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420:, after two ballots, but did not live to be able to sit. On 16 January 1674, it was resolved by Parliament that Spragge had failed to be elected because he had illegally influenced the election; he had in fact ordered an old and infirm pilot, who he knew intended to vote for his rival, aboard one of his ships, to prevent him from voting.
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to which it had been rowed back as quickly as possible. The sloop remained partially floating and the body of
Spragge was recovered with the head and shoulders still out of the water and his arms so cramped around the wood that much force had to be applied to free them. Contemporaneous Dutch naval
197:– that he became a personal enemy of Tromp, vowing to kill him. His attitude was also influenced by the rumour that Tromp had remarked that Spragge had in future better let his wife command his squadron, who no doubt were well qualified for it, given her background.
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battles he sought out and fought Tromp, readmitted to the navy in 1673, with great fury, but without result. Spragge publicly swore an oath in front of King
Charles that the next time, he would either kill or capture his old enemy Tromp or die trying.
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broke out, which gave
Spragge the chance to deal with his old rival Tromp. At this time, Rupert and Spragge became rivals, the latter becoming jealous for not having been appointed supreme commander. Spragge was in command of the Red Squadron on the
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on 21 August 1673, Spragge and Tromp, commanding their respective rear divisions, again clashed repeatedly, each having their ships so damaged as to need to shift their flags to fresh ships twice. First the
413:: "This was the sad ending of Knight Edward Spragge, bravest of all English Admirals, who was praised by his friends and enemies for his courage and honesty and commiserated from compassion".
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71:), and grandson of John Spragge, who came to Ireland in the Elizabethan period. His father was killed in about 1645 during the Civil War when Royalist Governor of Roscommon.
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82:'s royalist naval squadron. He remained loyal to the Stuarts after the war. When the royalist fleet had been dispersed in 1651, he began to work for the Dutch as a
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hitting the boat. The
Admiral was injured but perhaps died by drowning as his vessel sank, just before reaching the ropes of the
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He had no issue by his wife, but was the father of two illegitimate sons and one daughter by a mistress, Dorothy Dennis.
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in 1646, had likewise been forced to seek employment elsewhere. Spragge married Clara, daughter of the famous privateer
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Sir Edward
Spragge, Kt., a brave and valiant Sea Captain, who lost his life in a sea fight against the Hollanders, 1673
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officer. He was a fiery, brilliantly accomplished seaman who fought in many great actions after the
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put it, "he was a merry man, singing a pleasant song pleasantly". After 1653, he became a
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But Tromp was fired from the Dutch navy in August 1666. After the disaster of the
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Edward
Spragge is said to have been a slave in Algiers before serving in the
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On 1 February 1673, Spragge had been elected as a Member of
Parliament for
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156:, who greatly favoured his career. Spragge was then given command of the
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The Royal Navy has named four ships after
Spragge. The first two,
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associating himself with the
Flemish Collaert family, a group of
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The next year he was rear-admiral of the Green
Squadron, on the
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In 1670 and 1671, Vice Admiral Sir Edward Spragge fought the
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Captain Class Frigate Association: HMS Spragge K572 (DE 563)
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Spragge there, though practised in the sea command,
128:. Whenever Charles had need to send an envoy to the
440:Edward Spragge was the cousin of the later admiral
310:. In the spring of 1671, he sailed with a fleet to
587:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Volume 51
388:. On the second occasion, whilst passing from the
139:in 1665, after which he was knighted on board of
276:March straight to Chatham to increase the fear.
251:The neighbourhood ill, and an unwholesome seat,
423:Spragge was buried in the North Choir Aisle of
261:And swore that he would never more dwell there
246:Thorough the walls untight and bullet showers,
691:Members of the Parliament of England for Dover
564:. Oxford University Press. 2004. p. 974.
522:. Vol. 53. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
231:And quickly judged the fort was not tenáble--
212:came to an end. Spragge was thus satirized by
236:Which, if a house, yet were not tenantáble--
67:, Ireland, by his wife Mary Legge (sister of
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661:Royal Navy personnel of the Anglo-Dutch Wars
336:in 1672 and of the Blue Squadron on the new
241:No man can sit there safe: the cannon pours
676:English military personnel killed in action
562:Dictionary of National Biography, Volume 51
226:With panting heart lay like a fish on land
135:His first sea-fight with the Dutch was the
216:for his failure to defend Sheerness fort:
146:for his gallant conduct as captain of the
600:History of Parliament: Sir Edward Spragge
256:So at the first salute resolves retreat,
686:Military personnel from County Roscommon
63:Spragge was son of Lichfield Spragge of
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696:Irish officers in the Royal Navy
519:Dictionary of National Biography
485:cancelled in 1919. The fourth,
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671:Burials at Westminster Abbey
340:of 100 cannon in the double
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112:Anglo-Spanish War (1654)
43:– 21 August 1673) was a
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323:Third Anglo-Dutch War
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137:Battle of Lowestoft
130:Spanish Netherlands
119:English Restoration
666:English privateers
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202:Raid on the Medway
49:Stuart Restoration
34:Sir Edward Spragge
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16:Royal Navy officer
631:Westminster Abbey
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411:Michiel de Ruyter
384:and Tromp to the
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346:Schooneveld
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27:Peter Cross
640:Categories
501:References
405:historian
386:Comeetstar
312:Bougie Bay
117:After the
100:Dunkirkers
45:Royal Navy
487:HMS
476:HMS
472:fireships
465:HMS
454:HMS
448:Namesakes
402:St George
398:St George
390:St George
381:St George
84:privateer
65:Roscommon
55:in 1660.
208:and the
51:of King
546:pg. 182
489:Spragge
478:Spragge
467:Spragge
456:Spragge
392:to the
332:in the
316:Algiers
314:, near
307:Revenge
304:on the
289:Revenge
185:in the
178:Victory
159:Triumph
104:Dunkirk
86:in the
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481:was a
329:London
162:(72).
96:pirate
528:Notes
418:Dover
294:Bugia
125:Drake
566:ISBN
379:HMS
356:The
287:HMS
149:Lion
141:HMS
123:HMS
59:Life
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