Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby,
KGThe Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry, or knighthood, originating in medieval England, and presently bestowed on recipients in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms; it is the pinnacle of the honours system in the United Kingdom...
,
PCHer Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council is a body of advisors to the British Sovereign. Its members are largely senior politicians, who were or are members of either the House of Commons or House of Lords of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.The Privy Council, the...
(29 March 1799 – 23 October 1869) was an
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
statesman, three times
Prime Minister of the United KingdomThe Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom and the Head of Her Majesty's Government...
, and to date the longest serving leader of the
Conservative PartyThe Conservative and Unionist Party, more commonly known as the Conservatives, the Conservative Party, or Tory Party is a conservative political party in the United Kingdom...
. He was known before 1834 as
Edward Stanley, and from 1834 to 1851 as
Lord Stanley.
His record was unusual, since he is one of only four British Prime Ministers to have three or more separate periods in office. However his ministries all lasted less than two years, and he held the post for a total of just over four years, less than many other Prime Ministers.
Stanley was born to
Edward Smith-Stanley, 13th Earl of DerbyEdward Smith-Stanley, 13th Earl of Derby KG , styled Lord Stanley from 1776 to 1832 and known as The Lord Stanley from 1832 to 1834, was an English politician, landowner, builder, farmer, art collector and naturalist...
and Charlotte Margaret Hornby, daughter of Reverend Geoffrey Hornby. The Stanleys were a long established and very wealthy landowning family whose principal seat was
Knowsley HallKnowsley Hall is a stately home near Liverpool within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, in Merseyside, England . It is a Grade II* listed building and is the ancestral home of the Stanley family, the Earls of Derby. The hall is surrounded by of parkland, which contains the Knowsley Safari Park...
in
LancashireLancashire 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. Lancashire County Council is based in Preston. However, Lancaster is still considered to be the county town...
. Stanley was educated at
EtonEton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent boarding school for boys aged approx. 13 to 19. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and
Christ Church, OxfordThis article is about the Oxford college. For other uses, see Christ Church or Christchurch .Christ Church , is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
. He was elected to Parliament as a
WhigThe Whigs are often described as one of the two original political parties in England and later the United Kingdom from the late 17th to the mid-19th centuries. The Whigs' origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute rule...
in 1820. When the Whigs returned to power in 1830, Stanley became
Chief Secretary for IrelandThe Chief Secretary for Ireland was a key office-holder of state in the British administration in Ireland. Towards the end of Crown rule in Ireland, he operated in a manner similar to that of the Prime Minister in the English and later British Parliament...
in
Lord Grey'sCharles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, KG, PC , known as Viscount Howick between 1806 and 1807, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 22 November 1830 to 16 July 1834. A member of the Whig Party, he backed significant reform of the British government and was among the...
Government, and entered the Cabinet in 1831. In 1833, Stanley moved up to the more important position of
Secretary of State for War and the ColoniesThe Secretary of State for War and the Colonies was a British cabinet level position responsible for the army and the British colonies . The Department was created in 1801...
. Stanley, a conservative Whig, broke with the ministry over the reform of the
Church of IrelandThe Church of Ireland is a Christian church, an autonomous province of the Episcopal/Anglican Communion, operating across the island of Ireland, and the largest non-Roman Catholic religious body on the island...
in 1834 and resigned from the government. He then formed a group called the '
Derby DillyThe Derby Dilly was a name given to a group of dissident Whigs and others in the United Kingdom led by the former Cabinet minister Edward, Lord Stanley, who would later become 14th Earl of Derby...
' and attempted to chart a middle course between what they saw as the increasingly radical Whiggery of Lord John Russell and the conservatism of the Tories, but Tory leader Sir Robert Peel's turn to the centre with the 1834
Tamworth ManifestoThe Tamworth Manifesto was a political manifesto issued by Sir Robert Peel in 1834 in Tamworth, which is widely credited by historians as having laid down the principles upon which the modern British Conservative Party is based....
robbed them of much of the uniqueness of their programme.
The term
Derby Dilly was coined by Irish Nationalist leader
Daniel O'ConnellDaniel O'Connell , known as The Liberator, or The Emancipator, was an Irish political leader in the first half of the nineteenth century...
. Besides Stanley, the other principal members of the Dilly were
Sir James GrahamSir James Robert George Graham, 2nd Baronet GCB PC was a British statesman. He notably held office as Home Secretary from 1841 to 1846 in Sir Robert Peel's last government...
, who had resigned as First Lord of the Admiralty; Lord Ripon, who had resigned as
Lord Privy SealThe Lord Privy Seal or Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal is the fifth of the Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord President of the Council and above the Lord Great Chamberlain. The office is one of the traditional sinecure offices of state...
; and the
Duke of RichmondCharles Gordon-Lennox, 5th Duke of Richmond KG, PC , styled Earl of March until in 1819, was a British soldier, politician and a prominent Conservative.-Background and education:...
, who had resigned as
Postmaster GeneralThe Postmaster General of the United Kingdom is a defunct Cabinet-level ministerial position in HM Government. Aside from maintaining the postal system, the Telegraph Act of 1868 established the Postmaster General's right to exclusively maintain electric telegraphs...
. These four ministers had all come from notably different political backgrounds - Stanley and Graham were old Whigs, Ripon was a former Canningite Tory, while Richmond was an arch-conservative Tory who had incongruously found himself in the Grey cabinet.
Although they did not participate in Peel's short-lived 1835 ministry, over the next several years they gradually merged into Peel's Conservative Party, with several members of the
Derby Dilly taking prominent positions in Peel's 1841 government.
Joining the Conservatives, Stanley again served as Colonial Secretary in Sir
Robert PeelSir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet was the Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 December 1834 to 8 April 1835, and again from 30 August 1841 to 29 June 1846...
's second government in 1841. In 1844 he was summoned to the
House of LordsThe House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords". Parliament comprises the Sovereign, the House of Commons , and the Lords...
in his father's
Baron of StanleyEarl 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...
by Writ of Acceleration. In 1845, he again broke with his Prime Minister, this time over the repeal of the
Corn LawsThe Corn Laws were import tariffs designed to support domestic British corn prices against competition from less expensive foreign imports between 1815 and 1846. The tariffs were introduced by the Importation Act 1815 and repealed by the Importation Act 1846...
, and managed to bring the majority of the Conservative party with him, (including, among others, the young Benjamin Disraeli). He thereafter led the protectionist faction of the Conservative Party. In 1851 he succeeded his father as
Earl of Derby.
Derby formed a minority Government in February 1852 following the collapse of
Lord John RussellJohn Russell, 1st Earl Russell, KG, GCMG, PC , known as Lord John Russell before 1861, was an English Whig and Liberal politician who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the mid-19th century....
's Whig Government. In this new ministry, a little known Benjamin Disraeli would be appointed
Chancellor of the ExchequerThe Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called The Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
. With many senior Conservative ministers having followed Peel, Derby was forced to appoint many new men to office — of the Cabinet only three were pre-existing
Privy CounsellorsHer Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council is a body of advisors to the British Sovereign. Its members are largely senior politicians, who were or are members of either the House of Commons or House of Lords of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.The Privy Council, the...
. When the aged
Duke of WellingtonField Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, KP, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Anglo-Irish soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the nineteenth century....
heard the list of ministers being read aloud in the House of Lords he is said to have kept asking "Who? Who?". From then this government would be known as the "
Who? Who? MinistryThe "Who? Who?" Ministry was a short-lived British Conservative Government which was in power for a matter of months in 1852. Lord Derby was the Prime Minister and Benjamin Disraeli served as Chancellor of the Exchequer...
".
Traditionally Derby's ministries were thought in hindsight to have been dominated by Disraeli. However recent research suggests that this was not always the case, especially in the government's conduct of foreign policy. There, Derby and his Foreign Secretaries
Lord MalmesburyJames Howard Harris, 3rd Earl of Malmesbury GCB, PC , known as Viscount FitzHarris from 1820 to 1841, was a British statesman of the Victorian era.-Background and education:...
and later his son
Lord StanleyEdward Henry Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby KG, PC, FRS , known as Lord Stanley from 1844 to 1869, was a British statesman...
pursued a course of action that was aimed at building up power through financial strength, seeking to avoid wars at all costs, cooperating with other powers, and working through the
Concert of EuropeThe Concert of Europe was the balance of power that existed in Europe from the fall of Napoleon in 1815 to the end of the Crimean War. Its founding members were the UK, Austria, Russia and Prussia who were also members of the 6th Coalition responsible for the downfall of Napoleon I; in time...
to resolve diplomatic problems. This contrasted sharply with the policy of military strength and prestige that Disraeli would later pursue, and Derby's very different take on foreign policy could be seen as the precursor of "
splendid isolationSplendid Isolation was the foreign policy pursued by Britain during the late 19th century, under the Conservative premierships of Benjamin Disraeli and The Marquess of Salisbury. The term was actually coined by a Canadian M.P. to praise Britain's lack of involvement in European affairs...
", as well as the diplomatic settlement of Europe pursued by later Conservatives in the late 19th century and the 1930s.
Derby and Disraeli were unable to achieve a parliamentary majority, however, and their government collapsed in December of the same year, making way for a
PeeliteThe Peelites were a breakaway faction of the British Conservative Party, and existed from 1846 to 1859. They were called "Peelites" because they were initially led by Sir Robert Peel, who was the British Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader in 1846....
-Whig coalition under
Lord AberdeenGeorge Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen KG KT FRS PC , styled Lord Haddo from 1791 to 1801, was a Scottish politician, successively a Tory, Conservative and Peelite, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1852 until 1855.-Early life:Born in Edinburgh on 28 January 1784, he...
.
In 1858, Derby formed another minority government upon the demise of Lord Palmerston's first ministry, with Disraeli again at the Exchequer and Leader of the Commons. Among the notable achievements of this administration were the end of the
British East India CompanyThe East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
following the
Sepoy MutinySepoy Mutiny may refer to:*Indian Rebellion of 1857*1915 Singapore Mutiny*Vellore Mutiny...
, which brought India under direct British control for the first time. Once again, the government was short-lived, collapsing after only a year.
Derby returned to power for the third and last time in 1866, following the collapse of
Lord Russell'sJohn Russell, 1st Earl Russell, KG, GCMG, PC , known as Lord John Russell before 1861, was an English Whig and Liberal politician who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the mid-19th century....
second government. Once again, Disraeli was a leading figure. This administration was particularly notable for the passage of the
Reform Act 1867The Reform Act 1867 , 30 & 31 Vict. c. 102, was a piece of British legislation that enfranchised the urban working class in England and Wales. Before the bill, only one million of the five million adult males in England and Wales could vote; the act doubled that number...
, which greatly expanded the
suffrageSuffrage is the civil right to vote, or the exercise of that right. It is also called political franchise or simply the franchise. Suffrage may apply to elections, but also extends to initiatives and referendums...
. In early 1868, Derby retired from political life, leaving Disraeli to succeed him.
Although a great orator, Derby was frequently criticised for his languid leadership. Nevertheless he had many significant achievements, both as minister and Prime Minister, and has been described as the father of the modern Conservative Party. His tenure of 22 years as party leader still stands as the longest in Conservative Party history.
StanleyStanley is the capital and only true cityin the Falkland Islands. It is located on the isle of East Falkland, on a north-facing slope, south of Stanley Harbour, in one of the wettest parts of the islands...
(sometimes referred to as "Port Stanley") on
East FalklandEast Falkland the largest of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic, has an area of 2,550 sq mi . Most of the population of the Falklands live in East Falkland, almost all of them living in the northern half of the island...
, capital of the
Falkland IslandsThe Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located approximately from the coast of mainland South America, from mainland Antarctica, and from Africa. There are two main islands, East Falkland and West Falkland, as well as 776 smaller islands...
is named after Edward Smith-Stanley.
His first son was
Edward Henry Stanley, 15th Earl of DerbyEdward Henry Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby KG, PC, FRS , known as Lord Stanley from 1844 to 1869, was a British statesman...
. His second son was Frederick Arthur Stanley, one of Canada's Governors-General and the man after whom the
Stanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club cup trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion. It has been referred to as The Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
is named.
Derby's Governments
- First Derby Ministry
The "Who? Who?" Ministry was a short-lived British Conservative Government which was in power for a matter of months in 1852. Lord Derby was the Prime Minister and Benjamin Disraeli served as Chancellor of the Exchequer...
(1852)
- Second Derby Ministry
-The Ministry:...
(1858–1859)
- Third Derby Ministry
-The Cabinet:*See here for a more detailed list, including those not in the Cabinet.Changes*March 1867: Lord Carnarvon, Lord Cranborne, and General Peel resign from the cabinet over the Reform Bill. They are succeeded by the Duke of Buckingham, Sir Stafford Northcote, and Sir John Pakington,...
(1866–1868)
Legacy
The former site of
Fort Langley, British ColumbiaFort Langley is a village with a population of 2,700 and forms part of the Township of Langley. It is the home of Fort Langley National Historic Site, a former fur trade post of the Hudson's Bay Company.-History:...
was renamed
DerbyDerby is a locality in northwestern Langley that was the site of the original Fort Langley. The Fort was moved to its present location in 1939. In 1858, when the Royal Engineers arrived, they built barracks in Derby. All signs of the town and fort have since disappeared, with the locality now only...
by the
Royal EngineersThe Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army. It provides combat engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces...
in 1858, apparently in honour of the Earl, who was British Prime Minister at the time.
External links
- More about The Earl of Derby on the Downing Street website. (His 1864 translation of the Iliad
The Iliad is an epic poem recounting significant events during a portion of the final year of the Trojan War — the Greek siege of the city of Ilion — hence the title...
.)