Edward Stanley, eldest son of the twelfth Earl of Derby, was born
on 21st April, 1775. Educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge,
Edward Stanley, was selected as one of the two candidates for the
town of Preston. The town of Preston had
been under the control of Earl of Derby for many years. However, in
1796 agreed that one of the seats should be freely elected by the
people of the town. Therefore in the election that followed this decision,
the Earl of Derby's twenty-one year old son, Edward Stanley, and John
Horrocks, head of the local millowners, were elected to represent
Preston in the House of Commons.
In the Parliament Edward Stanley supported, the Whigs.
However, Edward Stanley rarely spoke in the House of Commons. By 1812
the Earl of Derby good no longer guarantee that his son would be elected
to Preston and so he used his influence
to give him one of the seats for the county of Lancaster.
In 1819, Lord Stanley, took an role in defending the Manchester magistrates
and the Manchester & Salford Yeomanry
in the parliamentary debates that followed the Peterloo
Massacre.
Edward Stanley held his Lancaster seat until the passing of the 1832
Reform Bill. Stanley was still a loyal supporter of the Whigs
and so Earl Grey granted him the title Baron
Stanley of Bickerstaffe and was sent to the House
of Lords. On the death of his father in 1836, Edward Stanley became
the thirteenth Earl of Derby. He now ceased to play an active role
in Parliament.
Edward Stanley was appointed lord lieutenant of Lancashire
and spent most of his later life at his home in Knowsley. Edward Stanley,
thirteenth Earl of Derby, died on the 30th June, 1851.
(1)
Edward
Stanley, speech in the House of Commons, November, 1819
Orders
were issued to bring some of the troops round to the point where the
constables were stationed, and the Manchester Yeomanry being the first
were moved forward. The crowd was so great that doubts were expressed
whether the civil power could be effectively aided without some additional
troops. The officer who commanded the Yeomanry, seeing an open space
leading to the hustings, near the line of constables, and fearing
from the motion of the crowd, that it would be blocked up, pushed
forward to occupy it. The line of constables was broken by the crowd,
who, however, retired, and made way for the trumpeter, officers, and
first part of the body. In a short time, however, the crowd closed
and obliged the remainder of the troop to move forwards to the hustings
in single file.
Some followed the officer directly up to the hustings, while others
went round, by which means the cart was surrounded, and the warrant
of the magistrates executed. At this period, considerable tumult prevailed,
and a struggle ensued between the constables and those persons in
the cart, who, wished to save the caps of liberty, banners, etc. Some
of those who resisted were taken into custody, and the soldiers cut
with their sabres. In doing this, it was possible that some persons
had been hurt, but not intentionally. We understand from Captain Birley
that the real state of the case was, that a part of the Yeomanry,
when they approached towards the hustings were separated from the
rest - that the individuals so separated from the rest were closed
in on, and then assailed with stones and sticks, in consequence of
which some of them faced around, in order to defend themselves. The
situation in which these individuals were placed by the magistrates,
who, on seeing what was going forward, thought it their duty, without
delay, to order Colonel L'Estrange to move forward troops in support
of them.
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