SACRED TO THE BELOVED MEMORY OF / CAPTAIN WILLIAM HANS BLAKE, ROYAL NAVY, / YOUNGEST SON OF THE LATE COMMANDER GEORGE HANS BLAKE, R.N., / BORN 23, MARCH 1832, DIED 27.JANUARY 1874, AT CAPE COAST CASTLE, WEST COAST OF AFRICA, FROM THE EFFECTS / OF CLIMATE, BROUGHT ON BY EXCESSIVE EXERTION AND EXPOSURE, WHEN IN COMMAND OF THE NAVAL / BRIGADE, WHILE ON THE MARCH TO COOMASSIE, DURING THE ASHANTEE WAR OF 1873-4. / THIS GALLANT OFFICER ENTERED THE ROYAL NAVY IN 1846, AS NAVAL CADET ON BOARD H.M.S."HOUND", / IN WHICH VESSEL, BOTH AS CADET AND MIDSHIPMAN HE WAS EMPLOYED ON THE WEST COAST OF AFRICA IN THE / SUPPRESSION OF THE SLAVE TRADE, EVENTUALLY PROCEEDING IN HER TO THE WEST INDIES WHERE HE ALSO SERVED / IN H.M.SHIPS "ALARM" AND "IMAUM" _ BEING ATTACHED TO THE "BERMUDA" SCHOONER, A SAILING TENDER OF THE / LATTER _ UNTIL THE END OF 1850, IN NOVEMBER OF WHICH YEAR HE JOINED H.M.S."ALBION" AND WAS EMPLOYED / ON THE MEDITERRANEAN STATION. ON THE 29.OCTOBER 1852, WHILE IN THE "ALBION" HE PASSED HIS EXAMINATION / FOR A LIEUTENANT WITH GREAT CREDIT AND CONTINUED TO SERVE IN HER AS ACTING MATE UNTIL MARCH 1854, WHEN / HE WAS APPOINTED TO H.M.S."DUKE OF WELLINGTON" FLAG SHIP IN THE BALTIC, DURING THE WAR WITH RUSSIA. IN / SEPTEMBER 1854, HE WAS PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT AND TRANSFERRED TO H.M.S."EDINBURGH" IN / WHICH SHIP HE COMMANDED A ROCKET BOAT AT THE BOMBARDMENT OF SWEABORG IN AUGUST 1855, AND WAS / GAZETTED IN DESPATCHES "AS MAINTAINING HIS POSITION WITH STEADY GALLANTRY UNDER A SMART FIRE OF / BURSTING SHELL". ON BEING PAID OFF FROM THE "EDINBURGH" IN JUNE 1856, HE JOINED H.M.S."EXCELLENT" / WHENCE HE WAS IN NOVEMBER 1857, TRANSFERRED TO H.M.S."CAMBRIAN", AND PROCEEDED IN HER TO CHINA / WHERE HE WAS MOST ACTIVELY ENGAGED DURING THE EARLIER PERIOD OF THE CHINA WAR AND EARNED THE / HIGH COMMENDATION OF HIS SUPERIORS. FROM THE "CAMBRIAN" HE JOINED IN JANUARY 1859, H.M.S."NIGER" AND / PROCEEDED IN HER TO NEW ZEALAND WHERE HE SAW MUCH HARD SERVICE AT THE OUTBREAK OF THE / MAORI WAR, AND WAS AS SENIOR LIEUTENANT OF THE "NIGER" WHEN ON SHORE IN COMMAND OF THE PARTY OF / SEAMEN, DESPERATELY WOUNDED AT WAIREKA TARANAKI BY A GUN-SHOT WOUND IN THE BREAST WHICH UP TO THE TIME OF HIS LAMENTED / DEATH CAUSED HIM MUCH SUFFERING, THE BULLET HAVING LODGED NEAR THE HEART, AND BEING ONLY EXTRACTED AT THE POST- / MORTEM EXAMINATION HELD ON HIS REMAINS AT CAPE COAST CASTLE. FOR HIS CONSPICUOUS BRAVERY IN NEW ZEALAND HE RECEIVED / HIS PROMOTION TO THE RANK OF COMMANDER, AND WAS FOR HIS WOUND AWARDED A PENSION FOR LIFE. FROM JANUARY 1863, TO / MARCH 1865, HE COMMANDED H.M.S."ALECTO" ON THE SOUTH AMERICAN STATION; FROM APRIL 1865 TO MAY 1866, H.M.S."MUTINE" ON / THE PACIFIC STATION, WHERE HE MORE THAN ONCE RECEIVED THE THANKS OF HIS COUNTRYMEN FOR THE PROTECTION HE AFFORDED / TO BRITISH INTERESTS. FROM JUNE 1866 TO DECEMBER 1867, HE COMMANDED H.M.S."FALCON" ON THE AUSTRALIAN STATION, WHENCE HE / RETURNED TO ENGLAND, HAVING BEEN PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF CAPTAIN ON THE 14.SEPTEMBER 1867. IN APRIL 1873, HE WAS / APPOINTED TO H.M.S."DRUID" ON THE WEST COAST OF AFRICA, WHERE HE TOOK A MOST PROMINENT AND ACTIVE PART IN THE ASHANTEE / WAR, AND ON THE MARCH TO COOMASSIE BEING DETERMINED UPON, HE WAS FROM HIS HIGH PROFESSIONAL ABILITIES, SELECTED TO / ORGANIZE AND COMMAND THE NAVAL BRIGADE WITH WHICH HE MARCHED FROM CAPE COAST CASTLE TO PRASHU WITHOUT A SINGLE / MAN FALLING OUT, SO STRONGLY HAD HE IMBUED THOSE UNDER HIM WITH HIS OWN INDOMITABLE SPIRIT. LEAVING A FEW MEN TO GUARD / STORES AT PRASHU, HE, AT THE HEAD OF THE REMAINING PORTION OF HIS BRIGADE HAD THE HONOR OF BEING THE FIRST OF THE COMBINED / FORCES TO CROSS THE RIVER PRAH, BEYOND WHICH HE PROCEEDED SEVEN MILES, BUT ON HIS RETURN TO PRASHU AFTER THIS ARDUOUS / MARCH TO AWAIT REINFORCEMENTS AND JOIN THE BRITISH TROOPS HE WAS STRUCK DOWN WITH VIOLENT AFRICAN FEVER, AND AFTER / HEROICALLY BUT VAINLY STRUGLING AGAINST ITS MASTERY, HE WAS COMPELLED FROM UTTER PROSTRATION TO RESIGN HIS COMMAND AND / WAS CARRIED FROM PRASHU DOWN TO CAPE COAST CASTLE, WHERE HE EXPIRED ON THE 27.JANUARY 1874, ON BOARD H.M.S."VICTOR / EMANUEL" AND WAS BURIED ON SHORE THE SAME DAY WITH THE HONORS DUE TO HIS RANK. THUS WAS ADDED TO THE LONG AND / IMPERISHABLE ROLL OF PAST GALLANT NAVAL OFFICERS, ONE, WHOSE HIGH PROFESSIONAL CHARACTER, EQUALLY WITH / HIS NOBLE AND GENTLE QUALITIES, MADE HIM SO BELOVED IN LIFE AND AND SO DEEPLY LAMENTED IN DEATH. / THIS TABLET IS ERECTED TO THE BEST OF HUSBANDS AND FATHERS, BY HIS / SORROWING WIDOW. / BLESSED ARE THE DEAD WHICH DIE IN THE LORD FROM HENCEFORTH; YEA, SAITH THE SPIRIT, / THAT THEY MAY REST FROM THEIR LABOURS; AND THEIR WORKS DO FOLLOW THEM . / REV.XIV.13. // GAFFIN & CO / 63 REGENT ST. LONDON