Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom | |
---|---|
In office 28 June 1866 – 25 February 1868 | |
Monarch | Victoria |
Preceded by | The Earl Russell |
Succeeded by | Benjamin Disraeli |
In office 20 February 1858 – 11 June 1859 | |
Monarch | Victoria |
Preceded by | The Viscount Palmerston |
Succeeded by | The Viscount Palmerston |
In office 23 February 1852 – 17 December 1852 | |
Monarch | Victoria |
Preceded by | Lord John Russell |
Succeeded by | The Earl of Aberdeen |
Secretary of State for War and the Colonies | |
In office 3 September 1841 – 23 December 1845 | |
Prime Minister | Sir Robert Peel |
Preceded by | Lord John Russell |
Succeeded by | William Ewart Gladstone |
In office 3 April 1833 – 5 June 1834 | |
Prime Minister | The Earl Grey |
Preceded by | The Viscount Goderich |
Succeeded by | Thomas Spring Rice |
Chief Secretary for Ireland | |
In office 29 November 1830 – 29 March 1833 | |
Prime Minister | The Earl Grey |
Preceded by | Sir Henry Hardinge |
Succeeded by | Sir John Hobhouse |
Personal details | |
Born | Knowsley Hall, Knowsley, Lancashire, England | 29 March 1799
Died | 23 October 1869 Knowsley Hall, Knowsley, Lancashire, England | (aged 70)
Political party | Conservative |
Other political affiliations | Whig (before 1841) |
Spouse | |
Children | 3, including Edward Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby and Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby |
Parents |
|
Alma mater | Christ Church, Oxford |
Signature | |
Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby,
Historian Frances Walsh has written that it was Derby:
who educated the party and acted as its strategist to pass the last great
Disraeli who laid claim to it.[3]
Scholars long ignored his role but in the 21st century rank him highly among all British prime ministers.[4]
Early life and education
Edward Smith-Stanley was born on 19 March 1799 at Knowsley Hall, Lancashire. He was the eldest son of Edward Smith-Stanley, 13th Earl of Derby and his wife (and first cousin) Charlotte Margaret Hornby. He was educated at Eton and at Christ Church, Oxford.[5]
Stanley's ancestors were
Early political career, 1822–1852
In 1822 Edward Stanley, as he was then, was elected to Parliament in the
Stanley, a religiously devout Anglican, broke with the ministry over the reform of the Anglican
The term "Derby Dilly" was coined by Irish Nationalist leader
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 second ministry. Joining the Conservatives, Stanley again served as Colonial Secretary in Peel's second government in 1841.[12] In 1844 he was summoned to the House of Lords as Lord Stanley of Bickerstaffe in his father's Barony of Stanley by a Writ of acceleration.[13][14] He broke with the Prime Minister again in 1845, this time over the repeal of the Corn Laws, 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 the House of Lords, on 23 November 1847, he accused the Irish Catholic clergy of using the confessional to encourage lawlessness and crime.[15] This was disputed in a series of letters by the coadjutor Bishop of Derry, Edward Maginn. In 1851 he succeeded his father as Earl of Derby.
The party system was in a state of flux when the Conservatives left office in 1846, the outstanding issues being the question of Ireland and the unresolved franchise. The protectionists had a core of leaders, of whom Derby was a leading light.
Premierships, 1852–1869
He is the only modern-era prime minister who never enjoyed a parliamentary majority. In his private diary, the Earl of Malmesbury in 1857 commented on Derby's failure to exploit the press:
Lord Derby has never been able to realise the sudden growth and power of the Political Press, for which he has no partiality, which feeling is reciprocated by its members. In these days this is a fatal error in men who wish to obtain public power and distinction. Lord Derby is too proud a man to flatter anybody, even his greatest friends and equals, much less those of whom he knows nothing.[16]
First government
Derby formed a
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.[
In the
As with all minority governments, Derby's minority government had a difficult time governing. Their main preoccupation was avoiding any issue which might cause any of the government's small components to go over to Whigs and cause a "no confidence" vote. However, the real issues facing Parliament could not be postponed for long, and when Disraeli submitted his first budget to Parliament in December 1852, it proved so unpopular with the Peelites, the Free Traders, and the Irish Brigade that it was voted down in a "no confidence" vote. As a result, Derby's minority government fell, making way for a Peelite–Whig coalition under Lord Aberdeen. When Aberdeen's administration fell in 1855, Queen Victoria asked Derby to form a government.[20] Much to the consternation of some sections of his party, including Disraeli, Derby declined this offer, believing that he would be in a position to form a stronger government after a short-lived failed administration led by one of the Conservative Party's rivals such as Lord John Russell or Lord Palmerston.[21][22]
Second government
In 1858, Derby formed another minority government upon the resignation of Lord Palmerston following a parliamentary defeat to an opposition motion which, in the context of a failed plot to assassinate
Back in opposition, Derby pursued a strategy of trying to lure the Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston, away from his more radical colleagues, Lord John Russell in particular.[26] This tactic was thwarted by Russell's declining influence and by Chancellor of the Exchequer William Ewart Gladstone's 1861 budget which united the cabinet and increased divisions amongst the Conservatives.[27] Palmerston continued as Prime Minister until his death in 1865, when he was succeeded by the ineffective Russell.[28]
Third government
Derby returned to power for the third and last time in 1866, following the collapse of Lord Russell's second government after its failed attempt at further electoral reform.
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.[citation needed] His tenure of 22 years as party leader still stands as the longest in Conservative Party history and indeed the history of any other political party in British history. Only Labour's Clement Attlee came close, at 20 years.[34]
During Derby's third premiership, a factory Act was passed in 1866 “dealing with uncleanliness, inadequate ventilation, and overcrowding in factories.” The provisions of this Act were extended to other trades in 1867, and as a result of this Act "1,500,000 women and children were admitted to the benefits of the factory laws." That same year an Act was passed regulating the hours of women workers in every workshop.[35] The Master and Servant Act 1867 was also introduced during his final term.
Family
Stanley married The Hon. Emma Bootle-Wilbraham, the second daughter of Edward Bootle-Wilbraham, 1st Baron Skelmersdale, on 31 May 1825. They had three children:[36]
- Edward Henry Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby (21 July 1826 – 21 April 1893). He married Lady Mary Sackville-West (daughter of George Sackville-West, 5th Earl De La Warr) on 5 July 1870.
- Lady Emma Charlotte Stanley (25 December 1835 – 23 August 1928). She married Colonel Sir Patrick Chetwynd-Talbot KCB (son of Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 2nd Earl Talbot) on 11 October 1860. They had eight children.
- Frederick Arthur Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby (15 January 1841 – 14 June 1908). He married Lady Constance Villiers (daughter of George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon) on 31 May 1864. They had ten children.
Death
Lord Derby died at Knowsley Hall on 23 October 1869 at the age of 70. The Countess of Derby died on 26 April 1876.
Legacy
Historian David Cannadine argues:
Although almost entirely forgotten today, Derby was one of the great figures of 19th century British public, social and cultural life: he was a fine debater, a classical scholar of note and a significant patron of the turf; he was also an authentic grandee, with very rich, coal-bearing estates in Lancashire, and leader of the Conservative Party for an unrivaled span of 22 years.[37]
Historian Frances Walsh has written:
Although he was the first politician to become prime minister three times and remains the longest-serving party leader in British history he has not received the recognition one would expect. As a landed aristocrat with Whig antecedents, literary tastes, and a passionate interest in shooting and the turf he seemed to represent an obsolete, amateur tradition in politics, while the mythologizing of Disraeli as the architect of conservative survival and success tended to cast him into the shadows. This neglect was compounded by the absence of an official biography and problems of access to the Derby archives for a century after his death. Recent Studies have done something to redress the balance… It was Derby who educated the party and acted as its strategist to pass the last great Whig measure, the 1867 Reform Act. It was his greatest achievement to create the modern Conservative Party in the framework of the Whig constitution, though it was Disraeli who laid claim to it.[3]
The
The former site of
A library book about Smith-Stanley titled The Earl of Derby, written by George Saintsbury and published in 1892, was borrowed from the Newtown Library in Wellington, New Zealand, in March 1902 and returned in August 2020 (118 years later) after being discovered in Sydney, Australia. The book was described as being "in OK condition".[40][41]
See also
- English translations of Homer § Derby
- List of statues and sculptures in Liverpool
Notes and references
- ^ The other three being William Ewart Gladstone, Lord Salisbury and Stanley Baldwin
- ^ William Flavelle Monypenny and George Earl Buckle, The Life of Benjamin Disraeli Earl of Beaconsfield, vol. 2 (1912), p, 451.
- ^ a b Frances Walsh, "Derby, Edward Stanley 14th Earl of," in David Loades, ed. Reader's guide to British history (2003) 1: 348–49.
- ISBN 9780199666423.
- ^ Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003
- ISBN 9780199204403.
- ^ Hawkins Vol I p32–3
- ^ Hawkins Vol I p75–125
- ^ O'Donovan, Patrick (1 September 2017). "Origin of our schools goes back to one letter". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
- ^ Hawkins Vol I p125–134
- ^ Hawkins Vol I p157–60
- ^ Hawkins Vol I p224–5
- ^ Hawkins Vol I p290
- ^ Saintsbury, George (1892). The Earl of Derby. New York: Harper and Brothers. p. 51.
- ^ Refutation of Lord Stanley's Calumnies against the Catholic Clergy of Ireland, reprint, Dublin, 1850
- ISBN 9781780760599.
- ^ Bloy, Marjorie (2011). "Biography-Edward George Geoffrey Smith Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby (1799–1869)". A Web of English History. Archived from the original on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
- ^ C. H. Stuart, "The Formation of the Coalition Cabinet of 1852." Transactions of the Royal Historical Society (Fifth Series) 4 (1954): 45–68.
- ^ J. T. Ward, "Derby and Disraeli." in Donald Southgate, ed., The Conservative Leadership 1832–1932 (1974) pp 58–100.
- ^ Hawkins Vol II p106
- ^ Hawkins Vol II p106–11
- ^ Dick Leonard, "George Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen—Failure or Scapegoat?." in Leonard, Nineteenth-Century British Premiers (2008). 232–244.
- ISBN 9780199204403.
- ^ Hawkins Vol II pp 223–7
- ^ "No. 22281". The London Gazette. 1 July 1859. p. 2549.
- ^ Hawkins Vol II pp 252–3
- ^ Hawkins Vol II pp 259–60
- ^ Hawkins Vol II p 298
- ^ Hawkins Vol II pp 306–7
- ^ Hawkins Vol II p 341
- ^ Hawkins Vol II pp 364–6
- ^ "No. 7968". The Edinburgh Gazette. 2 July 1869. p. 794.
- ^ Army List.
- ^ Stuart, C. H. "The Formation of the Coalition Cabinet of 1852." Transactions of the Royal Historical Society (Fifth Series) 4 (1954): 45–68.
- ^ Conservative social and industrial reform: A record of Conservative legislation between 1800 and 1974 by Charles E, Bellairs, P.15
- ^ Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. .
- ^ David Cannadine, Victorious Century: The United Kingdom, 1800-1906 (2019) p. 288.
- ^ Irish Educational Documents, vol. 1, Áine Hyland, Kenneth Milne, Church of Ireland College of Education, pp.98-103
- ^ "Edward Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby (1799-1869)".
- ^ Gilbertson, Georgia-May (20 August 2020). "Wellington City Libraries 'waives' fines after book borrowed in 1902 returned". Stuff. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ "Overdue book returned to Wellington library decades later, after being found in Sydney opshop". 1 News. TVNZ. 21 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
Further reading
- Blake, Robert "The 14th Earl of Derby" History Today (Dec 1955) 5#12 pp 850–859.
- Foster, R. E. "A Life In The Political Centre: The 14Th Earl Of Derby." History Review 64 (2009): 1–6.
- Hawkins, Angus. "Lord Derby and Victorian Conservatism: a Reappraisal." Parliamentary History 6.2 (1987): 280–301.
- Hawkins, Angus (2007). The Forgotten Prime Minister – The 14th Earl of Derby Volume I Ascent: 1799–1851. New York: Oxford University Press.
- Hawkins, Angus. The Forgotten Prime Minister: The 14th Earl of Derby: Volume II: Achievement, 1851–1869 (Vol. 2. Oxford University Press, 2007).
- Hawkins, Angus. "A Host in Himself: Lord Derby and Aristocratic Leadership." Parliamentary History 22.1 (2003): 75–90.
- Hicks, Geoffrey. Peace, war and party politics: the Conservatives and Europe, 1846–59 (Manchester UP, 2007).
- Jones, Wilbur. Lord Derby and Victorian Conservatism (1956).
- Leonard, Dick. "Edward Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby—‘The Brilliant Chief, Irregularly Great’." in Leonard, Nineteenth-Century British Premiers (2008) pp. 217-231.
- Stewart, Robert. The Politics of Protection: Lord Derby and the Protectionist Party, 1841–1852 (Cambridge UP, 1971).
- Ward, J. T. " Derby and Disraeli" in Donald Southgate, ed. The Conservative Leadership 1832–1932 (1974) online
Primary sources
- Hicks, Geoff, et al. eds. Documents on Conservative Foreign Policy, 1852-1878 (2013), 550 documents excerpt
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Earl of Derby
- More about The Earl of Derby on the Downing Street website.
- Smith, William Browning (1878). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. VII (9th ed.). pp. 109–113. .
- Works by Edward George Geoffrey Smith Stanley at Project Gutenberg
- Works by or about Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby at Internet Archive
- Works by or about Lord Stanley at Internet Archive
- Works by Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)