Sir Benjamin Slade, 7th Baronet

Sir Benjamin Julian Alfred Slade, 7th Baronet (born 22 May 1946) is a businessman and self-publicist.[1]

Life

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Sir Benjamin Julian Alfred Slade is the son of Sir Michael Nial Slade, 6th Baronet, and Angela Clare Rosalind Chichester. Slade inherited his baronetcy from his father in 1962, and is usually known as Sir Ben Slade. His older brother, Robert, predeceased their father. Sir Ben was educated at Millfield School. He lives at Maunsel House in Bridgwater, Somerset.[2] Slade has a daughter, Violet, with Sahara Sunday Spain,[3] but is still looking for a male heir who has genetic similarity to one of his further paternal ancestors, who will take an interest in running the estate and to whom he will leave it in trust.[4][5]

He was married (from the late 1970s to 1991) to Pauline Myburgh (daughter of Major Claude Myburgh) and divorced, claiming that her 17 cats were an impediment to the marriage.[6] He had a relationship with Fiona Aitken (currently wife of the Earl of Carnarvon) for a few years in the 1990s.[1] His partner was Kirsten Hughes,[7] star of Jane and the Lost City, until she "ran off with the handyman".[1]

In 2017 Slade separated from partner Bridget Convey because at the age of 50 she was too old to supply him with an heir. In the same year he advertised for a wife citing that she should have a shotgun licence, a driving licence, a coat of arms and be young enough to have sons. He rejected candidates from countries beginning with an 'I' or with green in the flag (except Italian and northern Indian women), Scots, lesbians and communists.[6]

Sir Benjamin has starred in The Guest Wing, a television programme about owners of country houses, which was shown on Sky Atlantic in April 2012.[8]

In 2019 Sir Benjamin was found by an employment tribunal to have unfairly dismissed and egregiously discriminated against two women who worked for him and who both became pregnant within a few months of each other. They were awarded compensation for unfair dismissal, lost earnings and discrimination totalling £179,500.[9][10]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Sir Benjamin Slade: 'I am going to be a mega, mega-star'". The Independent. 27 April 2008. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  2. ^ "Maunsell House". Retrieved 23 August 2014.
  3. ^ "Eccentric gun nut Sir Benjamin Slade becomes a father at the age of 75". Express Digest. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  4. ^ "My ancestors were frisky – swarms of Slades are everywhere". The Observer. 19 February 2006. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  5. ^ Chalmers, Robert (27 April 2008). "Sir Benjamin Slade: 'I am going to be a mega, mega-star'". The Independent. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  6. ^ a b 'Wanted: Baby-maker for eccentric toff, 70' - Daily Express 19 April 2017 pg 24
  7. ^ "£1m stately mansion up for grabs". BBC. 22 December 2005. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  8. ^ "The Guest Wing, Sky Atlantic". The Telegraph. 13 April 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  9. ^ "Employment Tribunal Hearing, Bristol, 24th May 2019" (PDF). GOV.UK. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  10. ^ "1) Sir Benjamin Slade Baronet 2) Andrew Hamilton v 1) Melissa Biggs 2) Roxanne Stewart 3) Aethelbert Ltd: EA-2019-000687-VP (Previously UKEAT/0296/19/VP)". GOV.UK. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
Baronetage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Michael Nial Slade
Baronet
(of Maunsell Grange)
1962 – present
Incumbent