Cheape says he wrote that Lord Melville ordered a line of battleships to the "Western Islands", and wanted Warspite to be among them. Lord Keith, however, advised Captain Blackwood, "that he could not possibly send him as he had orders to send another ship" and sent his friend Captain West's ship instead. Captain Blackwood then sent a "private letter to Lord Keith – saying he wished Warspite to have the preference before any other ship – when showed the letter to Lord Keith he would not read it – so I suppose they don't speak now." This caused Blackwood to resign his command immediately after a continuous active service of six years. Rear admiral On 4 June 1814, Blackwood attained the rank of rear-admiral, and in September he was created a Baronet, of the Navy, for his conduct of the heads of royal families of Europe to England following the defeat of Napoleon. In August 1819 he was made a Knight Companion of the Order of the Bath, and appointed commander-in-chief of the East Indies Station, nearly suffering a shipwreck in Leander on his way there off the coast of Madeira. He returned from this station in December 1822. He became vice-admiral in May 1825, and from 1827 to 1830 he was Commander-in-Chief, The Nore. During this period, he lived at Blackwood House, 6 Cornwall Terrace, Regent's Park, London. Later life From 1830 to his death he served as a Groom of the Bedchamber to King William IV. He died after a short illness, differently stated as typhus or scarlet fever, on 17 December 1832, at Ballyleidy, the seat of his eldest brother, Lord Dufferin and Claneboye. He is buried in Westminster Abbey with a monument by William Behnes. Blackwood was married three times and left a large family. The Blackwood River, in Western Australia, is named in his honour; it was named by Captain (later Admiral Sir) James Stirling, who served under Blackwood as a youth from 1808 to 1810. The region of Blackwood in Adelaide South Australia was named by William Light who served with him during the Napoleonic Wars References Further reading The Trafalgar Captains, Colin White and the 1805 Club, Chatham Publishing, London, 2005, External links "Sir Henry Blackwood." From Admiral Lord Nelson site. Accessed on 18 October 2005. Animation of the Battle of Trafalgar |- |- 1770 births 1832 deaths People from County Down Baronets