ograph er . ▁Bla ke ▁is ▁recogn ised ▁as ▁the ▁chief ▁founder ▁of ▁England ' s ▁naval ▁supre m acy , ▁a ▁domin ance ▁subsequently ▁inherited ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁Royal ▁Navy ▁into ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁Despite ▁this , ▁due ▁to ▁deliber ate ▁attempts ▁to ▁exp unge ▁the ▁Parliament ari ans ▁from ▁history ▁following ▁the ▁Rest oration , ▁Bla ke ' s ▁achiev ements ▁tend ▁not ▁to ▁receive ▁the ▁full ▁recognition ▁that ▁they ▁des erve . ▁ ▁Family ▁and ▁early ▁life ▁The ▁Bla ke ▁family ▁had ▁a ▁seat ▁for ▁several ▁gener ations ▁at ▁( and ▁were ▁L ords ▁of ▁the ▁Man or ▁of ) ▁T ux well , ▁in ▁the ▁parish ▁of ▁B ish ops ▁Ly de ard , ▁near ▁Br id g water , ▁Som erset . ▁The ▁earliest ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁family ▁located ▁in ▁records ▁was ▁Hum ph rey ▁Bla ke , ▁who ▁lived ▁in ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁Henry ▁VIII . ▁Admir al ▁Bla ke ' s ▁grand father , ▁also ▁named ▁Robert , ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁the ▁family ▁to ▁strike ▁out ▁on ▁his ▁own ▁from ▁country ▁life ▁as ▁a ▁merchant , ▁hoping ▁to ▁become ▁rich ▁from ▁Spanish ▁trade . ▁He ▁served ▁as ▁chief ▁magistr ate ▁of ▁Br id g water ▁several ▁times , ▁in ▁recognition ▁of ▁the ▁este em ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁town spe ople ▁held ▁him . ▁His ▁son , ▁Hum ph rey , ▁succeeded ▁him ▁in ▁business , ▁and ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁his ▁father ' s ▁est ates ▁at ▁Pur it on ▁(