| Earl of Derby | |
|---|---|
 Arms of Stanley, Earls of Derby Arms: Argent, on a bend azure three stags' heads caboshed or.Crest: On a chapeau gules turned up ermine an eagle, wings extended, or, preying on an infant in its cradle proper, swaddled gules, the cradle laced or.Supporters: Dexter, a griffin, wings elevated; sinister, a stag, each or, and ducally collared with line reflexed over the back azure.Motto: Sans changer (Without changing). | |
| Creation date | 1139(first creation) |
| Created by | Stephen, King of England |
| Peerage | Peerage of England |
| First holder | Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby(first creation) |
| Present holder | Edward Stanley, 19th Earl of Derby |
| Heir apparent | Edward John Robin Stanley, Lord Stanley |
| Subsidiary titles | Baron Stanley of Bickerstaffe Baron Stanley of Preston |
| Seat | Knowsley Hall |
| Former seat | Oaks Park |
| Motto | Sans changer (Without changing)[1] |
Earl of Derby (/ˈdɑːrbi/ ⓘDAR-bee) is a title in thePeerage of England. The title was first adopted byRobert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby, under a creation of 1139. It continued with the Ferrers family until the6th Earl forfeited his property toward the end of the reign ofHenry III and died in 1279. Most of the Ferrers property and (by a creation in 1337) the Derby title were then held by the family of Henry III. The titlemerged in the Crown uponHenry IV's accession to the throne in 1399.
The title was created again, this time for theStanley family, in 1485. Lord Derby'ssubsidiary titles areBaron Stanley of Bickerstaffe in theCounty Palatine of Lancaster (created 1832), andBaron Stanley of Preston in the County Palatine of Lancaster (1886). Thecourtesy title of the heir apparent isLord Stanley. The 1st to 5th Earls also held an earlierBarony of Stanley, created for the 1st Earl's father in 1456 and currently abeyant; the 2nd to 5th Earls held theBarony of Strange created in 1299, currently held by theViscounts St Davids; and the 7th to 9th Earls held another Barony of Strange, created in error in 1628 and currently held independently of other peerages.
Several successive generations of the Stanley Earls, along with other members of the family, have been prominent members of theConservative Party, and at least one historian has suggested that this family rivals theCecils (Marquesses of Salisbury) as the single most important family in the party's history. They were at times one of the richest landowning families in England.
The Earls of Derby have given their name to a number of sporting events: theEpsom Derby (usually known simply as the Derby) in horse racing, named for the12th Earl; theStanley Cup, the championship trophy of theNational Hockey League, presented to the Dominion of Canada in 1892 by the16th Earl, during his tenure asGovernor General of Canada; and theLord Derby Cup, contested by Frenchrugby league clubs, donated by the17th Earl, a former British ambassador to Paris. The term "local derby" in sport, referring to acontest between rivals in the same sport with geographically proximate home grounds, may also derive from the family's title and interest in sport.[2]
The family seat isKnowsley Hall, nearLiverpool,Merseyside.
Ferrières inNormandy, the hometown of the de Ferrers family, was an important centre for iron (French:fer) and takes its name from theiron ore mines used during theGallo-Roman period.[3] Lord ofLongueville,Normandy, and aDomesday Commissioner; he builtTutbury Castle andDuffield Castle and had large holdings in Derbyshire as well as 17 other counties.[citation needed]
Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby (1062–1139) was created Earl of Derby by King Stephen in 1138 for his valiant conduct at theBattle of Northallerton. He was married to Hawise de Vitre and died in 1139.
His sonRobert de Ferrers, 2nd Earl of Derby (?–bef.1160) became the next earl and was married toMargaret Peverel. He foundedDarley Abbey andMerevale Abbey.
His sonWilliam de Ferrers, 3rd Earl of Derby (died 1190) was married to Sybil de Braose. He rebelled against KingHenry II and was imprisoned atCaen,Normandy. He died in theCrusades at theSiege of Acre.
He was succeeded by his sonWilliam de Ferrers, 4th Earl of Derby (died 1247) who married Agnes de Kevelioc (also known as Agnes of Chester), daughter ofHugh de Kevelioc, 3rd Earl of Chester.
He was succeeded by his sonWilliam de Ferrers, 5th Earl of Derby (died 1254) who married Sibyl Marshall and then Margaret de Quincy with whom he had his son and heirRobert de Ferrers, 6th Earl of Derby (1239–1279), who became the next Earl.
He rebelled against KingHenry III and was arrested and imprisoned first in theTower of London, then inWindsor Castle andWallingford Castle, and in 1266 his lands and earldom were forfeited, including Tutbury Castle which still belongs to theDuchy of Lancaster. Through one line the descent of the Earls of Derby eventually gave rise to theEarls Ferrers.Laurence Shirley, 4th Earl Ferrers, was the onlypeer of the realm to behanged for murder. Another familial line takes in theBaron Ferrers of Chartley descent.
NOTE HOWEVER:This lineage conflicts with Burke (1831) (pp. 192–194)[4]
In that volume he gives the lineage as:
The large estates which were taken from Robert in 1266 were given byHenry III to his son,Edmund Crouchback; and his son,Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, also called himself Earl Ferrers. In 1337 Edmund's grandson,Henry of Grosmont (c. 1310 – 1361), afterwardsDuke of Lancaster, was created Earl of Derby, and this title was taken by Edward III's son,John of Gaunt, who had married Henry's daughter, Blanche. John of Gaunt's son and successor wasHenry Bolingbroke, who acceded to the throne asHenry IV in 1399. The title Earl of Derby thenmerged in the Crown.
TheStanley family was descended from Ligulf of Aldithley, who was also the ancestor of the Audleys (seeAudley-Stanley family). One of his descendants married an heiress whose marriage portion includedStoneley, Staffordshire – hence the name Stanley.Sir Thomas Stanley served asLord Lieutenant of Ireland and representedLancashire in theHouse of Commons. In 1456 he wassummoned to theHouse of Lords asLord Stanley. His eldest sonThomas Stanley, 2nd Baron Stanley, marriedLady Margaret Beaufort, the mother of KingHenry VII, and also Eleanor Nevill. The title ofEarl of Derby was conferred on him in 1485 by his stepson Henry VII after theBattle of Bosworth Field where Thomas decided to betray KingRichard III. The title may derive from the family's extensive lands in thehundred of West Derby,Lancashire, rather than the county or city ofDerby.[5]
His eldest son and heir apparentGeorge Stanley,Lord Stanley (commonly called Lord Strange), marriedJoan Strange, 9th Baroness Strange and 5thBaroness Mohun, and was summoned to theHouse of Lords as Lord Strange in right of his wife. Lord Derby was succeeded by his grandsonThomas, the eldest son of Lord Strange. He had already succeeded his mother as tenth Baron Strange and sixth Baron Mohun. He married Anne Hastings, daughter of Lord Hungerford and Hastings. The second Earl's sonEdward became the 3rd Earl. He notably served asLord High Steward at the coronation ofQueen Mary of England in 1553 and wasLord Lieutenant of Cheshire andLancashire.
Lord Derby was married four times. His second wife Dorothy Howard, daughter ofThomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk, supplied his heirHenry, the fourth Earl. He served as Ambassador toFrance and was one of the peers at the trial ofMary, Queen of Scots, in 1586. Lord Derby married Margaret Clifford, daughter ofHenry Clifford, 2nd Earl of Cumberland, and his wife Eleanor, younger daughter ofCharles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, and his wifeMary Tudor, daughter of King Henry VII. Both Lord Derby's sons succeeded to the earldom. The eldest sonFerdinando, the fifth Earl, was summoned to the House of Lords through awrit of acceleration in his father's junior title of Baron Strange in 1589. He also builtLeasowe Castle, probably as an observation platform for watching horse races on the nearby sands. Lord Derby married Alice Spencer but was without male issue. He died under mysterious circumstances and some have claimed that he was poisoned to prevent him from staking a claim to the throne of England through his maternal grandmother. On his death, the baronies of Stanley, Strange and Mohun fell intoabeyance between his three daughters.
He was succeeded in the earldom by his younger brotherWilliam, the sixth Earl. He was Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire and Cheshire and purchased from his nieces their claims in theIsle of Man. William married Elizabeth de Vere daughter ofEdward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford. Their sonJames succeeded to the earldom on his father's death. In 1628, during his father's lifetime, he was summoned to the House of Lords through a writ of acceleration as Lord Strange, as it was believed that his father held this title. When it was discovered that this was a mistake, the House of Lords decided that there were two baronies of Strange, the original 1299 creation and the new, 1628 creation. James was a staunch Royalist. In 1643 he moved to theIsle of Man and established it as a Royalist stronghold. He was beheaded inBolton, Lancashire by the Parliament forces in 1651. His wife wasCharlotte de la Trémouille, daughter ofClaude de la Trémoille, Duc de Thouars, who is known as the heroine who defendedLathom House in 1644 and theIsle of Man in 1651.
Their sonCharles became the 8th Earl. He served as Lord Lieutenant of both Cheshire and Lancashire. Lord Derby married Dorothea Helena Kirkhoven, daughter of Jehan Kirkhoven, Lord ofHeenvliet (inSouth Holland) and Baron de Rupa of the Netherlands. They had two sons who both succeeded to the earldom. The 8th Earl's eldest sonWilliam Richard George became the 9th Earl. He was also Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire and Lancashire. He married Elizabeth Butler, daughter ofThomas Butler, Earl of Ossory, and sister ofJames Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde. He had two daughters and one son. He outlived his son and on his death in 1702, the barony of Strange fell into abeyance between his daughters. He was succeeded in the earldom by his younger brother,James, the tenth Earl. He was a politician and served asChancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and asCaptain of the Yeomen of the Guard. Like many of his predecessors, he was also Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire and Lancashire. In 1732 he succeeded his great-niece as 6th Baron Strange. Lord Derby was childless and on his death in 1736, the male line of the second Earl died out. He was succeeded in the barony of Strange, which could be passed on through female lines, by his first cousin once removed,James Murray, 2nd Duke of Atholl.
The earldom was inherited by his distant relativeSir Edward Stanley, 5th Baronet, of Bickerstaffe, a descendant of a younger brother of the second Earl, who became the 11th Earl of Derby (see below for earlier history of the baronetcy). He had previously represented Lancashire in Parliament and after he succeeded in the earldom he served as Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire. Lord Derby married Elizabeth Hesketh. His residence wasBickerstaffe Hall nearOrmskirk,Lancashire. The 11th Earl's younger brother was the Hon. and Rev. John Stanley, Rector ofBury Parish Church 1743–1778. Edward's eldest son, James, Lord Stanley, was commonly called Lord Strange. Edward outlived James (who died in 1771) and was succeeded by James' sonEdward, the 12th Earl. He held political office as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and also foundedThe Derbyhorse-race. Lord Derby marriedLady Elizabeth Hamilton, daughter ofJames Hamilton, 6th Duke of Hamilton. His second marriage was to a Drury Lane actress,Elizabeth Farren.
The 12th Earl's first marriage produced his heirEdward, the thirteenth Earl. He representedPreston and Lancashire in the House of Commons and in 1832, two years before he succeeded his father, he was raised to the peerage in his own right asBaron Stanley, of Bickerstaffe in the County Palatine of Lancaster. Lord Derby was also a natural historian and his zoological collections were foundedLiverpool Museum. He was also a patron of the arts, especially of the poetEdward Lear who wroteThe Owl and the Pussycat for the Earl's children. He was married to Charlotte Hornby. In 1844, he had a church built on the Knowsley Estate, St. Mary the Virgin, where several Stanleys found their final resting place.
His son,Edward, succeeded him to become the 14th Earl. He is the most famous of the Earls of Derby. Known as a great parliamentary orator, he sat asMember of Parliament forStockbridge, a seat bought by his father,Windsor andLancashire North. In 1844 he was summoned to the House of Lords through a writ of acceleration in his father's junior title of Baron Stanley. Although at first aWhig, he later became aTory and served three timesPrime Minister of the United Kingdom. Lord Derby was married to Emma Wilbraham, daughter ofEdward Bootle-Wilbraham, 1st Baron Skelmersdale. They had a daughter and two sons, both of whom succeeded to the earldom. The eldest sonEdward Henry, was a prominent politician and served under his father asParliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs andForeign Secretary. He became Foreign Secretary again underBenjamin Disraeli. In 1880 he joined theLiberal Party and was Colonial Secretary underWilliam Gladstone between 1882 and 1885.
His younger brother and successor,Frederick Arthur Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby, was aConservative politician and held office asSecretary of State for War, as Colonial Secretary and asPresident of the Board of Trade. In 1886, seven years before succeeding his brother, he was raised to the peerage in his own right asBaron Stanley of Preston, in the County Palatine of Lancaster. He was alsoGovernor General of Canada between 1888 and 1893. In 1892, he purchased and donated theStanley Cup, to be awarded to the "championship hockey club of the Dominion of Canada" each year; it eventually became the trophy for the championship of theNational Hockey League. Lord Derby was married to Lady Constance Villiers, daughter ofGeorge William Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon.
He was succeeded by his sonEdward, the seventeenth Earl. Like many of his ancestors he was a politician and notably served asSecretary of State for War. He was alsoAmbassador to France, and during this time followed his father's lead by donating theLord Derby Cup, given each year to the winners of the Frenchrugby league knockout competition. Lord Derby married Alice Montagu daughter ofWilliam Montagu, 7th Duke of Manchester. A pair of Memorial Gates were erected in 1958 on Knowsley Lane on the Knowsley Estate in his memory. His two sons,Edward Stanley, Lord Stanley, and the Hon.Oliver Stanley both became Conservative politicians and served together in the same cabinet in 1938. Lord Derby outlived his eldest son and was succeeded by his grandsonJohn, the eldest son of Lord Stanley, who became the 18th Earl. He was Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire and also establishedKnowsley Safari Park in 1971. He married Isabel Miles-Lade but died childless. As of 2017[update] the titles are held by his nephewEdward Richard William Stanley, 19th Earl of Derby. He is the son of Hugh Henry Montagu Stanley, younger brother of the 18th Earl.
TheStanley baronetcy, of Bickerstaffe in the County Palatine of Lancaster, was created in theBaronetage of England in 1627 forEdward Stanley. He was the great-grandson of the Hon. Sir James Stanley, of Cross Hall,Lathom, younger brother of the second Earl of Derby. This branch of the family is known as the "Stanleys of Bickerstaffe". Sir Edward Stanley's great-grandson, the fourth Baronet, represented Preston in Parliament. His son, the aforementioned fifth Baronet, succeeded as eleventh Earl of Derby in 1736. For further history of the baronetcy, see above.
James Stanley, son of the first Earl, becameBishop of Ely in 1506. He sent a small army into theBattle of Flodden, commanded by his alleged son Sir John Stanley who later entered themonastery ofWestminster Abbey.
Edward Stanley, a descendant of Peter Stanley, younger son of the second Baronet, sat as Member of Parliament forSomerset West andBridgwater.
The Earl of Derby ownsKnowsley Hall andGreenhalgh Castle; they were theLords of Mann, i.e. of theIsle of Man from 1405 until 1594.
Several Earls of Derby are buried in St. Mary's Church, Knowsley. Others are buried in the Derby Chapel atOrmskirk Parish Church.
TheBarons Stanley of Alderley are members of another branch of the Stanley family. They are descended from the Hon. Sir John Stanley, third son of the first Baron Stanley. Also,Edward Stanley, 1st Baron Monteagle, was the younger son of the first Earl of Derby.
A boarding house ofWellington College was named 'Stanley' in honour ofthe 14th Earl. During his time at Wellington,the 17th Earl was a pupil of this house.
Theheir apparent is the present holder's son, Edward John Robin Stanley, Lord Stanley (born 1998).
For further Baronets, see above
For further Barons, see above
There are further heirs to the barony of Stanley descended from the younger brothers of the first earl. |
| Thomas STANLEY *c. 1405 † 1459 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Thomas *1435 †1504 | |||||||||||||||||||
| George *1460 †1503 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Thomas *1477 †1521 | James *1486 †1562 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Edward *c. 1508 †1572 | Henry *1515 †1598 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Henry *1531 †1593 | Edward *… †c. 1640 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ferdinando *1559 †1594 | William *b.1584 †1642 | Thomas *1616 †1653 | |||||||||||||||||
| James *1607 †1651 | Edward *1643 †1671 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Charles *1628 †1672 | Thomas *1670 †1714 | ||||||||||||||||||
| William *c. 1655 †1702 | James *b.1664 †1736 | Edward *1689 †1776 | |||||||||||||||||
| James SMITH-STANLEY *1716 †1771 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Edward *1752 †1834 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Edward *1775 †1851 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Edward *1799 †1869 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Edward STANLEY *1826 †1893 | Frederick STANLEY *1841 †1908 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Edward *1865 †1948 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Edward *1894 †1938 | |||||||||||||||||||
| John *1918 †1994 | Hugh *1926 †1971 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Edward *1962 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Edward *1998 | |||||||||||||||||||
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