'Robert Blake & the English Empire in the 1650s': a talk by Richard Blakemore

27-05-26 - 27-05-26,
7:30 PM - 9:00 PM

Admission: ££6.50 Adults, £5.00 Students/Museum Members

Location: Via Zoom

The 1650s were the period when the foundations were laid of the modern navy which gave Britain global maritime supremacy for centuries to come. One man was central to the creation of this legacy – the Protectorate’s General-at-Sea, Robert Blake (1598 – 1657). He too is often forgotten, although his exploits read like the script of a Hollywood film. In a distinguished naval career after the Civil Wars, Blake took on and defeated multiple Dutch fleets, bombarded the Tunisian ports of the notorious Barbary pirates, blockaded the Spanish coast and captured Spain’s bullion fleet on its homeward journey from South America. No wonder then that Admiral Nelson reflected, “I shall never be the equal of Blake.” This talk looks at his story.

Dr Richard Blakemore is Associate Professor of History at the University of Reading. Richard’s research focuses on the history of human society and the sea, particularly during the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries. Richard’s main current interest is the social history of seafarers. As sailors travelled ever further and more frequently during the early modern period, building and maintaining commercial networks and contacts across cultures, they brought home new wealth, objects and ideas. They also contributed to the emergence of new social, economic, political, and legal situations in Britain, Europe, and around the globe. Richard’s present research considers the experiences of seafarers across this period, their perceptions of the maritime environment, their professional culture, their relationships with communities ashore, and their role within empire and other political and legal regimes. He also has broader research interests in the development of maritime communities, global and maritime trade and warfare, cultural interactions with the sea, maritime law, and the history and popular perceptions of piracy.

This talk will be recorded and put on a private channel after the 'live talk' for ticket holders to view at their leisure if they miss the live talk or wish to view them again.

This talk is part of a four part lecture series; for season tickets please click here.

We are delighted to welcome over four successive Wednesdays:

Wednesday 20 May at 7.30pm – Dr Ismini Pells on ‘Cromwell's Centurion: Philip Skippon and Oliver Cromwell’

Wednesday 27 May at 7.30pm – Professor Richard Blakemore on 'Robert Blake and the English Empire in the 1650s'

Wednesday 3 June at 7.30pm – Simon Marsh on ‘Artillery in Battle during the First Civil War 1642–1646’

Wednesday 10 June at 7.30pm – Dr Patrick Little on ‘Cromwellian Court Culture’

Click on the titles for more information and individual bookings.

PLEASE NOTE: These talks will be held online via Zoom. Joining details will be sent 48 hours before the talk.

Admission: £24 Adults (for 4 talks), £18 for students/Museum Members (for 4 talks); for individual talks £6.50 Adults, £5 students/Museum Members.

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