Stanley family
The Audley-Stanley family is a family with many notable members including the Earls of Derby who are descended from Adam de Aldithley (or Audley) a prominent Norman who was said to have accompanied William the Conqueror to England.
The first mention of Audley, however, is in the Domesday book of 1086, when it was called Aldidelege, when the lands were held by a Saxon thegn called Gamel - who may have been known as Gamel de Tettesworth born c1043 in Heleigh, possible son of Wolfric de Hatton of Mercia, a great grandson of Leofwine, Earl of Mercia[1].
The extended Audley family, originally of Audley Castle but who later built (or re-built) Heighley Castle,Madeley, Staffordshire in 1226, had several additional households including Red Castle at Hawkstone in Shropshire, Buglawton Manor in Congleton, Newhall Tower at Combermere and a home in Nantwich [2]. One of Adam's descendants married an heiress whose marriage portion included Stoneleigh, Derbyshire - which resulted in the eventual family name of Stanley.
The Stanley family remained prominent the history of England and Ireland into modern times.John I Stanley of the Isle of Man 1350-1414, was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and titular King of Mann. They were, at one time, one of the richest landowning families in England.
Conservative Party
Several successive generations of the Stanley Earls, along with other members of the family, have been prominent members of the Conservative Party, and at least one historian has suggested that this family rivals the Cecils (Marquesses of Salisbury) as the single most important family in the party's history.
See Also
- Henry de Audley, Lord of the Welsh Marches, Constable of Shrewsbury, and Constable of Bridgnorth,Sheriff of Shropshire and Staffordshire from 1216 until 1221.
- Baron Audley
- Hugh de Audley, 1st Earl of Gloucester c1289-1347
- James de Aldithley c1220-1272 who married Ela de Longspee, daughter of William II Longespee, grandson of King Henry II of England
- James Audley founder of the order of the garter c1316-1386
- Margaret de Audley, daughter of Margaret de Clare and great-granddaughter of King Edward I of England c1318-1347.
- John I Stanley of the Isle of Man c1350-1414 King of Mann
- Earl of Derby
- Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby 1435-1504
- Thomas Stanley, 2nd Earl of Derby 1477-1521
- Edward Stanley, 3rd Earl of Derby 1509-1572, Lord High Steward
- Henry Stanley, 4th Earl of Derby 1531-1593, Lord of Mann
- Edward Stanley, Earls of Derby
- Baron Stanley
- Ferdinando, the fifth Earl of Derby, Baron Strange of Knockin, 1559-1594, patron of, amongst others, William Shakespeare
- Stanley (surname) List of people with Stanley surname
References
External Links
- [3] The Manx Note Book - Sir John Stanley