Mary Lacy facts for kids

Mary Lacy (born around 1740 – died 1801) was a brave British sailor, shipwright, and writer. She was likely the first woman to pass an exam and get a pension from the British Admiralty as a shipwright. This means she was officially recognized for building and repairing ships!

Mary Lacy's Early Life

Mary Lacy was born in Wickham, Kent, in 1740. When she was just twelve years old, she started working as a domestic servant.

In 1759, at the age of nineteen, Mary made a bold choice. She ran away from home, dressing up as a boy. She used the name William Chandler. William was her father's name, and Chandler was her mother's maiden name.

As "William Chandler," she worked for a ship's carpenter in the British navy. In 1763, she began training to become a shipwright. A shipwright is someone who builds and repairs ships. Mary successfully finished her training.

In 1770, she took her exam to become a shipwright. She was probably the first woman ever to do this! However, in 1771, she had to stop working because of a health problem called rheumatism. She then asked the Admiralty for a pension, using her real name, Mary Lacy. The Admiralty was the government department in charge of the navy. They approved her pension.

In 1773, Mary published her life story, called The Female Shipwright. This book was printed again by the National Maritime Museum in 2008.

Mary Lacy's Later Years

On October 25, 1772, Mary Lacy married Josias Slade. He was also a shipwright from Deptford, Kent. They got married at St Mary Abbots, Kensington.

That same year, Mary and Josias had their first child, Margaret Lacey Slade. She was born in August. They had other children too: Josias Slade (born 1775), Mary Slade (born 1777), another Josias Slade (born 1778), Elizabeth Slade (born 1780), and John Slade (born 1784). Sadly, many of their children died very young.

Mary Lacy passed away in 1801. She was buried at St Paul's, Deptford, Kent. Her husband, Josias Slade, died later in 1814 and was also buried there.

Mary Lacy's life story is featured in a book called Female Tars: Women Aboard Ship in the Age of Sail by Suzanne Stark. This book tells about women who worked on ships in the 1700s.

Published Works

• The Female Shipwright (1773)