Sir George Rooke, an English admiral, born at the family seat near Canterbury in. 1650, died there, Jan. 24, 1709. He entered the navy as a volunteer, and was made rear admiral of the red by William III. In the battle off Cape La Hogue, May 19, 1692, between the combined English and Dutch fleets and the French fleet, he led a night attack in the boats of the squadron, and burned six French three-deckers and seven other ships of the line, with a loss of only 10 men. He received a pension of £1,000, and was knighted. He was twice elected to parliament, and on the accession of Queen Anne in 1702 he was constituted "vice admiral and lieutenant of the admiralty of England, as also lieutenant of the fleets and seas." The war of the Spanish succession having begun, he was sent with a fleet against Cadiz, an attack upon which place was made, but abandoned; but receiving intelligence that the Plate fleet, under convoy of a French squadron, had taken shelter in the port of Vigo, in concert with the duke of Ormond he stormed the town, and destroyed 17 ships, capturing specie and goods amounting in value to £1,000,000. In August, 1704, he was conspicuous in the capture of Gibraltar. After a whole day's battle with a large French fleet off Malaga, Aug. 24, which got away in the night, he returned to England and retired from service.