Sir Thomas Slade (1703/4 – 1771) was an English naval architect best known for designing the Royal Navy warship HMS Victory, which served as Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.[2] Like many who rose to the pinnacle of the design of British sailing warships, Thomas Slade began as a shipwright in the Royal Dockyards.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.[7] Out of the 33 ships which were available to Nelson at Trafalgar, eight (Africa, Victory, Agamemnon, Bellerophon, Defiance, Thunderer, Defence, and Prince) were built to Thomas Slade's designs.Sir Thomas Slade died on 23 February 1771 in Bath, and is buried in St Clement's churchyard, Grimwade Street, Ipswich.
Battle of Quiberon Bay: the Day After
(Richard Wright, 1760). The
Dublin
-class
HMS
Resolution
is on her starboard side in the foreground
HMS
Asia
in Halifax Harbour, 1795. Watercolour by George Gustavus Lennock, a lieutenant aboard
Asia
.
HMS
Victory
in Portsmouth Harbour with a coal ship alongside, 1828. Etching by
Edward William Cooke
based on his own drawing.