ships ▁commanded ▁by ▁Edward ▁P oph am , ▁who ▁brought ▁authority ▁to ▁go ▁to ▁war ▁with ▁Portugal . ▁ ▁Ru pert ▁twice ▁failed ▁to ▁break ▁the ▁block ade , ▁which ▁was ▁finally ▁raised ▁after ▁Bla ke ▁sa iled ▁for ▁C ád iz ▁with ▁seven ▁ships ▁he ▁had ▁captured ▁after ▁a ▁three - hour ▁eng agement ▁with ▁ 2 3 ▁ships ▁of ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁fleet ▁( d uring ▁which ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁vice - ad mir al ▁was ▁also ▁s unk .) ▁Bla ke ▁re - eng aged ▁with ▁Ru pert , ▁now ▁with ▁six ▁ships , ▁on ▁ 3 ▁November ▁near ▁M ál aga , ▁capt uring ▁one ▁ship . ▁Two ▁days ▁later ▁Ru pert ' s ▁other ▁ships ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁were ▁driven ▁ash ore ▁attempting ▁to ▁escape ▁from ▁Cart ag ena , ▁se cur ing ▁Parliament arian ▁supre m acy ▁at ▁sea , ▁and ▁the ▁recognition ▁of ▁the ▁Parliament ary ▁government ▁by ▁many ▁European ▁states . ▁Parliament ▁voted ▁Bla ke ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁pounds ▁by ▁way ▁of ▁thanks ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 6 5 1 . ▁In ▁June ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁year ▁Bla ke ▁captured ▁the ▁Is les ▁of ▁Sc illy , ▁the ▁last ▁out post ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ist ▁n avy , ▁for ▁which ▁he ▁again ▁received ▁Parliament ' s ▁thanks . ▁So on ▁afterwards ▁he ▁was ▁made ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Council ▁of ▁State . ▁ ▁Thanks ▁to ▁its ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁sea , ▁the ▁fleet ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁supply ▁C rom well ' s ▁army ▁with