EXHIBIT 5.1
                                                                -----------

                           THOMAS H. TUCKER, ESQ.
                                P.O. BOX 2827
                       459 WASHINGTON STREET, SUITE 27
                        DUXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS 02331

OF COUNSEL                                           TEL: (781) 934-8200
DEBORAH HILL BORNHEIMER                              FAX: (781) 934-8205
E-MAIL HILLMOT@AOL.COM                               E-MAIL: THTUCK@AOL.COM

                              October 27, 2003

Board of Directors
Slade's Ferry Bancorp
Box 390
Somerset, MA 02726

Dear Sirs:

      The undersigned has acted as counsel to Slade's Ferry Bancorp (the
"Company") which is filing a Registration Statement on Form S-3 under the
Securities Act of 1933 (the "Act") relating to the registration and
proposed offering of 500,000 shares of the Company's Common Stock, $.01 par
value, pursuant to the Company's Dividend Reinvestment and Common Stock
Purchase Plan to existing Company stockholders.

      I have examined the Company's Certificate of Incorporation, its By-
laws and such other records and documents as I deem necessary as a basis
for this opinion.

      Based on the foregoing examination, I am of the opinion that:

      1.    The Company was duly incorporated and is validly existing under
the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts;

      2.    The shares of Common Stock of the Company being registered
will, when issued, be legally issued, full paid and non-assessable.

      I consent to be named in the Registration Statement as the attorneys
who will pass upon certain legal matters in connection with the offering
described in the Registration Statement, and to the filing of a copy of
this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving such
consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons
whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act.


                                       /s/ Thomas H. Tucker
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                                       Thomas H. Tucker