Ernest Blake
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Ernest was the son of William Blake and his second wife, Mary Ann (née Bates). William Blake was born in Stamford, Lincolnshire, in 1858 (reg. J/F/M) and married Alice Hallam at Plumtree St Mary the Virgin, Nottinghamshire, in July 1880. They had three children: George William b. Burton on Trent Staffordshire 1883 and Edward b. 1884 and Alice Maude b. March 1886 who were born in Ruddington. All three children were baptised at Ruddington St Peter, Alice in April 1886 shortly after her mother's death at the age of 28 (reg. J/F/M). William married secondly Mary Ann Bates (b. Lincolnshire abt. 1869, bap. Barnack 11 July 1869), the daughter of Samuel and Maria Bates, at Stamford St Michael in April 1887. The couple had 13 children: Ellen Maria b. 1888, Samuel William b. 1889 and Cecil Arthur (Arthur) b. 1890 (d. 1919) who were born in Ruddington, Nottinghamshire; Ernest b. 1892, Albert Henry b. 1893 (reg. 1894 J/F/M), Percy b. 1895 (reg. 1896 J/F/M), John Charles (Charles) b. 1897, Mary Hannah (Hannah) b. 1898 (reg. 1899 J/F/M), and Harold b. 1900 who were born in Codnor; Henrietta Evelyn b. 1902 and Eric Arnold b. 1904 who were born in Selston Nottinghamshire, and Alfred Bates birth registered 1906 (J/F/M) and Clarence James b. 1908 who were born in Mansfield. Ernest was baptised at Codnor parish church on 11 May 1892. William, a collier, and Mary were living on Sharpe's Row, Marlpit, Ruddington, in 1891. In the home on the night of the census were William's two sons, George and Edward, and their three children, Ellen, Samuel and Arthur. William's daughter Alice Maude has not yet been traced on the census but in 1901 she was living with her maternal uncle, George Hallam, and his wife in Nottingham, and working as a pinafore machinist. It seems likely that Alice was brought up by members of her mother's family. She married Thomas Ware in 1904 and probably continued to live in Nottingham. William and his wife had moved to Codnor, Derbyshire, by 1901. In the home on the night of the census were George and Edward who were both coal pit gangers, Ellen, Samuel, Cecil, Ernest, Albert, Percy, Charles, Hannah and Harold. The next two children, Henrietta and Eric, were born in Selston but the family was living in Mansfield by 1906 when Alfred was born. William, now working as a general labourer (colliery), and Mary were living at 3 Mount Villas, Mansfield, in 1911. Ten children were still living at home: Edward and Arthur who were miner hewers, Albert, Percy and Charles who were colliery horse drivers and Hannah, Harold, Henrietta, Eric and Clarence. Ellen Maria had married John William Brecknock at Mansfield St Peter in 1908 and in 1911 they were living in Doncaster with their infant daughter. Also in the household were two of Ellen's brothers, Samuel, a miner hewer, described as a boarder, and Alfred who was visiting his sister. Ernest had joined the Royal Navy the previous year and was in barracks in Portsmouth, while George William, the eldest son, was probably serving in the Royal Engineers at Gibraltar Barracks, Aldershot (L/Cpl George Wm Blake, 28 b. Burton on Trent). William and Mary Ann later lived at 123 Newgate Lane, Mansfield. Ernest was serving in HMS Invincible when he married Eliza Ann Key (23), the daughter of John Key, a miner, at Mansfield St Peter in May 1915. The marriage register gave Ernest's address as Newgate Lane, Mansfield, and his wife's home was on Broxtowe Drive, Mansfield, which was probably her parents' home. At the time of Ernest's death the following year his wife was living at 74 Broxtowe Drive, Mansfield. Ernest's widow Eliza Ann, who was still living at 74 Broxtowe Drive, married Joseph Thurwell Brecknock (29, unmarried) of Woodlands, Doncaster, at Mansfield St Peter in June 1919. Joseph was probably the brother-in-law of Ernest's married sister, Ellen Maria Brecknock. Ernest's father, William, died in 1934 (reg. Mansfield). His widow Mary Ann may have died in 1935 (reg. Portsmouth).
Ernest joined the Royal Navy on a 12 year continuous engagement as a Stoker 2nd Class on 3 October 1910. He gave his date of birth as 23 February 1891 (age 19), although his birth was registered in 1892 (A/M/J Belper); a report of his death confirmed the year of birth as 1892. His occupation was filler (colliery). Ernest was recorded on the 1911 Census at the Royal Naval Barracks, Portsmouth. He served in the following ships and shore establishments: Victory II, 3 October 1918-29 October 1910 (Stoker 2nd Class); HMS Renown, 30 October 1910-21 January 1911; Victory II, 22 January 1911-3 April 1911; HMS Cochrane, 4 April 1911-8 April 1913 (Stoker 1st Class 15 August 1911); Victory II, 9 April 1913-21 April 1913; Victory II, 23 April 1913-2 August 1914; HMS Invincible, 3 August 1914-2 April 1915; (5 days cells); HMS Invincible 8 April 1915-28 July 1915; (3 days cells), 1 August 1915-31 May 1916. Service record annotated: ‘NP4060/1916. DD [Discharged Dead] 31st May 1916. Killed in action’ Ernest was serving in HMS Invincible (battlecruiser, launched 1907) when the battlecruiser was sunk by shell fire at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916. Third Battle Cruiser Squadron: HMS Invincible (Captain AL Clay RN) flagship Rear Admiral the Hon HLA Hood, HMS Inflexible and HMS Indomitable. ‘1829, Derfflinger fired her last salvo at that ship. One shell struck Invincible’s Q turret and after an interval of seconds, Q magazine, followed by P, blew up. Since she was 567 feet long and sank in less than 30 fathoms, an officer on the Indomitable ‘saw her two ends standing perpendicularly above water, the ship appearing to have broken in halves, each resting on the bottom.' The survivors were clinging to the floating wreckage … Six only were rescued by the destroyer Badger; but the gallant Admiral, Captain AL Clay and more than 1,000 officers and men did not sacrifice their lives in vain: they left four of Hipper’s ships in a worse state than the surviving British battlecruisers.’ 'Naval Battles of the First World War', Geoffrey Bennett (pp184-185). See also 'The Rules of the Game', Andrew Gordon (pp450-451). Ernest's body was not recovered for burial and he is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial (17).
CWGC Additional information: 'Husband of E. A. (sic) Brecknock (formerly Blake), of 55, The Park, Woodlands, Doncaster.' Mansfield Reporter, 9 June 1916: ‘Local Losses in the North Sea Battle. Mansfield Man Killed. Several sailors, natives of Mansfield district, were amongst the victims in the great North Sea battle last week. Stoker Ernest Blake, of Mansfield, was on the ‘Invincible’ which was sent to the bottom under conditions already described in the daily papers, and his wife has received the official announcement of his death and a letter of sympathy from the King. The deceased resided at 74, Broxtowe-drive, being married about 13 months ago. He had been on the ‘Invincible’ six years and he was in the skirmish off Lowestoft at Easter. On that occasion the ‘Invincible’ was damaged and Blake was at home last month for 19 days whilst the damage was being repaired. He did not expect the ship would be ready for sea under seven weeks, but it looks as though the repairing was speeded up in order that she could be ready for the anticipated fight. The deceased was aged 24. Several of his brothers are fighting for the Empire.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Mansfield Reporter, ‘In Memoriam,’ 9 June 1916: ‘In affectionate remembrance of my Dear Husband Stoker Ernest Blake who was killed in action on HMS Invincible, Wednesday May 31st, 1916 aged 24 years on the 23rd February 1916.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Ernest's half-brother, George William Blake, probably served with the Royal Engineers throughout the war and post-war as there is a probate record for a George William Blake of Staff Block, Gibraltar Barracks, Aldershot, who died in 1924 (widow Annie Dora Blake m. Sgt George Wm Blake RE, 1914). Ernest's brother Percy attested in the Territorial Force on a four year engagement (UK) in February 1913. He transferred to embodied service on 5 August 1914 and served with the 17th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (1638 Private) but transferred to the Tank Corps in December 1917. Percy was reported missing on 29 September 1918 but later identified as a prisoner of war; he was repatriated on 14 December 1918 and demobilised on 25 March 1919. He was discharged to 28 Carlton Street, Mansfield. Percy had married Ellen Partridge at Mansfield Register Office in 1917 and they had had a daughter inApril the following year. Service record: Home 5 August 1914-1 March 1915. BEF France 2 March 1915-17 August 1915. Home 18 August 1918-3 March 1916. France 4 March 1916-30 August 1917. Home 31 August 1917-23 June 1918. France 24 June 1918-13 December 1918. Home 14 December 1918. GSW arm 30 July 1915. He qualified for the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. Their brother Albert Henry Blake married Jane Wilson in 1913 (reg. Mansfield) and they had at least two children, Clarence William b. 1914 and Albert Henry b. 1923. CWGC 2203074. Albert Henry jnr. served with No. 40 Royal Marine Commando, Royal Marines (PO/X4970 Corporal), and was killed on 30 July 1944 aged 21 (Bari War Cemetery, Italy). Parents Albert Henry and Jane Blake of Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire. Bari War Cemetery: 'On 3 September 1943 the Allied invasion of the Italian mainland began with landing in the south near Reggio and, a few days later, in the Gulf of Salerno. The invasion coincided with an armistice made with the Italians who then re-entered the war on the Allied side. Allied objectives were to draw German troops from the Russian front and more particularly from France, where an offensive was planned for the following year. The site of Bari War Cemetery was chosen in November 1943. There was no serious fighting in the vicinity of the town, which was the Army Group headquarters during the early stages of the Italian campaign, but it continued to be an important supply base and hospital centre, with the 98th General Hospital stationed there from October 1943 until the end of the war. At various times, six other general hospitals were stationed at Trani and Barletta, about 48 km away. Besides garrison and hospital burials, the cemetery contains graves brought in from a wide area of south-eastern Italy, from the 'heel' right up to the 'spur'.' (www.cwgc.org)
