Joaquín Blake

Joaquín Blake y Joyes (Vélez-Málaga, 19 August 1759 – 27 April 1827, Valladolid) was a Spanish military officer who served with distinction in the French Revolutionary and Peninsular wars.

Partially of Irish descent -his mother was from Galicia and his father an Irishman-, Blake was born at Vélez-Málaga to an aristocratic family. In his youth, he saw action as a lieutenant of the grenadiers in the American Revolutionary War, taking part in the abortive siege of Gibraltar and the 1783 reconquest of Minorca from the British.

At the outbreak of war with France in 1793, Blake, a captain, took part in the invasion of Roussillon under General Ricardos. He was wounded at San-Lorenzo-de-la-Muga in 1794.

Exploits in the field led to further promotions, and by the start of the Peninsular War in 1808, Blake held the rank of Lieutenant General. He was appointed head of the Supreme Junta's Army of Galicia (a paper force of 43,001 holding the Spanish left wing along the Cantabrian mountains) during the French invasions and fought well against Napoleon's Grande Armée despite the heavy odds against him.

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