Edward Stanley, Lord Stanley (1894-1938)
Encyclopedia
Edward Montagu Cavendish Stanley, Lord Stanley PC
, MC
(9 July 1894 – 16 October 1938) was a British Conservative
politician. The eldest son of the 17th Earl of Derby
, he held minor political office before being appointed Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs
in 1938, sitting in the cabinet alongside his brother Oliver Stanley
. However, Stanley died only a few months after this appointment, aged 44.
, London
, the eldest son and heir apparent
of Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby
, by Lady Alice Montagu
. He was spectacularly well-connected to leading political families.
His father Edward, Lord Stanley, later the 17th Earl of Derby
, was at the time of his birth Conseravtive MP for Westhoughton, Lancashire
, and went on to serve as Secretary of State for War
from 1916–1918 and from 1922-1924. His paternal grandfather, the 16th Earl of Derby
, was a former Lancashire
MP, Colonial Secretary
, and Governor-General of Canada. His great-uncle, the 15th Earl
, served twice as Foreign Secretary and was Prime Minister Lord Salisbury
's stepfather, while his best-known ancestor was his great-grandfather, the 14th Earl of Derby
, who was Leader of the Conservative Party for 22 years (1846–1868; the longest tenure in that office) and Prime Minister three times (1852, 1858–59, and 1866–68). His paternal grandmother, Lady Constance Villiers, was daughter of Lord Clarendon
, who also served as Foreign Secretary, three times. Lord Stanley's uncles Sir Arthur and Sir George
also served as Conservative MPs.
His maternal grandfather was William Montagu, 7th Duke of Manchester
, also a Conservative peer and MP. His maternal grandmother Louisa von Alten
married after the death of the Duke of Manchester, Spencer, Duke of Devonshire
, also known as Lord Hartington, former Leader of the Liberal Party.
His sister Victoria married the son of Liberal Prime Minister Lord Rosebery
. Oliver Stanley
was his younger brother, and his son Richard
became an MP.
He became known by the courtesy title Lord Stanley in 1908, when his father succeeded in the earldom of Derby
. He was educated at Eton
and Magdalen College, Oxford
.
in Liverpool Abercromby. He left Parliament the following year, when the seat was abolished for the 1918 general election
. During this time, he was the Baby of the House. He returned to Parliament in the 1922 general election
when he was elected for Fylde
. He served under Stanley Baldwin
as a Junior Lord of the Treasury
from 1924 to 1927 and was a Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party
from 1927 to 1929.
On the formation of the National Government after the 1931
, Stanley was made Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty under Ramsay MacDonald
. On 26 February 1934, he was admitted to the Privy Council. In 1935 he was made Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs
by Baldwin, and later that year was made Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty. Two years later, Lord Stanley became Under-Secretary of State for India and Burma
. On 16 May 1938 he entered the cabinet
as Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs
. His brother, Oliver
, was also in the Cabinet as President of the Board of Trade. However, in October 1938, five months after being appointed to the cabinet, Lord Stanley died in Marylebone, aged 44. Neville Chamberlain paid tribute to him in the House of Commons: "So great, indeed, was his keenness and his interest in Imperial relations that he insisted on carrying out his intention to visit Canada, although even then he was suffering from the disease which has now ended fatally. Perhaps in that office he would have, for the first time, found an opportunity of showing the full extent of his powers, for those who knew him best had long recognised that he possessed to an exceptional degree the high qualities of steady judgment and sterling good sense, combined with a complete and utter selflessness and integrity of purpose."
, in 1917. They had three sons. He died in Marylebone, London, in October 1938, aged 44, predeceasing his father by ten years. His eldest son Edward
succeeded his grandfather in the earldom in 1948. Another son, Richard
, later became an MP for Fylde North
. Lady Stanley died in June 1969, aged 76.
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(9 July 1894 – 16 October 1938) was a British Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician. The eldest son of the 17th Earl of Derby
Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby
Edward George Villiers Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby KG, GCB, GCVO, TD, PC, KGStJ, JP , known as Lord Stanley from 1893 to 1908, was a British soldier, Conservative politician, diplomat and racehorse owner. He was twice Secretary of State for War and also served as British Ambassador to...
, he held minor political office before being appointed Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs
Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs
The position of Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs was a British cabinet level position created in 1925 responsible for British relations with the Dominions — Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Newfoundland, and the Irish Free State, as well as the self-governing colony of...
in 1938, sitting in the cabinet alongside his brother Oliver Stanley
Oliver Stanley
Oliver Frederick George Stanley MC, PC was a prominent British Conservative politician who held many ministerial posts before his early death when it was expected he would soon assume higher office....
. However, Stanley died only a few months after this appointment, aged 44.
Background and education
Stanley was born in MaryleboneMarylebone
Marylebone is an affluent inner-city area of central London, located within the City of Westminster. It is sometimes written as St. Marylebone or Mary-le-bone....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the eldest son and heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
of Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby
Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby
Edward George Villiers Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby KG, GCB, GCVO, TD, PC, KGStJ, JP , known as Lord Stanley from 1893 to 1908, was a British soldier, Conservative politician, diplomat and racehorse owner. He was twice Secretary of State for War and also served as British Ambassador to...
, by Lady Alice Montagu
Alice Stanley, Countess of Derby
Alice Stanley was born as Lady Alice Maud Olivia Montagu, the daughter of the 7th Duke of Manchester and his wife, Countess Louise von Alten....
. He was spectacularly well-connected to leading political families.
His father Edward, Lord Stanley, later the 17th Earl of Derby
Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby
Edward George Villiers Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby KG, GCB, GCVO, TD, PC, KGStJ, JP , known as Lord Stanley from 1893 to 1908, was a British soldier, Conservative politician, diplomat and racehorse owner. He was twice Secretary of State for War and also served as British Ambassador to...
, was at the time of his birth Conseravtive MP for Westhoughton, Lancashire
Westhoughton (UK Parliament constituency)
Westhoughton was a parliamentary constituency in Lancashire, England. Centred on the former mining and cotton town of Westhoughton, it returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
, and went on to serve as Secretary of State for War
Secretary of State for War
The position of Secretary of State for War, commonly called War Secretary, was a British cabinet-level position, first held by Henry Dundas . In 1801 the post became that of Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. The position was re-instated in 1854...
from 1916–1918 and from 1922-1924. His paternal grandfather, the 16th Earl of Derby
Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby
Frederick Arthur Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby KG, GCB, GCVO, PC , known as Frederick Stanley until 1886 and as Lord Stanley of Preston between 1886 and 1893, was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom who served as Colonial Secretary from 1885 to 1886 and the sixth Governor General...
, was a former Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
MP, Colonial Secretary
Colonial Secretary
Colonial Secretary may refer to:* Secretary of State for the Colonies, British Cabinet minister who headed the Colonial Office, commonly referred to as Colonial Secretary...
, and Governor-General of Canada. His great-uncle, the 15th Earl
Edward Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby
Edward Henry Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby KG, PC, FRS , known as Lord Stanley from 1844 to 1869, was a British statesman...
, served twice as Foreign Secretary and was Prime Minister Lord Salisbury
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, KG, GCVO, PC , styled Lord Robert Cecil before 1865 and Viscount Cranborne from June 1865 until April 1868, was a British Conservative statesman and thrice Prime Minister, serving for a total of over 13 years...
's stepfather, while his best-known ancestor was his great-grandfather, the 14th Earl of Derby
Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, KG, PC was an English statesman, three times Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and to date the longest serving leader of the Conservative Party. He was known before 1834 as Edward Stanley, and from 1834 to 1851 as Lord Stanley...
, who was Leader of the Conservative Party for 22 years (1846–1868; the longest tenure in that office) and Prime Minister three times (1852, 1858–59, and 1866–68). His paternal grandmother, Lady Constance Villiers, was daughter of Lord Clarendon
George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon
George William Frederick Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon KG, GCB, PC , was an English diplomat and statesman.-Background and education:...
, who also served as Foreign Secretary, three times. Lord Stanley's uncles Sir Arthur and Sir George
George Frederick Stanley
Lieutenant-Colonel Sir George Frederick Stanley GCSI GCIE CMG was a British soldier and Conservative Party politician who served as a member of the UK Parliament for Preston and later, Willesdon East...
also served as Conservative MPs.
His maternal grandfather was William Montagu, 7th Duke of Manchester
William Montagu, 7th Duke of Manchester
William Drogo Montagu, 7th Duke of Manchester, KP , known as Lord Kimbolton from 1823 to 1843 and as Viscount Mandeville from 1843 to 1855, was a British peer and Conservative Member of Parliament.William Montagu was the eldest son of George Montagu, 6th Duke of Manchester...
, also a Conservative peer and MP. His maternal grandmother Louisa von Alten
Louisa Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire
Louisa Frederica Augusta Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, formerly Louisa Montagu, Duchess of Manchester, née Luise Fredericke Auguste Gräfin von Alten , daughter of Karl Franz Viktor, Graf von Alten and his wife, Hermine de Schminke .On 22 July 1852 she was married at Hannover to...
married after the death of the Duke of Manchester, Spencer, Duke of Devonshire
Spencer Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire
Spencer Compton Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire KG, GCVO, PC, PC , styled Lord Cavendish of Keighley between 1834 and 1858 and Marquess of Hartington between 1858 and 1891, was a British statesman...
, also known as Lord Hartington, former Leader of the Liberal Party.
His sister Victoria married the son of Liberal Prime Minister Lord Rosebery
Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery
Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, KG, PC was a British Liberal statesman and Prime Minister. Between the death of his father, in 1851, and the death of his grandfather, the 4th Earl, in 1868, he was known by the courtesy title of Lord Dalmeny.Rosebery was a Liberal Imperialist who...
. Oliver Stanley
Oliver Stanley
Oliver Frederick George Stanley MC, PC was a prominent British Conservative politician who held many ministerial posts before his early death when it was expected he would soon assume higher office....
was his younger brother, and his son Richard
Richard Stanley (politician)
Hon. Richard Oliver Stanley was a British Conservative Party Member of Parliament. He represented North Fylde from 1950 until he stood down at the 1966 general election...
became an MP.
He became known by the courtesy title Lord Stanley in 1908, when his father succeeded in the earldom of Derby
Earl of Derby
Earl of Derby is a title in the Peerage of England. The title was first adopted by Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby under a creation of 1139. It continued with the Ferrers family until the 6th Earl forfeited his property toward the end of the reign of Henry III and died in 1279...
. He was educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
.
Political career
Lord Stanley was first elected to Parliament on 28 June 1917 in a by-electionLiverpool Abercromby by-election, 1917
The Liverpool Abercromby by-election, 1917 was a parliamentary by-election held on 28 June 1917 for the British House of Commons constituency of Liverpool Abercromby. The seat had become vacant when the Conservative Member of Parliament Richard Chaloner had taken the post of Steward of the...
in Liverpool Abercromby. He left Parliament the following year, when the seat was abolished for the 1918 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1918
The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...
. During this time, he was the Baby of the House. He returned to Parliament in the 1922 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1922
The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...
when he was elected for Fylde
Fylde (UK Parliament constituency)
Fylde is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...
. He served under Stanley Baldwin
Stanley Baldwin
Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, KG, PC was a British Conservative politician, who dominated the government in his country between the two world wars...
as a Junior Lord of the Treasury
Lord of the Treasury
In the United Kingdom, there are at least six Lords of the Treasury who serve concurrently. Traditionally, this board consists of the First Lord of the Treasury, the Second Lord of the Treasury, and four or more junior lords .Strictly they are commissioners for exercising the office of Lord...
from 1924 to 1927 and was a Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party
Chairman of the Conservative Party
In the United Kingdom, the Chairman of the Conservative Party is responsible for running the party machine, overseeing Conservative Central Office. When the Conservatives are in power, the Chairman is usually a member of the Cabinet being given a sinecure position such as Minister without Portfolio...
from 1927 to 1929.
On the formation of the National Government after the 1931
United Kingdom general election, 1931
The United Kingdom general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. It was also the last election, and the only one under universal suffrage, where one party received an absolute majority of the votes cast.The 1931 general election was the...
, Stanley was made Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty under Ramsay MacDonald
Ramsay MacDonald
James Ramsay MacDonald, PC, FRS was a British politician who was the first ever Labour Prime Minister, leading a minority government for two terms....
. On 26 February 1934, he was admitted to the Privy Council. In 1935 he was made Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs
Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs
The position of Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs was a British ministerial position, subordinate to that of Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, created in 1925 to deal with British relations with the Dominions — Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Newfoundland, and the...
by Baldwin, and later that year was made Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty. Two years later, Lord Stanley became Under-Secretary of State for India and Burma
Under-Secretary of State for India
This is a list of Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State and Permanent Under-Secretaries of State at the India Office during the period of British rule between 1866 and 1948, and for Burma from 1858-1948....
. On 16 May 1938 he entered the cabinet
Cabinet of the United Kingdom
The Cabinet of the United Kingdom is the collective decision-making body of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, composed of the Prime Minister and some 22 Cabinet Ministers, the most senior of the government ministers....
as Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs
Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs
The position of Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs was a British cabinet level position created in 1925 responsible for British relations with the Dominions — Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Newfoundland, and the Irish Free State, as well as the self-governing colony of...
. His brother, Oliver
Oliver Stanley
Oliver Frederick George Stanley MC, PC was a prominent British Conservative politician who held many ministerial posts before his early death when it was expected he would soon assume higher office....
, was also in the Cabinet as President of the Board of Trade. However, in October 1938, five months after being appointed to the cabinet, Lord Stanley died in Marylebone, aged 44. Neville Chamberlain paid tribute to him in the House of Commons: "So great, indeed, was his keenness and his interest in Imperial relations that he insisted on carrying out his intention to visit Canada, although even then he was suffering from the disease which has now ended fatally. Perhaps in that office he would have, for the first time, found an opportunity of showing the full extent of his powers, for those who knew him best had long recognised that he possessed to an exceptional degree the high qualities of steady judgment and sterling good sense, combined with a complete and utter selflessness and integrity of purpose."
Family
Lord Stanley married the Honourable Sibyl Louise Beatrix Cadogan, daughter of Henry Cadogan, Viscount ChelseaHenry Cadogan, Viscount Chelsea
Henry Arthur Cadogan, Viscount Chelsea, DL was a British Conservative politician.Lord Chelsea was the second son of the 5th Earl Cadogan and his first wife, Beatrix, a daughter of the 2nd Earl of Craven. On 30 April 1892, he married Hon...
, in 1917. They had three sons. He died in Marylebone, London, in October 1938, aged 44, predeceasing his father by ten years. His eldest son Edward
Edward Stanley, 18th Earl of Derby
Edward John Stanley, 18th Earl of Derby MC , known as Lord Stanley from 1938 to 1948, was a British peer....
succeeded his grandfather in the earldom in 1948. Another son, Richard
Richard Stanley (politician)
Hon. Richard Oliver Stanley was a British Conservative Party Member of Parliament. He represented North Fylde from 1950 until he stood down at the 1966 general election...
, later became an MP for Fylde North
Fylde North (UK Parliament constituency)
Fylde North was a constituency which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1950, until it was abolished for the 1983 general election.- Boundaries :...
. Lady Stanley died in June 1969, aged 76.