WEST DERBY HUNDRED 



of Sir John Spencer of Althorpe, 1 and by her had 

 three daughters. Through his mother he was one of 

 the nearest heirs to the crown, for, excluding the 

 king of Scots as a foreigner, in accordance with the 

 Act of Henry VIII, he came next after Lord Beau- 

 champ, son of Lady Katherine Grey, whom many 

 considered illegitimate. 8 The English exiles for re- 

 ligion, now that Elizabeth was growing old, were 

 endeavouring to secure the succession of a sovereign 

 who, if not in communion with Rome, would miti- 

 gate the persecuting laws and allow liberty for the 

 ancient worship. It was believed that Ferdinando 

 was so inclined, 3 and Sir William Stanley, of the 

 Hooton family, 4 and the Jesuit Father Holt, sent 

 Richard Hesketh to sound him on the matter. 5 

 Lord Derby, however, handed Hesketh over to the 

 authorities and he was executed in November, 1593. 

 Four months afterwards the earl was taken ill, and 

 after a fortnight's suffering died on 1 6 April, I594- 6 

 He was buried at Ormskirk. 7 



His brother William, then thirty-two years of age, 

 succeeded to the earldom and estates. He was called 

 ' the wandering earl,' and was the hero of several ballads, 

 having travelled much and lived an adventurous life. 8 

 He married in June, 1594, Elizabeth, sister and 

 coheir of Henry de Vere, earl of Oxford ; was 

 made chamberlain of Chester 1603 and lord-lieu- 

 tenant of Lancashire and Cheshire 1607 ; these 

 offices were shared by his son, Lord Strange, from 

 i6z6. 9 For some reason unknown he retired from 

 public life about this time, living as a private gentleman 

 chiefly at Bidston and at a house he built by the side 

 of the Dee, near Chester, Lord Strange taking up the 

 public duties and the management of the estates. 



HUYTON 



He died 29 September, 1642, and 20 years later was 

 buried at Ormskirk. 10 



His son Lord Strange, the 'Martyr Earl,' and 

 the most famous of the line, now succeeded to the 

 earldom. He had served in numerous public 

 offices ; was member for the borough of Liverpool 

 in 1625 " ; mayor of that town 1626. He married in 

 June, 1626, Charlotte de la Tremouille, daughter 

 of the duke of Thouars, one of the Protestant 

 nobility of France, and a granddaughter of William 

 of Nassau, prince of Orange." After a short experi- 

 ence of the court he preferred to live in Lancashire, 

 spending his time chiefly at Lathom and Knowsley. 15 



The Civil War had begun before his father's 

 death, and he had taken his side decisively for the 

 king. After some endeavours to secure peace in 

 Lancashire, he attempted to aeize Manchester, and 

 was proclaimed a traitor by the Parliament. In 



1643 he took part in the unsuccessful assaults on 

 Bolton and Lancaster, and recovered Preston ; he 

 fortified Lathom House, which his countess in 



1644 bravely defended against the Parliamentary 

 forces. Lord Derby had in the meantime been 

 settling grievances in the Isle of Man ; in 1644 

 he joined Prince Rupert, who was hastening to 

 the relief of Lathom, took part in the storming 

 of Bolton, and later in the year fought at Marston 

 Moor. His countess having retired to the Isle 

 of Man, after this defeat he joined her there, 

 taking no further part in the war, but retaining 

 the island for the king. 14 Parliament retaliated by 

 excepting him from pardon, by the renewed siege 

 and destruction of Lathom House, and by the con- 

 fiscation of his great estates. 16 



