The Earls of Derby
As every Stanley researcher will tell you, “My grandmother always said that we were related to the Earls of Derby”. I’m afraid I’ve heard this so many times now that it just can’t be true on every occasion. Call me sceptical, but I would suggest you take this anecdote with a pinch of salt. The ancestry of the Earls of Derby is an illustrious one indeed and well documented elsewhere. It is though beyond the scope of this web site to augment. However there are some interesting sites out there that are worth looking into, I hope you find something here.1st Earl
“Five hundred years ago, on the morning of 22nd August 1485, the battle of Bosworth Field ended the protracted dynastic struggle between the houses of York and Lancaster. At the side of the victorious Henry Tudor stood his step-father, Thomas, second Baron Stanley, soon to be rewarded for his support by being made Earl of Derby.”Source : J. J. Bagley “The Earls of Derby”
Thomas Stanley KG, 1435-1504
For more details on his ancestry see the Foundation for Medieval Genealogy
and go to chapter 3(B)
Of course there is lots and lots of information about the 1st Earl all across the internet.
2nd Earl
Thomas Stanley, 1485-15213rd Earl
Edward Stanley KG, 1509-1572Featured in the Battle of Flodden Field
4th Earl
Henry Stanley KG, 1531-1593Henry Stanley KG, 1531-15935th Earl
Ferdinand Stanley, 1559-1594Ferdinand Stanley, 1559-15946th Earl
William Stanley KG, 1561-16427th Earl
James Stanley KG, 1607-16518th Earl
Charles Stanley, 1627-16729th Earl
William George Stanley, 1655-170210th Earl
James Stanley, 1664-173611th Earl
Edward Stanley, 1689-177612th Earl
Edward Smith Stanley, 1752-1834Information
13th Earl
Edward Smith Stanley KG, 1775-1851Papers in the possesion of the American Philosophical Society