The Monmouth Rebellion is the most notable thing ever to have happened in Bridgwater, but the town should also be famous as the birthplace of one Britain's most capable admirals, Robert Blake.
Blake was a Protestant, and during the Civil War he fought in Cromwell's army, attaining the rank of Colonel. Once the war was over, Cromwell turned his attention to maritime threats and appointed Blake to the post of "General-at-Sea". The immediate danger was a Royalist fleet under the command of Prince Rupert that was preying on British shipping. Blake hunted them down and destroyed them in battle at Cartagena in November 1650. He then set about consolidating Cromwell's hold on Britain's more far flung territories such as the Isles of Scilly and the Channel Islands. In the process he pioneered techniques for naval blockades and amphibious landings.
In 1652 war broke out between Britain and Holland. Blake again led the British fleets to victory. He was then given a commission to make a nuisance of himself in and around the Mediterranean. He did this with some flair, including a successful attack on Tunis. Later he destroyed Spain's New World Fleet at a battle off Tenerife in April 1657, without losing a single ship himself. That was his finest victory, and also his last battle. Suffering from several wounds, Blake died before the fleet could reach home.
There seems little doubt that Blake was an extremely talented admiral. Nelson, who knew his naval history, was a great admirer of Blake's achievements. Blake was even given a state funeral and buried in Westminster Abbey. However, when Charles II became King he ordered that all of Cromwell's henchmen buried in the Abbey be disinterred and buried elsewhere. With the restoration of the Monarchy, the period of Cromwell's rule became an unfashionable part of British history. Every British schoolboy knows of the exploits of famous sea commanders such as Drake and Nelson, but Blake has been forgotten.
A statue of Blake exists in Bridgwater town centre. You can also learn more about him in the town museum, which is situated in Blake's family home.