliament primarily to ob. When the English Civil WarThe English Civil War is the period of conflict in the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland between 1639 and 1651, and also refers specifically to the two wars ( 1642 1645 and 1648 1649) between the Royalist supporters of Charles I of England and the broke out during the period of the Long ParliamentThe Long Parliament is the name of the English Parliament called by Charles I, in 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It receives its name from the fact that it sat almost continuously during the English Civil War until 1660. The sole reason Charles reasse, and having failed to be re-elected, Blake began his military career on the side of the parliamentariansA parliamentarian is a specialist in parliamentary procedure. The adjective parliamentarian refers to any person or thing especially associated with a parliament (see parliamentary system). A Parliamentarian (as an upper-cased noun) often labels a Member despite having no substantial experience of military or naval matters.
He would later return to serve in the Barebones ParliamentThe Barebones Parliament came into being on July 4 1653. It was an assembly entirely nominated by Oliver Cromwell and his council of army officers. It acquired its name from the nominee for the City of London, Praise-God Barebones. The total number of nom of 1653Events February 2 New Amsterdam (later renamed New York City) is incorporated. April 20 Oliver Cromwell expels the Long Parliament May 24 Ferdinand IV is elected King of the Romans June 12 First Anglo-Dutch War: Battle of the Gabbard lasted until June 13. for some months when recovering from an injury sustained in the Battle of Portland, before returning to sea.
Blake's most famous exploits on land were at the Siege of Bristol (July 1643), Siege of Lyme (April 1644), Siege of Taunton ( 1645) and the Siege of Dunster (November 1645). At least at Dunster he was the besieger. At Taunton he famously declared that he had four pairs of boots and would eat three pairs before he would surrender.