William Stanley (born 1548) facts for kids

Sir William Stanley (born 1548 – died 1630) was an important English soldier from the famous Stanley family. He was known for being a recusant, which meant he was a Catholic who refused to follow the Church of England. He served under Elizabeth I of England but is most remembered for giving up the city of Deventer to the Spanish in 1587.

Early Life and Training

William Stanley grew up in the Catholic faith. He went to school with Dr. Standish at Lathom. After school, he started working for his relative, Edward Stanley, 3rd Earl of Derby. He then went to the Netherlands and served as a volunteer soldier under the Duke of Alba from 1567 to 1570. In 1570, he was sent to serve in Ireland.

Serving in Ireland

When the Second Desmond Rebellion started in 1579, Stanley became a captain. He was knighted (made a "Sir") for his bravery in Limerick. He fought in battles and defended towns like Adare.

In 1580, he gathered troops in England and led them to the rebellious area of Munster in Ireland. However, he was quickly called back to the Pale (an area around Dublin controlled by the English) to help stop another rebellion.

In 1581, he fought against Irish clans. He was part of a campaign against Fiach McHugh O'Byrne, a rebel leader in the Wicklow mountains. During this time, he helped protect the English forces when they had to retreat after a difficult battle. After this, his troops were sent home, and he went to England to find more work from the Queen's secretary, Lord Burghley.

In 1583, Stanley returned to Ireland to deal with the rebels in Desmond. He became the commander of the soldiers at Lismore and was also in charge of Castle Maine. He helped chase down the Earl of Desmond and other rebels, helping to end the rebellion in Munster.

After the rebellion was defeated, many English adventurers and administrators saw chances to gain land and wealth in Ireland. Stanley wanted to become the leader of the Connacht province, but he was not given the job. Instead, he became the sheriff of Cork in 1583 and then took charge of the government in Munster. He was very effective at putting down rebellions, making the area safe for travel.

In 1584, Stanley was sent north to fight against the Ulster chieftains and the Scottish forces led by Sorley Boy MacDonnell. During this campaign, he was badly wounded and had to rest for several months. He was surprised by the enemy in his camp and had to fight without his armor, getting hurt in several places. Even though he almost defeated Sorley Boy's nephew, more Scottish soldiers arrived, and there wasn't much more he could do. Stanley returned to England in October, and his service in Ireland was seen as very successful.

Joining Leicester's Expedition

When the war with Spain began, Stanley joined Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester on an expedition to the Netherlands in 1585. He then went back to Ireland to recruit soldiers. He believed Irish soldiers were very brave and strong fighters.

Stanley gathered 1,400 soldiers, mostly Irish, and set off for the Netherlands. While in London, there were rumors that he was involved with Catholic priests (Jesuits) and knew about a plot against Queen Elizabeth. He was also said to be talking with the Spanish ambassador. He was ordered to go to the Netherlands but delayed, perhaps expecting something to happen to the Queen or a Spanish fleet to arrive. Eventually, he had to sail.

In August 1586, Stanley joined Leicester and helped capture Doesborg in a strong attack. After fighting at Zutphen, where Sir Philip Sidney was badly wounded, Leicester thought very highly of Stanley. In October, Stanley helped capture Deventer and was made governor of the city. He commanded a group of 1,200 soldiers, mostly Irish.

There was a disagreement between Leicester and another English commander, John Norris. Stanley was given permission to act on his own, separate from Norris. Stanley then secretly talked with the Spanish governor of Zutphen. In January 1587, he surrendered Deventer to the Spanish. He and 600 of his men then joined the service of King Philip II of Spain. About 300 of his men stayed loyal to Queen Elizabeth. This happened just one day after another English commander, Rowland York, also betrayed the fort of Zutphen to the Spanish.

A Catholic leader named Cardinal William Allen wrote a letter supporting Stanley's actions. He even suggested that killing Queen Elizabeth would be a good thing, referring to a Pope's statement from 1570. At this time, the Queen had been thinking of giving Stanley important titles, even making him a leader in Ireland. However, Stanley was very close to the Jesuits, a Catholic religious group, and they praised him.

After this, Stanley planned an invasion of England, but he was disappointed by the lack of support from the Spanish. They did give him a pension (regular payments), but he often had to chase them for the money.

Later Years

In 1588, the year of the Spanish Armada, Stanley was in the Netherlands with 700 men, ready to join the Spanish invasion fleet. After the Armada failed, some English leaders thought Stanley might lead the Spanish army in future attempts to invade England. He kept his group of soldiers in the Netherlands and often traveled to Spain to encourage action against Queen Elizabeth. He also made plans to conquer Alderney, an island, but these plans were not used. The Spanish king did not want to use Stanley's English soldiers outside of the Netherlands.

In the early 1590s, Stanley supported several attempts to kill Queen Elizabeth, but all of them were poorly planned and quickly discovered. Some men who had served under Stanley were executed for agreeing to murder the Queen. Stanley was said to be heavily influenced by his former army officer, Jacques de Francisco, and a Jesuit priest named William Holt. Both of them truly believed that killing Elizabeth was a good act.

By 1595, Stanley was frustrated and was even criticized by the Spanish governor for his strong words against Elizabeth. He continued to serve the Spanish military. He was against King James I when he became king in 1603, but Stanley soon asked for a pardon and seemed to want to return to England. He was cleared of being involved in the Gunpowder Plot, but he was never allowed to visit England. He spent the rest of his life mostly out of the public eye. He stayed closely connected with the Jesuits and later with another Catholic group called the Carthusians.

Sir William Stanley died in Ghent on March 3, 1630, when he was 80 years old.

Family and Legacy

In 1560, he married Anne Dutton, but their marriage ended in 1565. His second marriage was to Elizabeth Egerton (died 1614). They had two sons and three daughters. One of his sons, James Stanley, later worked with the Earl of Arundel in the 1600s, planning to overthrow the Jamestown Colony in America.

See also

In Spanish: Guillermo Estanley para niños