Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Earl of Derby
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| 6th Governor General of Canada | |
| In office 1 May 1888 – 18 September 1893 |
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| Monarch | Queen Victoria |
| Prime Minister | John A. Macdonald John Abbott John Thompson |
| Preceded by | The Marquess of Lansdowne |
| Succeeded by | The Earl of Aberdeen |
| President of the Board of Trade | |
| In office 3 August 1886 – 21 February 1888 |
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| Monarch | Victoria |
| Prime Minister | The Marquess of Salisbury |
| Preceded by | A. J. Mundella |
| Succeeded by | Sir Michael Hicks Beach, Bt |
| Secretary of State for the Colonies | |
| In office 24 June 1885 – 28 January 1886 |
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| Monarch | Victoria |
| Prime Minister | The Marquess of Salisbury |
| Preceded by | The Earl of Derby |
| Succeeded by | The Earl Granville |
| Secretary of State for War | |
| In office 2 April 1878 – 21 April 1880 |
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| Monarch | Victoria |
| Prime Minister | The Earl of Beaconsfield |
| Preceded by | Gathorne Hardy |
| Succeeded by | Hugh Childers |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 January 1841 London, England |
| Died | 14 June 1908 (aged 67) Holwood, Kent, England |
| Nationality | British Canadian |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse |
Lady Constance Villiers
(m. 1864) |
| Children | 10, including:
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| Parents | |
| Alma mater | Eton Royal Military College, Sandhurst |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch/service |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1862–1865 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | Grenadier Guards |
Frederick Arthur Stanley, the 16th Earl of Derby, was an important British politician. He was born on January 15, 1841, and passed away on June 14, 1908. He held many important jobs in the government.
From 1885 to 1886, he was the Colonial Secretary. This meant he was in charge of the British colonies around the world. Later, from 1888 to 1893, he became the Governor General of Canada. This was a very important role, representing the Queen in Canada.
Lord Stanley loved sports. He built horse stables in England and is famous in North America for giving Canada the Stanley Cup. This cup is now one of the most famous trophies in sports. He was also one of the first people to be added to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Frederick Stanley was born in London, England. His father, Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, was even a Prime Minister of the United Kingdom! His mother was Emma Caroline.
Frederick went to two famous schools: Eton and Sandhurst. After school, he joined the Grenadier Guards, which is a famous part of the British Army. He became a Captain before he decided to leave the army and work in politics.
A Career in Politics
Frederick Stanley started his political career as a Member of Parliament (MP). He represented different areas in England, including Preston and Blackpool.
He held many important government jobs:
- He worked for the Navy in 1868.
- He helped manage money for the army from 1874 to 1878.
- He was in charge of the War Department from 1878 to 1880.
- He became the Colonial Secretary from 1885 to 1886.
- In 1886, he was given the special title of Baron Stanley of Preston.
- He was also the President of the Board of Trade from 1886 to 1888. This job involved looking after trade and business.
Serving Canada as Governor General
On May 1, 1888, Lord Stanley became the Governor General of Canada. This meant he was the Queen's representative in Canada. During his time, he traveled a lot across the country. He loved seeing the beautiful nature of western Canada. He also met many First Nations people and farmers.
During one of his trips, he officially opened Stanley Park in Vancouver, which was named after him. He also enjoyed fishing whenever he had free time.
When Prime Minister John A. Macdonald passed away in 1891, Lord Stanley had to choose a new prime minister. He chose John Abbott, and later John Thompson.
Lord Stanley also showed how the Governor General should be neutral in politics. In 1891, some people wanted him to stop a law passed by the Quebec government. This law was about paying money for land that used to belong to a religious group called the Jesuits. Lord Stanley refused to get involved. He said it was not his place to interfere with a law passed by the government. This decision made him very popular because he showed that the Governor General should stay out of political fights.
Lord Stanley's wife, Lady Constance Stanley, also made a big difference in Canada. In 1891, she started the Lady Stanley Institute for Trained Nurses in Ottawa. This was the first nursing school in the city. She also loved watching hockey games.
The Famous Stanley Cup
Lord Stanley's sons loved playing ice hockey in Canada. They played in amateur leagues in Ottawa. Because of his sons, Lord and Lady Stanley became big hockey fans.
In 1892, Lord Stanley gave Canada a very special gift: the Stanley Cup. It was first called the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup. He wanted it to be a trophy for the best amateur hockey team in Canada. Over time, it became a trophy for professional teams. Since 1926, only teams from the National Hockey League (NHL) have competed for it.
This famous cup is named after Lord Stanley because he loved sports and encouraged outdoor activities in Canada. Because of his contribution to hockey, he was added to the Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame in 1945. The original cup was about 7 inches (180 mm) tall. Today, it is around 36 inches (910 mm) tall and weighs about 35 pounds (16 kg).
Later Life and Legacy
Lord Stanley's time as Governor General of Canada was supposed to end in September 1893. But in April of that year, his older brother passed away. This meant Frederick became the 16th Earl of Derby. So, he left Canada on July 15, 1893, and went back to England.
Back in England, he continued his public service. He became the Lord Mayor of Liverpool and the first leader of the University of Liverpool. Stanley Park in Liverpool is also named after him. He also became the Mayor of Preston in 1901.
In his later years, he spent more time helping others. He helped start the building of Liverpool Cathedral in 1901. He also helped fund Coronation Park in Ormskirk in 1905.
Family Life
Lord Derby married Lady Constance Villiers on May 31, 1864. They had ten children: eight sons and two daughters. Lady Constance and several of their children lived in Canada during his time as Governor General.
Lady Constance was very active. She started the Lady Stanley Institute for Trained Nurses and a Maternity Hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She also helped raise money for a wedding gift for Prince George of Wales (who later became King George V). Prince George even stayed at their home in Canada, Rideau Hall, in 1890.
One of their daughters, Lady Isobel Gathorne-Hardy, lived a very long life. She was important in convincing her father to create the Stanley Cup. She also played in one of the first women's hockey games in 1899. Her role in women's hockey is remembered with the Isobel Gathorne-Hardy Award and the Isobel Cup, a championship trophy in women's hockey.
Lord Derby passed away on June 14, 1908, when he was 67 years old. His oldest son, Edward, became the next Earl of Derby.
Places Named After Him
Many places are named after Lord Stanley:
- Stanley Peak in British Columbia, Canada.
- Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
- Stanley Theatre in Vancouver, Canada.
- Stanley Park, Blackpool in England.
- The Preston Squadron of cadets at the Royal Military College Saint-Jean in Canada.
- Stanley Park, Liverpool in England.
- Stanley House Inn, his summer home in Canada.
- The Stanley Cup, the famous hockey trophy.
- Lord Stanley's Gift Monument in Ottawa, Canada.
- Stanley Street in Brisbane, Australia.
- Towns like Stanley, New Brunswick, Stanley, Nova Scotia, Port Stanley, Ontario, and Stanley (Oliver Paipoonge), Ontario in Canada.
- Stanley, Hong Kong.
Images for kids
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Lord Stanley of Preston
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Lord Stanley's signature
