War of The Spanish Succession
With the opening of the War of the Spanish Succession in 1702, he commanded the unsuccessful allied expedition against Cádiz, but on the passage home destroyed the Spanish treasure fleet in the Battle of Vigo Bay, which won him the thanks of Parliament.
He commanded the allied naval forces in the capture of Gibraltar in July 1704, becoming military Governor of Gibraltar from 24 July to 4 August.
On 13 August 1704, he attacked the French fleet off Málaga, the battle being drawn in tactical terms, but successful strategically in supporting the allies at Gibraltar. On account of his health, he retired from the service in February 1705 and returned to his estate at St Lawrence near Canterbury where he died.
A statue was raised to honour Rooke at Gibraltar in 2004, during the 300th anniversary celebration.
Read more about this topic: George Rooke
Famous quotes containing the words war of, war, spanish and/or succession:
“Then think I thus: sith such repair,
So long time war of valiant men,
Was all to win a lady fair,
Shall I not learn to suffer then,
And think my life well spent to be,
Serving a worthier wight than she?”
—Henry Howard, Earl Of Surrey (1517?–1547)
“Their bodies are buried in peace; but their name liveth for evermore.”
—Apocrypha. Ecclesiasticus, 44:14.
The line “their name liveth for evermore” was chosen by Rudyard Kipling on behalf of the Imperial War Graves Commission as an epitaph to be used in Commonwealth War Cemeteries. Kipling had himself lost a son in the fighting.
“Ferdinand De Soto, sleeping
In the river, never heard
Four-and-twenty Spanish hooves
Fling off their iron and cut the green,
Leaving circles new and clean
While overhead the wing-tips whirred.”
—Mark Van Doren (1894–1973)
“Life is measured by the rapidity of change, the succession of influences that modify the being.”
—George Eliot [Mary Ann (or Marian)