Anthony Deane (shipwright) facts for kids
Sir Anthony Deane (1633 – 1721) was an English shipbuilder and politician. He was a member of a famous science group called the Royal Society. He also served as the mayor of Harwich and was a member of the English Parliament.
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Early Life
Anthony Deane was born in Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire, and was baptized on December 3, 1633. When he was young, he started learning the skill of shipbuilding. He became an apprentice to a master shipbuilder named Christopher Pett at Woolwich Dockyard. In 1660, he was made the assistant shipbuilder at the Dockyard.
In August 1662, Deane met Samuel Pepys, who was an important official in the Navy. Pepys was very impressed with Deane's skills. Pepys thought Deane was a talented shipbuilder. He believed Deane could do great work for the King.
[Deane is] "a very able man, and able to do the King's service... [I] will commend his work with skill and vie with others, especially the Petts"
Because Pepys recommended him, the Navy Board reopened the old Harwich Dockyard in October 1664. Deane was made the master shipbuilder there. This promotion meant he could design and build naval ships freely. Harwich was a smaller dockyard compared to others like Portsmouth or Plymouth.
Smart Ship Design
Deane was one of the first people to use scientific ideas in building ships. Between 1666 and 1675, he designed and built 25 ships for the Royal Navy. Some of these ships included Rupert, Resolution, and Swiftsure.
He was known for being able to figure out how deep a ship would sit in the water before it was even launched. This was a big secret and something the King admired. It showed how advanced Deane's methods were for his time.
New Ideas in Ship Building
The Harwich Dockyard closed in 1668 after a war ended. Deane then became the Master Shipwright at Portsmouth Dockyard. In 1670, he was the first English shipbuilder to use iron in a major way for a Royal Navy ship. He used U-shaped iron bars to make the ship's outer planks stronger.
His supporter, Samuel Pepys, didn't like this new idea at first. But King Charles II approved Deane's use of iron. However, this new method wasn't used in other Royal Navy ships for almost 50 years.
In 1672, Deane was promoted to Commissioner at Portsmouth. This made him a member of the Navy Board. Even though he wasn't directly building ships at Portsmouth anymore, he still built several ships as a private builder. He worked mainly at Harwich and also at Rotherhithe.
Life in Politics
In 1675, Anthony Deane was knighted, which means he was given the title "Sir." He was also put in charge of the Victualling Accounts, which managed supplies for the Navy. A year before this, as a local leader (alderman) in Harwich, he paid for a new jail and town hall to be built there. He was also a local leader in the City of London.
He became the Mayor of Harwich in 1676. He and his friend Samuel Pepys both became MPs (Members of Parliament) for Harwich in 1678. They were re-elected in 1679. They faced some serious accusations but were later cleared. For the next few years, Deane continued his successful work as a private shipbuilder.
He and Pepys were also MPs for Harwich again in 1685.
Deane wrote an important book called Doctrine for Naval Architecture in 1670. This book is now seen as one of the most important writings in the history of ship design. He also helped teach Peter the Great, the future ruler of Russia, about ships during Peter's trip to Europe.
Sir Anthony Deane was married twice. He had four sons and one daughter with his first wife, Ann Prowse. With his second wife, Christian, he had three sons and five daughters.
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