Thomas Slade
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Sir Thomas Slade (? - 1771) was an English naval architect, most famous for designing the HMS Victory, Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
He was appointed Surveyor of the Navy in 1755 by George Anson, First Lord of the Admiralty, serving until his death in 1771. During his tenure, he created a "generic design" that was used as a template for the Royal Navy's 74-gun ships and frigates. His "74" designs, starting with the Dublin class, were an evolution of current British ships, built to compete with the new French "74"s, some of which had been captured during the War of Austrian Succession in 1747. At least 46 "74"s were built to his designs; the last was launched in 1789.
- Slade's birthdate is not known
- His will was proven on 19 March 1771 (Prob. 11/965)
- Slade Point (21° 04'S, 149° 14'E) on the central Queensland coast was named after him
[edit] References
- The Billy Ruffian: The Bellerophon and the Downfall of Napoleon (2003) - David Cordingly, Bloomsbury USA
- British Napoleonic Ship-Of-The-Line (2001) - Angus Konstam [Tony Bryan, Illustrator], Osprey Publishing
- British Warships in the Age of Sail, 1714 to 1792 (2007) - Rif Winfield, Chatham Publishing.
- British Warships in the Age of Sail, 1793 to 1817 (2005) - Rif Winfield, Chatham Publishing.
- The 74-gun ship Bellona (1985) - Brian Lavery [ISBN 0-85177-368-0]
