The History of Antigua, - Blake Family
Sir Patrick Blake.
Family
and Education
b. ?1742, 1st s.
of Andrew Blake of St. Kitts and Montserrat by Marcella French of
Ireland. educ. Eton 1758-60; St.
John’s, Camb. 18 Aug. 1760, aged 18. m. 14 Apr.
1762, Annabella (div. 1778), da. of Rev. Sir William Bunbury, sis. of T. C. Bunbury, 2s. 3da. suc. gd.-fa.
Patrick Blake of St. Kitts 1745; cr. Bt. 8 Oct.
1772.
Biography
Blake inherited considerable property in St. Kitts from his
grandfather, but from his father ‘1s. only, because of
his undutifullness ... and following the advice of a parcel of Irish knaves who
mean nothing but to plunder him’.
He seems to have applied to Grafton for a seat at the general
election of 1768. Sir William Musgrave wrote to Lord Carlisle, 1 Oct. 1767,
that Grafton had proposed Blake for Morpeth ‘and as you had directed me to take
the Duke’s nomination without exception, I immediately agreed’. But on 16 Oct.:
‘Mr. Blake ... has engaged himself in a contest at Sudbury, where it is thought
he will be drawn into great expenses without success.’ Blake stood at
Sudbury on a joint interest with Walden Hanmer, backed by Government. There was
both expense and success, and a petition against the return. In Parliament he
voted with Opposition on Wilkes’s petition, 27 Jan. 1769, and expulsion, 3 Feb.
1769; with Administration on Brass Crosby, 27 Mar. 1771; was classed as ‘pro,
present’ in Robinson’s two surveys on the royal marriage bill, March 1772, and
as ‘pro’ before the general election.
In 1774 he was defeated at Sudbury but seated on petition. He
does not appear in the five minority lists October 1775-December 1778, but was
classed as ‘contra, absent’ on the contractors bill, 12 Feb. 1779. His only
reported votes in this Parliament were with Opposition on the censure motion
against the Admiralty, 8 Mar. 1779, Dunning’s motion, 6 Apr. 1780, and the
motion against prorogation 24 Apr. In 1780 he was re-elected at Sudbury at the
head of the poll. The English Chronicle in
1780 or 1781 described him as ‘attached to the cause of patriotism’, and though
he voted with Administration on Lowther’s motion against the war, 12 Dec. 1781,
he voted with Opposition on the censure motion against the Admiralty, 20 Feb.
1782, and on Conway’s motion against the war, 22 Feb.
No other vote by him is
reported before he left Parliament. Robinson, March 1783, listed him as ‘ill or
cannot attend’, and January 1784 as ‘doubtful, absent’; Stockdale, 19 Mar.
1784, as ‘Administration’. There is no record of his having spoken in the House.
Blake did not stand again at the general election, and died 1 July 1784.
The Blake Family History can be found
The Blake Family History can be found
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