Sunday, November 17, 2013

Blake in the Naval Biographical Dictionary published in 1849

A Naval Biographical Dictionary: Comprising the Life and Services of Every Living Officer in Her Majesty’s Navy, from the Rank of Admiral of the Fleet to that of Lieutenant, inclusive. Compiled from Authentic and Family Documents. By William R O’Byrne, Esquire, London: John Murray, Albemarle Street, Publisher to the Admiralty, 1849. Can be downloaded from Google Books.

There are a number of Blake entries in this above mentioned book and I would like to have them readily at hand in my blog for future reference. Beginning on page 87 and following to page 88 and a short piece on page 89 which has already been posted as the final entry is for Lieutenant Thomas Blake, nephew of Thomas Blake whose will was blogged earlier:

http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/2013/11/will-of-thomas-blake-esquire-bath.html

Blake. (Lieutenant, 1845)

Edgar Henry Blake is eldest son of Henry Blake, Esquire, of Renvyle, county Galway, by Martha Louisa, daughter of Joseph Attersoll, Esquire, of Portland Place, London; and grandson of Valentine Blake, Esquire, of Lehinch and Renvyle, High-Sheriff of Mayo, who married a grand-daughter of the 8th Lord Teynham. This officer passed his examination 1 April, 1835; and was for some time employed, as Mate, on board the Excellent gunnery-ship at Portsmouth, Capt. Thos. Hastings, the Rapid 10, commanded on the coast of Africa by Lieut. Edw. Chas. Earle, and the Camperdown and Queen, flag-ships at the Nore of Sir John Chambers White. He obtained his commission 24 March, 1845; and has been since serving in the Malampus 42, Capt. John Norman Campbell, on the S.E. coast of America.

Blake (Captain, 1838. F-P., 25; H-P., 23.)

George Charles Blake entered the Navy, 2 July, 1799, as Fst.-cl. Vol. [first class volunteer], on board the Romulus 36, Capt. John Culverhouse, in which frigate, after attending the ensuing expedition to the Helder, he attained the rating of Midshipman, and in that capacity accompanied the force sent against Egypt in 1801, where he served with the army before Alexandria, and up the river Nile. In Nov. 1802, he joined the Culloden 74, flag-ship in the Channel of Rear-Admirals Geo. Campbell and Cuthbert Collingwood, and afterwards commanded by Capt. Barrington Dacres, under whom he assisted in chasing into the port of Corunna, after a long running fight, the French 74-gun ship Duguay Trouin, and 40-gun frigate Guerriere, 2 Sept. 1803. Between March, 1804, and April, 1805, Mr. Blake was further employed for short periods on board the Venerable 74, bearing the flag of Sir Thos. Graves, and Culloden again, Capt. B. Dacres, both in the Channel, the Salvador del Mundo, first-rate, Capt. John Dilkes, lying at Plymouth, the Seine 36, Capt. David Atkins, for passage to the West Indies and the Theseus and Hercule 74's, flag-ships of Vice-Admiral Jas. Rich. Dacres, on the Jamaica station. He then became Master's Mate of the Stork 18, Capt. Geo. Le Geyt, and, among other valuable services performed in her tender, cut out a convoy near the Havana. He was promoted, immediately on passing his examination, to a Sub-Lieutenancy, 26 Feb. 1806, in the Peterel 18, Capt. John Lamborn, and was made Full Lieutenant into the Franchise 36, Capt. Chas. Dashwood, 7 April following. After enduring a brief attachment to the Veteran 64, Capt. Andrew Fitzherbert Evans, and Hercule 74, Capt. Barrington Dacres, Mr. Blake on 17 Jan. 1807, was appointed to the Scorpion 18, Capts. Philip Carteret, Fras. Stanfell, Richard Harward, and Hon. John Gore. In the course of the same year he assisted at the capture, in the Channel, of three heavy French privateers, Le Bourgainville, La Glaneuse, and Le Glaneur, carrying together 42 guns and 233 men; and, in Jan. and Feb. 1810, he was the Scorpion's Senior Lieutenant when, under Capt. Stanfell, she took the French 14-gun brig L'Oreste, beneath the batteries of Guadeloupe, and contributed to the reduction of that island. As Lieutenant, his subsequent appointments appear to have been - 7 Dec. 1810, to the Standard 64, Capt. Askew Paffard Hollis, lying at Plymouth - 13 March, 1811, to the Peacock 18, Capt. Wm. Peake, in the Channel - 14 May, 1813, as Senior, to the Rivoli 74, commanded by Capt. Graham Eden Hamond, for a short time by himself as Acting-Captain, and by Capt. Edw. Stirling Dickson, in the Mediterranean - 22 March, 1816, to the Vengeue 74, Capt. Thos. Alexander, guard-ship at Portsmouth - 18 Aug. 1818, as Senior again, to the Queen Charlotte 100, bearing the flag at the same port of his old Admiral, Sir Geo. Campbell, at whose request he obtained the appointment - and, 1 July, 1819, to the Royal George yacht, Capt. Hon. Chas. Paget. While in the Rivoli Lieut. Blake aided at the capture, 30 April, 1815, of the French 44-gun frigate Le Melpomene, after a brave defence of 15 minutes; and for his services as Senior Lieutenant of the Royal George, in which vessel he had the honour of attending for several weeks on the Prince Regent, he was advanced to the rank of Commander 11 Oct. 1819. He was afterwards, in April, 1828, appointed to the Pearl 20, under Rear-Admiral Hon. C. Page, his former Captain, whose flag he always hoisted on that officer's proceeding to sea, and on one of those occasions he received the Marquis of Anglesey, then Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, on board. Capt. Blake continued in the Pearl three years, and was lastly, from 28 Sept. 1832, until the autumn of 1835, employed as an Inspecting Commander in the Coast Guard. He obtained Post-rank 28 June, 1838. Capt. Blake was nominated, in March, 1841, Gentleman Usher to H.R.H. Prince Albert. He is married, and has issue four children, of whom the eldest son. Chas. Paget Blake, M.D., a surgeon, R.N. (1845) is now serving on board the Phoenix steam-sloop, commanded in the Mediterranean by Capt. J.S.A. Dennis.

Blake. (Lieutenant, 1815. F-P., 15; H-P., 28.)

George Hans Blake, born in Aug. 1791, is son of the late Capt. Geo. Blake, R.N. (1802), who died in April, 1822. This officer entered the Navy, in Aug. 1804, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Lively 38, Capts. Graham Eden Hamond and Geo. McKinley. On 5 Oct. following we find him present, under Capt. Hamond, at the capture of three Spanish frigates laden with treasure, and the destruction of a fourth, off Cape St. Mary; and on 29 May, 1805, participating in the Lively's single-handed and self-sought skirmish with the Spanish 74-gun ship Gloriosi. While in charge, as Midshipman, of a prize, Mr. Blake was unfortunately, on 14 Oct. 1807, captured and taken to France, where he was detained a prisoner until the conclusion of the war in 1814. He then successively joined the Prince 98, flag-ship at Portsmouth of Sir Richard Bickerston, and Leviathan 74, Capts. Adam Drummond and Thos. Briggs, attached to the fleet in the Mediterranean, whence, having been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 22 of the preceding Feb., he returned to England in Dec. 1815. His next appointments were - 18 March, 1817, to the Martin 16, Capt. Andw. Mitchell, in which vessel he was wrecked off the coast of Ireland on 8 Dec. in the same year - and, 5 Aug. 1819, to the Severn 50, Capt. Wm. McCulloch, lying in the Downs for the purposes of the Coast Blockade. He left that service in April, 1822, and has since been on half-pay. Lieut. Blake married, 17 March, 1827, Harriette, second daughter of the late Wm. Leeke, Esq., and grand-daughter of the late Rear-Admiral Isaac Vaillant.

Blake. (Captain, 1841. F.P., 23; H-P., 11.)

Patrick John Blake is second son of the late Sir Jas. Henry Blake, Bart., by Louisa Elizabeth, daughter of General Sir Thomas Gage, the celebrated commander of the British forces during the first American war; brother of the present Sir Henry Chas. Blake, Bart., of Langham, co. Suffolk; nephew of Admiral Sir Wm. Hall Gage, G.C.H., one of the late Lords of the Admiralty; and first cousin of Viscount Gage. This officer entered the Navy, in April, 1813, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Indus 74, commanded by his uncle, Capt. W. H. Gage, on the North Sea and Mediterranean stations; attained the rating of Midshipman in May following, and from Sept. 1814, until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, 19 July, 1823, served as Midshipman on the Home, West India, and South American stations, in the Eurotas 38, Capts. Robt. Bloye and Jas. Lillicrap, Ramillies, Malta, and Rivoli, all commanded by Capt. Chas. Ogle, Tigris 36, Capt. Robt. Henderson, Andromache 38, Capt. Wm. Henry Shirreff, Conway 26, Capt. Basil Hall, and Creole 42, bearing the broad pendant of Sir Thos. Masterman Hardy. His next appointments were - 2 Feb. 1824, to the Tweed 28, Capt. Fred. Hunn, with whom he again sailed for South America - and, 13 Dec. 1825, to the Warspite 74, in which ship, and the Java 52, he served, a great part of the time as Flag-Lieutenant to Rear-Admiral Gage, on the East India station, until advanced to the rank of Commander, 15 Jan. 1830. On 9 March, 1837, we find Capt. Blake commissioning the Larne 18, and shortly afterwards returning to the East, where he continued for five years, and was actively employed during the campaign in China, particularly in the attack, 7 Jan. 1841, on the forts and batteries at Chuenpee, for his able support of Capts. Herbert and Scott on which occasion he was officially mentioned by Sir Gordon Bremer. He attained Postrank 6 May, 1841, and has been in command, since 3 Sept. 1845, of the Juno 26, in the Pacific. Agents - Messra. Halford and Co.

Blake, (Lieutenant, 1808. F-P, 11; H-P., 34.)

Thomas Blake entered the Navy, 27 Feb 1802, as Midshipman, on board the Fox 32, Capt. Jas. Giles Vashon, on the East India station, where he removed, as Master’s Mate, in Jan. 1805, to the Pitt (afterwards Salsette)36, Capt. Walter Bathurst. The latter ship, while blockading Port Louis in Jan. 1806, took several prizes; and on 20 of that month was much injured by a fire from Fort Canonnier, to which she lay exposed for 20 minutes without being able to return a shot. Mr. Blake, who subsequently proceeded to the Baltic, and was attached for a brief period to the Thisbe, bearing the flag in the Thames of Hon. Henry Edwin Stanhope, obtained a Lieutenancy, 23 Sept. 1808, in the Calliope 20, Capt. John McKeslie, under whom he witnessed the reduction of Flushing in Aug. 1809, and the capture, besides numerous other vessels, of the Comtesse d’Hambourg, French privateer, of 14 guns and 51 men, after an obstinate conflict, 25 Oct. 1810. He invalided from the Calliope, 27 Feb. 1811, and was subsequently appointed – 25 June following, to the Pylades sloop, Capt. Geo. Ferguson, employed in the Baltic, and also in the North Sea, whence his health obliged him to return in Feb. 1812 – 14 Nov. in the same year, to the Cadmus 10, Capt. Thos. Fife, in the Channel – and 29 July, 1814, to the Portia 14, Capt. Thompson. The last was but a nominal appointment, as in a few days afterwards he again invalided. He has since been on half-pay. Lieut. Blake is married, and has issue.



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