Edward Spragge
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Sir Edward Spragge (? - 11 August 1673) was an English admiral. His name was also written as Spragg.
Spragge was a fiery, brilliantly accomplished Irish seaman who fought in many great actions after the restoration of King Charles II in 1660.
Spragge was a captain of the Royal Navy who in the English Civil War remained loyal to the Stuarts. When the royalist fleet had been dispersed in 1651, he began to work for the Dutch as a privateer in the First Anglo-Dutch War, which explains why some of his later colleagues had mixed feelings about him; he was very popular with the common sailors though. After 1653 he took up a life as a pirate associating himself with the Flemish Collaert family, a group of Dunkirk Raiders that after the French conquest of Dunkirk in 1646 had likewise been forced to seek employment elsewhere. Spragge married the daughter of the famous privateer Jacob Collaert. He often clashed with Commonwealth vessels when employed by the Spanish as a privateer in the Anglo-Spanish War (1654).
After the English Restoration Spragge was pardoned by Charles II and rewarded for his loyalty by being given a command in the new Royal Navy.
His first sea-fight with the Dutch was the Battle of Lowestoft in 1665, after which he was knighted for his gallant conduct as captain of the Lion (52), under Prince Rupert of the Rhine. Spragge was now given command of the Triumph (72).
The next year he was subcommander of the rear under Jeremy Smith in the St. James's Day Battle.
Although an overall English victory, the English rear had suffered a defeat against its direct opponent Lieutenant-Admiral Cornelis Tromp. Spragge felt so humiliated by this course of events — also because he was publicly denounced as a coward for his conduct by his enemy Robert Holmes — 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 backgrounds.
But Tromp was fired from the Dutch navy in August 1666 and after the disaster of the Raid on the Medway, where Spragge was present but unable to organize an efficient resistance against the Dutch raiders, England had to conclude peace with the United Provinces and the Second Anglo-Dutch War came to an end. Spragge was thus satirized by Andrew Marvell for his failure to defend Sheerness fort:
- Spragge there, though practised in the sea command,
- With panting heart lay like a fish on land
- And quickly judged the fort was not tenáble--
- Which, if a house, yet were not tenantáble--
- No man can sit there safe: the cannon pours
- Thorough the walls untight and bullet showers,
- The neighbourhood ill, and an unwholesome seat,
- So at the first salute resolves retreat,
- And swore that he would never more dwell there
- Until the city put it in repair.
- So he in front, his garrison in rear,
- March straight to Chatham to increase the fear.
In 1670 and 1671 Vice Admiral Sir Edward Spragge fought the Barbary pirates on the Revenge. In the Spring of 1671 he sailed with a fleet to Bougie Bay, near Algiers, where on 8 May, after a sharp fight, he burnt and destroyed ten corsair ships.
In 1672 the Third Anglo-Dutch War broke out, which gave Spragge the chance to deal with his old rival Tromp.
Spragge was in command of the Red Squadron on the London in the Battle of Solebay in 1672 and of the Blue Squadron on the new Prince Royal of 100 cannon in the double Battle of Schooneveld of 1673. In these last Schooneveld battles he sought out and fought Tromp, readmitted to the navy in 1673, with great fury, but without result.
Now Spragge publicly swore an oath that the next time he would either kill or capture his old enemy Tromp or die trying.
In the fourth Battle of Texel on 11 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 three times.
On the third occasion, whilst passing from the Prince Royal to the Royal Charles, Spragge's sloop was hit by cannon fire. The Admiral was injured but died by drowning as his vessel sank.
His body was later recovered and he was buried in the North Choir Aisle of Westminster Abbey, but without any memorial visible today.
