Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 49.djvu/211

 of the Dutch to set her on fire. In November following he was promoted to the command of the Holmes, from which he took post. During the following years he commanded the Nonsuch, the Hampshire, and the St. David in the Mediterranean, under Narbrough or Herbert [see ; ], and in 1688 was captain of the 50-gun ship Deptford. Though always accounted a tory, Rooke's political principles did not lead him, at this time, to run counter to the general feeling of the navy, which was in favour of the revolution. In May 1689, still in the Deptford, he took part in the battle of Bantry Bay, and was afterwards sent with a small squadron to the relief of Londonderry, then besieged by the forces of James II. It appears probable that there was some misunderstanding between Rooke and General Kirke as to the division of the work, and that Rooke believed his first care was the prevention of any assistance to the besiegers coming from the sea. It is certain that the squadron lay in Lough Foyle without attempting to succour the town, and that the boom was at last broken by the Dartmouth [see ] rather with Rooke's permission than by his orders.

In December he was moved into the Eagle, and on 6 May 1690 was promoted to be rear-admiral of the red, in which capacity, with his flag in the Duchess of 90 guns, he took part in the battle of Beachy Head. His evidence at the subsequent court-martial is said to have been very much in Torrington's favour. On 20 Jan. 1691–2 he was promoted to be vice-admiral of the blue squadron, and in that capacity, with his flag in the Neptune, was present in the battle of Barfleur [see ]. During the greater part of the day the blue squadron was helplessly to leeward; but in the afternoon a shift of wind permitted it to fetch to windward of the French line, thus placing the enemy between two fires, from which a lucky fog permitted them to escape for the time. When a part of their fleet had taken refuge in the bay of La Hogue, Rooke was ordered to take command of the boats and burn the enemy's ships. He accordingly shifted his flag to the 70-gun ship Eagle, and, standing close in with a squadron of the smaller ships of the line, sent in the boats and set fire to the French ships of war and transports, 23–4 May. Never was an operation of war more complete, and Rooke rightly received much credit for the way in which it was carried out. It is said, on very doubtful evidence, that the king conferred on him a pension of 1,000l. a year (, i. 407); it is certain that in the following spring, the king, going to Portsmouth, dined on board Rooke's ship and knighted him.

In May 1693 Rooke was appointed to convoy the outward-bound Mediterranean trade, consisting of about four hundred merchant ships, English and Dutch. For this service he had a force of thirteen ships of from forty to sixty guns, six smaller vessels, and eight Dutch ships, under Vice-admiral Van der Goes. The exceptional value and importance of the convoy rendered necessary exceptional measures for its defence; and the grand fleet, under the command of the joint admirals, Delavall, Killigrew, and Shovell, sailed with it for its further protection. The latter assumed, however, that the French fleet must be in Brest; they did not take any measures to ascertain whether it was or was not; and when they had seen the convoy some fifty leagues to the south-west of Ushant, they parted company and returned to St. Helen's. Rooke, with the convoy, went on, fearing no further danger, for his squadron was of overpowering strength against any attack from the enemy's cruisers. But on rounding Cape St. Vincent he found himself unexpectedly in the presence of the whole navy of France, which had lain in Lagos Bay, as it were, in ambuscade. Against such a force Rooke's squadron could do nothing. Squadron and convoy dispersed and fled, but a very large number of the merchant ships were captured, 17–18 June 1693. Rooke made his way to Madeira, whence he returned to Cork on 3 Aug. Not the least curious part of the business is that no blame for this loss fell on him. The ministry and the joint admirals were sharply criticised for not having informed themselves of the whereabouts of the enemy's fleet; but everybody seems to have considered that Rooke was in no way bound to have look-out ships well ahead, which might have given timely warning of the danger.

In April 1694 he was appointed one of the lords commissioners of the admiralty and admiral of the blue squadron. In September 1695 he was appointed admiral of the white squadron and commander-in-chief of the fleet sent to the Mediterranean, whence he returned in the following April, and, after commanding in the Channel for some weeks, was summoned to London to attend to his duties at the admiralty. In 1697 he again commanded the fleet in the Channel, and, falling in with a fleet of Swedish merchantmen on the coast of France, sent them all in for adjudication. Out of this grew an angry controversy, but the ships were all