| The Right Honourable The Earl of Derby PC |
|
|---|---|
| Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster | |
| In office 29 April 1783 – 17 December 1783 |
|
| Monarch | George III |
| Prime Minister | The Duke of Portland |
| Preceded by | The Lord Ashburton |
| Succeeded by | The Earl of Clarendon |
| In office 12 February 1806 – 31 March 1807 |
|
| Monarch | George III |
| Prime Minister | The Lord Grenville |
| Preceded by | The Lord Harrowby |
| Succeeded by | Hon. Spencer Perceval |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 December 1752 |
| Died | 21 October 1834 |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Whig |
| Spouse(s) | (1) Lady Elizabeth Hamilton (1753-1797) Elizabeth Farren (d. 1829) |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge |
Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby PC (12 December 1752 – 21 October 1834), styled Lord Strange between 1771 and 1776, was a British peer and politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He held office as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in 1783 in the Fox-North Coalition and between 1806 and 1807 in the Ministry of All the Talents.
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Derby was the son of James Smith-Stanley, Lord Strange, son of Edward Stanley, 11th Earl of Derby. His mother was Lucy, daughter and co-heir of Hugh Smith of Weald Hall, Essex. His father had assumed the additional surname of Smith by Act of Parliament in 1741.[1] Derby entered Eton College in 1764, proceeding to Trinity College, Cambridge in 1771.[2]
Derby was returned to Parliament as one of two representatives for Lancashire in 1774, a seat he held until 1776,[1][3] when he succeeded his grandfather in the earldom and entered the House of Lords. He served as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster between April and December 1783[1][4] in the Fox-North Coalition headed by the Duke of Portland and was sworn of the Privy Council the same year.[4] He remained out of office for the next 23 years but was once again Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster between 1806 and 1807 in the Ministry of All the Talents headed by Lord Grenville.[1]
Lord Derby also served as Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire between 1776 and 1834.[1] He was also listed as a subscriber to the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal navigation in 1791.[5]
At a dinner party in 1778 held on his estate "The Oaks" in Carshalton, Lord Derby and his friends planned a sweepstake horse race, won the following year by Derby's own horse, Bridget. The race, the Epsom Oaks, has been named after the estate since. At a celebration after Bridget's win, a similar race for colts was proposed and Derby tossed a coin with Sir Charles Bunbury for the honour of naming the race. Derby won, and the race became known as the Derby Stakes. Bunbury won the initial race in 1780 with his horse, Diomed; Derby himself won it in 1787 with Sir Peter Teazle.[6]
Lord Derby was twice married. He married as his first wife Lady Elizabeth, daughter of James Hamilton, 6th Duke of Hamilton, on 23 June 1774. After her death at the age of 44 on 14 March 1797, he married secondly the actress Elizabeth Farren, daughter of George Farren, on 1 May 1797. He had three children by his first wife and four by his second wife. The Countess of Derby died on 23 April 1829. Lord Derby survived her by five years and died on 21 October 1834, aged 82. He was succeeded in the earldom by his son from his first marriage, Edward, Lord Stanley.[1]
| Parliament of Great Britain | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by The Earl of Sefton Sir Thomas Egerton, Bt |
Member of Parliament for Lancashire 1774 – 1776 With: Sir Thomas Egerton, Bt |
Succeeded by Thomas Stanley Sir Thomas Egerton, Bt |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by The Earl of Derby |
Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire 1776 – 1834 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Derby |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by The Lord Ashburton |
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 1783 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Clarendon |
| Preceded by The Lord Harrowby |
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 1806 – 1807 |
Succeeded by Hon. Spencer Perceval |
| Peerage of England | ||
| Preceded by Edward Stanley |
Earl of Derby 1776 – 1834 |
Succeeded by Edward Stanley |