GEMMS IDGEMMS-PERSON-003674
NameJames Stanley
TitleLord
Gendermale
Denomination
Livedb. 1607-01-31 - d. 1651-10-15 (old)
Linked Manuscripts
Linked SermonsThe Triumph of God's Grace over Man's Sin -- auditor (autograph: yes)
Linked Reports
Associated PlacesKnowsley -- HomeLathom -- HomeIsle of Man -- Place of BusinessLancashire -- Place of BusinessLiverpool -- Place of Business
Source of DataCatherine Evans
Biographical Sources ConsultedODNB (26274)
Other Note7th Earl of Derby, before inheriting the title of Earl in 1642 he was known as Lord Strange. He was the eldest son of William Stanley, sixth earl of Derby, and Elizabeth de Vere (1575-1627). He was educated by private tutors in the houses at Knowsley and Lathom and travelled in France an Italy. When he returned in 1625 he was elected MP for Liverpool and in 1626 admitted to the Order of Bath, serving jointly with his Father as Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire and Cheshire, although his father was inactive in the role. Lord Strange ran the lieutenancy alone, and also worked to restore the Stanleys' fortune after the protracted, expensive inheritance dispute that his father and nieces had been embroiled in since William succeeded his brother as Earl of Derby. Lord Strange also assisted in the administration of the Isle of Man and was appointed Lord of Mann in 1627. On 26 June 1626 he married Charlotte de La Tremoille (1599-1664), daughter of of Claude de La Trémoille, duc de Thouars, and Charlotte Brabantine de Nassau. They would have six children who survived beyond infancy: Charles, 8th Earl of Derby (1628-1672), Edward (1639-1664), William (1640-1670), Henrietta Maria (1630-1685), Katherine, and Amelia (1633-1702). He adhered closely to theology and liturgy of the Elizabethan church, and was closely connected to the anti-Catholic cause. He disliked Laudian ecclesiastical policies, and as a result withdrew from court for much of the 1630s. However, in the months before the outbreak of the civil war he became a supporter of Charles I, seizing ammunition for the king in 1642. He attempted to get Manchester authorities to surrender their ammunition, although this failed and provoked a riot, leading to him being impeached for high treason. He was also mistrusted by the royalists after trying to get truces agreed between the two camps. He suffered a number of defeats in the North West and was ordered to the Isle of Man in June 1643, where he managed to dissipate a rebellion. In March 1644 he returned to England because Lathom, under the command of his wife, was besieged by parliamentarians. He was able to relieve Lathom and retake Liverpool and Bolton, although with many deaths. The couple retreated to the Isle of Man, where they would remain until 1651 with the island acting as a refuge for royalists. This refusal to surrender the island meant that his estates in England were sequestered, despite many attempts to plead against this. Parliamentarian hatred of Derby increased, with him being described in a petition in Lancashire as 'the first and principall Incendiary of war in the countie' and arguing that 'our Countye being thus defiled with blood cannot otherwise be purged then by the blood of those who shed it' (Manchester Central Library, Manchester Archives and Local Studies, BR f 942.962 P 13). In May 1650 his daughters were imprisoned and his estates began to be sold, but he returned to England in August 1651 to join the king's army from Scotland. He joined the army at Worcester a day before their defeat on 3 September, and helped the king escape. He gave himself up to parliamentarian troops and was charged with high treason. Despite support from Cromwell his plea for clemency was rejected and he was condemned to death, executed at Bolton on 15 October.
GEMMS record createdOctober 06, 2021
GEMMS record last editedOctober 06, 2021