South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-05-09

| In October. 1885, Thomas Lord
Stanley was created earl OF Derby,
and the title has since been retained
| by the Stanleys. Thomas also in
herited the sovereign lordship of
the Isle of Man, which had been
granted by the crown in 1906 TO his
at-grandfather. Sir John Stan
ley, and this sovereignty remained
in possession of the earls of Derby
till 1886. when it passed TO the duke
of Athou.
The earl OF Derby is one Of the
three "catskin earls," the other two
being the earls of Shrewsbury and
Huntington. The term "Catskin" is
a corruption Of quatre-skin. derived
from the fact that in ancient times
the robes Of an earl were decorated
with four rows Of ermine, as in the
robes of a modern duke, instead Of
/ the three rows to which they were
! restricted in later centuries. The
three "catskin" earldoms are the
only ones now in existence which
date from creations prior to the
18th century.
"A Name
The name Of Derby figures on al
most every page of English history
Thomas Stanley, first earl Of Derby
Of the new line, had married as his
second wife, Margaret Beaufort, the
mother of the exiled Henry Tudor,
and when the latter became king he
held a high position as the stepfath-
er of the sovereign, whom he enter
tanned several times at his seat of
Knowsley. which was already that
of the Stanley family, which has re-
NAMED TO the present day. One Of
his descendants, known as the great
earl of Derby. was one of the strong
est supporters of Charles 1, and fol-
! lowed Prince Rupert at Marston
Moor, Withdrawing after the COM
plete defeat of Charles cause to his
for the king and where he offered
an asylum to royalist fugitives.
He had married Charlotte, Prin-
| cess de la Tremouille, the daughter
of Claude de la Tremouille. duke of
ThOuars, and granddaughter of Will
liam the Silent, pripce Of Orange.
She was one of the most remarka BILE
women Of her time. and she defend
ed heroically her castle of Lathom
house against the armies OF Crom-
! we'll and numerous attacks of the
Ironsides, fact which perhaps
contributed TO exasperate the lord
/ protector TO such an extent that
when the early of Derby was finally
( captured near Nantwich in 1851.
/ during an attempt to restore the
Stuart monarchy, Cromwell show
I ed himself implacable and had him
executed at Bolton on oct 10, 1851,
/ in spite of the fact, as the countess
OF Derby proudly declared, her hus-
band had surrendered himself as a
prisoner of war under the under
! standing that his life was to be
spared, and that his death consti-
tuted breach of faith such as only
a "manant" -she used the French
word-could have been guilty of
The Seventeenth Earl.
The present earl OF Derby is the
! 18th, and the son of a man who as
! Frederick Stanley was. together
with his wife, Lady Constance VIII
liers. a daughter of the earl Of Clar-
endon, one of the most popular per-
| sonages in London society. He was
well known in the house of com
mons and had occupied several
times ministerial positions and been
governor general of Canada. He
| succeeded 10 the family honors on
the death of his brother. the well
! known politician, who, having mar
ried late in life the widow of the
! second marquis OF Salisbury. for
whom he had harbored a deep af-
lection for many years. had left
no posterity Frederick Stanley.
however, did not enjoy his great
position for a long time. dying in
1908, when he was in turn succeeded
by his eldest son. who has just been
appointed ambassador in Paris.
Knowsley, the seat Of the Derbys.
is one Of the most magnificent man
sions in England, but as the same
time one Of the most uncomfortable
ones, partly on account of its enor-
nous size, which makes il very diff
cult 10 heat in winter. Ii Is related
/ that one day during a house party
which was held there in November
or December the ladies had agreed
not to appear at dinner in a low
| dress, as they declared that the at
mosphere of the banquet hall where
the meals used TO take place was
such a freezing one that they feared
to catch cold If they exposed their
| shoulders 10 it. This was during
the lifetime Of the 18th earl. who
was a great stickler for etiquette.
| When he saw his guests at
pear attired in what was a glorifed
edition OF morning dress, he begged
their permission 10 retire for a few
minutes and returned clad in a
dressing gown, 70 the amazement OF
the assemblage. AS no one. how
ever, dared TO ask A question. he
took the bull by the horn with the
remark. 7 thought il just as well
10 make myself comfortable since
the ladies have set me such good
example"