Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby

Frederick Arthur Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby (15 January 1841 – 14 June 1908), known as Lord Stanley of Preston from 1886 to 1893, was a British Conservative politician and military officer who served as Colonial Secretary from 1885 to 1886 and Governor General of Canada from 1888 to 1893. An avid sportsman, he built Stanley House Stables in England and presented Canada with the Stanley Cup, the championship trophy in ice hockey. He was also one of the original inductees of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Early life and education Stanley was born in St James's Square, Westminster, the second surviving son of Edward Smith-Stanley, Lord Stanley, and the Hon. Emma Caroline, Lady Stanley, daughter of Edward Bootle-Wilbraham, 1st Baron Skelmersdale. He was educated at Harrow and Sandhurst.

In 1851, his father succeeded as 14th Earl of Derby. The longest-serving leader of the Conservative Party (1846–68), the 14th Earl served as Prime Minister on three occasions, from February to December 1852, 1858–1859, and 1866–1868.

Military career

Stanley received a commission in the Grenadier Guards, rising to the rank of Captain before leaving the army for politics. He later served as Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant of the part-time 1st Royal Lancashire Militia (The Duke of Lancaster's Own) from 23 June 1874 (though his political duties often kept him away from the regiment's annual training) and became Honorary Colonel of its successor, the 3rd and 4th Battalions, King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment), from 27 February 1886 until his death. He also followed his father and grandfather as Hon Colonel of the 1st Volunteer Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment), being appointed on 15 January 1894. After his death he was succeeded in this appointment by his son in turn.

Governor General of Canada

Stanley was appointed the Governor General of Canada and Commander in Chief of Prince Edward Island on 1 May 1888. and took part in the 1902 Preston Guild. He later received the honorary freedom of the borough of Preston, with which his family had been associated for centuries.

During the last years of his life, he increasingly dedicated himself to philanthropic work. He was founder president of the committee for the building of Liverpool Cathedral in 1901, and helped fund the Coronation Park, Ormskirk, in 1905.

Marriage and issue

Derby married Lady Constance Villiers, daughter of George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon, on 31 May 1864.

Edward George Villiers Stanley (1865–1948), who succeeded his father as 17th Earl of Derby. Hon. Sir Victor Albert Stanley (1867–1934), was an Admiral in the Royal Navy who married a Canadian lady, the daughter of Hon. C. E. Pooley, KC, of British Columbia. Katharine Mary Stanley (21 April 1868 – 21 October 1871), died in childhood Hon. Sir Arthur Stanley (1869–1947), twin Geoffrey Stanley (18 November 1869 – 16 March 1871), twin, died in childhood Hon. Ferdinand Charles Stanley (28 January 1871 – 17 March 1935), was educated at Wellington and Sandhurst, before joining the King's Royal Rifle Corps in 1891, rising to the rank of Brigadier-General. He married the Hon. Alexandra Fellowes, the eldest daughter of William Henry Fellowes, Baron de Ramsey; they lived at 8 Cornwall Terrace, Regent's Park, London, now renamed Stanley House. Lt.-Col. Rt. Hon. Sir George Frederick Stanley (1872–1938), Royal Horse Artillery, MP, junior minister and Governor of Madras. Married Lady Beatrix Taylour (died 1944), daughter of Thomas Taylour, 3rd Marquess of Headfort; they had a daughter. Hon. Col. Algernon Francis Stanley (8 January 1874 – 10 February 1962), married the widow Mary Cavendish Crichton (her late husband Lt-Col. Henry William, son of John Crichton, 4th Earl Erne was KIA in 1914 on the Western Front), daughter of Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster. They had one son and a daughter. Lady Isobel Gathorne-Hardy (1875–1963), who was instrumental in convincing her father to create the Stanley Cup. She is mentioned in one of the first games of women's hockey, played at Rideau Skating Rink in 1899. Her role as a women's hockey pioneer is recognized in women's hockey with both the Isobel Gathorne-Hardy Award, given across women's hockey in Canada, and the Isobel Cup, the Premier Hockey Federation's championship trophy. Lt.-Col. Hon. Frederick William Stanley (27 May 1878 – 9 August 1942), married Lady Alexandra Louise Elizabeth Acheson, the daughter of Archibald Acheson, 4th Earl of Gosford, and Louisa Acheson, Countess of Gosford, on 17 June 1905. They had one son and two daughters, one of whom married the son of Lieutenant-General Sir George Sidney Clive. He would go on to serve and be wounded in the Second Boer War, and later the First World War.

Her Ladyship, whom Wilfrid Laurier described as "an able and witty woman", remained and several of their children lived in Canada throughout his term as Governor-General. She founded the Lady Stanley Institute for Trained Nurses on Rideau Street, the first nursing school in Ottawa, as well as a Maternity Hospital. She was also an enthusiastic fan of hockey games at the Rideau Rink. She was president of the $4,000 fund instituted by the women of Canada for the presentation of a wedding gift to the present Prince and Princess of Wales: a sleigh, robes, harnesses and horses and a canoe. In 1890 Prince George of Wales (the future King George V) was their guest at Rideau Hall. In 1903 King Edward VII was their guest at their residence in St James's Square.

Derby died on 14 June 1908, aged 67, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Edward, who also became a distinguished politician. Lady Derby died on 17 April 1922. as was Stanley Park, Blackpool.

The Preston Squadron of cadets at the Royal Military College Saint-Jean was named in his honour. Stanley Park, Liverpool, an area that famously separates Anfield and Goodison Park, the home grounds of English Premier League football teams Liverpool F.C. and Everton F.C., was named after him. Stanley House Inn, named for Lord Stanley and was built as his summer residence in 1888 along the Cascapedia River.

The Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup is today known as the Stanley Cup and is awarded to the winning team of the National Hockey League playoffs each season. In October 2017, Lord Stanley's Gift Monument was erected in Ottawa at Sparks Street and Elgin Street, near the location of the dinner party announcing the Cup at the Russell House, which has since been demolished.

Stanley Quay, later renamed Stanley Street, in Brisbane, Australia, was named after him when he was Colonial Secretary.

In popular culture

In Mrs Brown (1997), Lord Stanley was portrayed by actor Jason Morell.

Honorary degrees Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario (LL.D) in 1889

Honorific eponyms Stanley, New Brunswick Stanley, Nova Scotia Port Stanley, Ontario Stanley (Oliver Paipoonge), Ontario Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia Stanley Park, Liverpool, UK Stanley Peak (Ball Range) (British Columbia) Rue Stanley, Montréal, Québec Stanley Avenue, Victoria, British Columbia Stanley Street, Brisbane, Queensland Stanley Street, Townsville, Queensland Stanley Glacier, British Columbia Stanleycaris, a fossil genus whose type species was first found there

Arms