New-York tribune., 1919-03-30
Apperfaining to
William Stanley

William Stanley, the worthy upon whom
Abel Lefranc thrusts posthumous greatness,
was born in London in 1561-three years be-
fore Shakespeare of Stratford and the same
year as Francis Bacon. He was the second
of the three sons of Henry Stanley ~,
Earl Of Derby, Protestant reputed for
austerity, and of Marguerite Clifford, grand
daughter of queen dowager of France. He
was reared, along with his brothers, Ferdi-
rando 1.-TWO years his senior) and Francis
tdoomed to relatively early DEATH, in Lam
cashire, where the family possessed the
magnificent properties of Latham House and
huowsley and was matriculated, along with
them, at Saint Johns College, Oxford, in
1912.
In 1852, on attaining his majority, he went
To Paris, in the company of his preceptor,
Mr.. Richard Lloyd, meeting there Neville,
Saville. Anthony, Cooke and divers other
members of leading English families. AT
the French court, where his father, attended
by retinue of some $50 persons, had ap-
reared several years before, intrusted with
the mission of bestowing upon the King,
Henri III, the insignia of the Order of the
Garter, he was accorded most fattering
went to Orleans, Blois Tours Saumur and
Anglers.
The Stanley family is known to have been
closely associated with the stage. Williams
father and his brother Ferdinando each pat
ronized theatrical troupe, the troupe of
Ferdinando, with which Shakespeare of
Stratford was connected for long time, be-
ing one Of the most celebrated in the
kingdom The Derby Household Books" for
the years 158T-'90 (Which chance to have
been preserved) tell of frequent representa-
lions at Latham House and Knowsley, not
only by these two troupes, but by the troupe
o. Leicester Gin which Shakespeare of STRAIT
lord seems TO have made his debut as an
actor, and there is good reason to suppose
that William Stanley was faithful onlooker
at these spectacles.
Williams father, Henry Stanley, died on
the 25th Of September, 1893. On the 18th
OF April, 1894, Ferdinando died also Ferdi-
nando's death was sudden and mysterious
1t was currently believed that he was
poisoned and in certain quarters his
brother was suspected of being the poisoner
The same year William matriculated in the
law school Of Lincoln's Inn and organized,
IN his turn, theatrical troupe; less famous
'hsn that of his brother. which he continued
70 patronize for nearly q quarter of CEN
Jury In January, 1896, he married, at the
Royal Palace Of Greenwich and in the pres
snce Of the Queen, Elizabeth de We're, grand
daughter Of Lord Burleigh and daughter Of
EDWARD de We're, seventeenth Earl of Oxford
'yric poet, dramatst and patron Of the
ttage).
William became. by Ferdinando's death,
''xth Earl Of Derby and the posscssor of
see'al position much moro conspicuous than
NAT ne mad possessed previously "The
Nf" Earl seems TO have accepted without
'As great amount Of JOY the unexpected ele-
ssfon, the more that IL was for him the be-
t,Ahing Of grave anxeties and Of all sorts
= m'siorioncg which agitatcd his life pro-
.gFhai1 during a period Of fifteen years. He
"seahne the leading party TO a series OF law
ss's which figure among the most consid-
s'Ao'e Of the reign Of Elizabeth and OF the
,1s1 years Of that Of James !, and was sub
sseteo, BY this token, TO continual prcoccu-
Fs"'ns, frequent financial embarrassment,
"psnous and perpctusiiy swelling debts,
~ tne always painful cxpedients debts in
.s's ss"' W q truth, II Lord Derby inherited
v''.ners title, considerable part Of his
p'''ners property escaped him, because Il
sas'ituted the fortune not Of the male
"sns IN, but Of the three daughters Of the
nth Earl.