Henry Stanley, 3rd Baron Stanley of Alderley

Henry Edward John Stanley, 3rd Baron Stanley of Alderley, 2nd Baron Eddisbury (11 July 1827 – 11 December 1903), also known as Abdul Rahman Stanley, was a British nobleman and historian who translated The first voyage round the world by Magellan and other works from the Age of Discovery. A convert to Islam, in 1869 Lord Stanley became the first Muslim member of the House of Lords.

Life

Stanley was educated at Eton College, and entered Trinity College, Cambridge in 1846.

He entered the Diplomatic Service in 1847, and was appointed Attaché at Constantinople in 1851.

In or before 1859, Stanley converted to Islam and abandoned his position as a British diplomat in the Ottoman Empire. He may have adopted the name Abdul Rahman. He was refused a visa to the Dutch East Indies on this voyage. His father, Edward Stanley, 2nd Baron Stanley of Alderley, on reading a press report about these travels complained to his wife about "that wretched fool Henry ... Is he mad or what is he?" He appears to have conducted his Hajj to Mecca. inheriting his titles in 1869 upon the death of his father. When the Dutch invasion of Aceh was in the news in 1873-74, Stanley was a critic of both Dutch and British policy towards Aceh, accusing Britain of betraying Aceh, its ancient ally through treaties of 1601 and 1819, despite having undertaken to protect its independence.

As alcohol is forbidden in Islam, he apparently ordered the closure of all public houses on his estate in Nether Alderley, south of Alderley Edge (then named Chorley). Despite his new faith, he funded the restoration on Anglesey of St Mary's Church, Bodewryd (1867), Llanbadrig Church (1884), St Dona's Church, Llanddona and St Peirio's Church, Rhosbeirio.

He took part in three marriage ceremonies with Fabia, daughter of Santiago Federico San Roman of Seville — firstly in 1862, secondly on 6 November 1869 at the registry office of the parish of St George's, Hanover Square and finally on 15 May 1874 at the Roman Catholic Church of St Alban, Macclesfield. Although she was apparently received as his wife in Britain, Fabia turned out to be identical to Serafina Fernandez y Funes, of Alcaudete, Jaén, Spain, who had, on 30 September 1851 married Ramon Peres y Abril (died 16 May 1870), so that the first two marriage ceremonies were bigamous.

His mother, Henrietta Stanley, Baroness Stanley of Alderley, was an English educationist, while his sister Katharine was the mother of Bertrand Russell. His younger brother Edward Lyulph Stanley succeeded him.

Death He died and was buried on two of the most auspicious dates in the Muslim calendar, 21 and 25 Ramadan (11 and 15 December 1903 respectively). He was buried according to Muslim rites in unconsecrated ground in the garden of the Dower House on his family's estate, Alderley Park, at Nether Alderley, Cheshire. The chief mourner at his burial was the first secretary to the Ottoman Embassy in London. Islamic prayers were recited over his grave by the embassy's imam.

Arms

Books His books were published by the Hakluyt Society, of which he was a member and vice-president. He wrote under the name Hon. Henry E. J. Stanley while his father was alive and Lord Stanley of Alderley after he acceded to that title. 1866/1995/2001: A description of the Coasts of East Africa and Malabar in the beginning of the sixteenth century by Duarte Barbosa, a Portuguese, translator 1868/1964/2001: The Philippine Islands, Moluccas, Siam, Cambodia, Japan, and China, at the close of the sixteenth century. by Antonio de Morga, translator 1869/1963: The Three Voyages of Vasco da Gama, and His Viceroyalty from the Lendas da India of Gaspar Correa, translator 1873/1963: Travels to Tana and Persia by Josafa Barbaro and Ambrosio Contarini, editor 1874/1963/2001: The First Voyage Round the World, by Magellan translator 1881/1970: Narrative of the Portuguese embassy to Abyssinia during the years 1520-1527 by Father Francisco Alvarez translator and editor; republished 1961 as The Prester John of The Indies - A True Relation of The Lands of The Prester John, the narrative of the Portuguese Embassy to Ethiopia in 1520 by Father Francisco Alvares