lave ▁of ▁Ta un ton ▁during ▁the ▁Sie ge ▁of ▁Ta un ton ▁( 1 6 4 5 ), ▁which ▁earned ▁him ▁national ▁recognition ▁and ▁where ▁he ▁fam ously ▁declared ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁eat ▁three ▁of ▁his ▁four ▁pairs ▁of ▁bo ots ▁before ▁he ▁would ▁surrender . ▁He ▁subsequently ▁succeeded ▁in ▁winning ▁the ▁Sie ge ▁of ▁Dun ster ▁( Nov ember ▁ 1 6 4 5 ). ▁ ▁At ▁sea ▁Bla ke ▁was ▁appointed ▁general ▁at ▁sea ▁in ▁ 1 6 4 9 . ▁Although ▁it ▁is ▁commonly ▁used , ▁Bla ke ' s ▁name ▁was ▁never ▁prefix ed ▁by ▁' ad mir al ', ▁a ▁rank ▁which ▁was ▁not ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁Parliament arian ▁n avy ; ▁his ▁actual ▁rank ▁of ▁general ▁at ▁sea ▁combined ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁an ▁adm iral ▁and ▁commission er ▁of ▁the ▁Navy . ▁In ▁ 1 6 5 1 ▁he ▁led ▁a ▁force ▁to ▁successfully ▁remove ▁the ▁Royal ist ▁Sir ▁John ▁Gren ville ▁from ▁the ▁Sc illy ▁Is les , ▁where ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁appointed ▁Governor ▁by ▁Charles ▁II ▁after ▁a ▁local ▁re bell ion . ▁ ▁Bla ke ▁is ▁often ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁' F ather ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Navy '. ▁As ▁well ▁as ▁being ▁largely ▁responsible ▁for ▁building ▁the ▁largest ▁n avy ▁the ▁country ▁had ▁then ▁ever ▁known , ▁from ▁a ▁few ▁tens ▁of ▁ships ▁to ▁well ▁over ▁a ▁hundred , ▁he ▁was ▁first ▁to ▁keep ▁a ▁fleet ▁at ▁sea ▁over ▁the ▁winter . ▁Bla ke ▁also ▁produced ▁the ▁n avy ' s ▁first