A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



Stanley accompanied the king to France. 1 At the 

 siege of Berwick in 1482 he took part in the assault 

 which gained the town, and afterwards made several 

 knights." He and his brother Sir William stood 

 aloof from Richard III at the battle of Bosworth in 

 1485, and then opposed him, thereby giving the de- 

 cisive turn to the contest.* As a reward he was 

 created earl of Derby. 4 After the battle of Stoke in 

 June, 1487, more substantial rewards were granted ; 

 the forfeited estates of Sir Thomas Broughton of 

 Furness, Sir James Harrington, Francis Lord Lovell, 

 Sir Thomas Pilkington and his wife, and Robert 

 Hulton were conferred on him. 5 



After the execution of his brother Sir William for 

 participation in the plot of Perkin Warbeck, the earl 

 received a visit from the king at Knowsley and 

 Lathom, and part of the existing hall at the former 

 place is said to have been erected in anticipation of 

 this visit, which lasted about a month. The earl 

 died 29 July, ISO4- 6 



His son George, made knight of the Bath in 



1475, had married Joan, daughter and heir of John, 

 Lord Strange of Knockin, and was in her right sum- 

 moned to Parliament from 1482 onwards as Lord 

 Strange. He fought at Stoke and took part in several 

 military excursions, including the invasion of Scot- 

 land in the autumn of 1497 ; 7 soon after his return 

 from this he died at Derby House, London, where is 

 now the College of Arms, on 5 December. 8 His 

 eldest son Thomas succeeded his grandfather in 

 1504 ; 9 a younger son James, settled at Cross Hall 

 in Lathom, is the ancestor through whom the title 

 has descended to the present earl of Derby. 



Thomas, the second earl, married lo Anne Hastings 

 daughter of Edward Lord Hastings. He took part 

 in various public affairs of the time, as in the French 

 expedition of Henry VIII in 1513 ; and was one of 

 the judges of the duke of Buckingham in 1521. 

 This was just before his own death on 24 May of 

 that year. He died at Colham in Middlesex, and 

 was buried at Sion Abbey. 11 There were several 

 inquisitions taken after his death." 



