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James Stanley's Name Act 1747
James Stanley's Name Act 1747
Act of Parliament
	Parliament of Great Britain
Long title	An Act to enable James Stanley Esquire, commonly called Lord Strange, Eldest Son and Heir Apparent of Edward Earl of Derby, and his Issue by Lucy his Wife (late Lucy Smith), to take and use the Surname of Smith, and bear the Arms of Smith and Hertz.
Citation	21 Geo. 2. c. 4
Dates
Royal assent	25 March 1748

James Smith-Stanley, Lord Strange (1716–1771) was commonly known by that title, though neither he nor his father had any claim to it. He was the eldest son of Edward Stanley, 11th Earl of Derby, whose predecessor's heirs had used that courtesy title, but the right to two successive baronies Lord Strange (being baronies by writ) had descended to daughters, when the earldom had passed to the heir male.

James Stanley married Lucy daughter and coheir of Hugh Smith of Weald Hall, Essex, and took the additional surname Smith on his marriage. This marriage produced Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby and several other children, including Thomas Stanley (1753–1779).^[1] He died before his father, so that the earldom passed straight to his son.

He attended Westminster School where he became a close friend of the future soldier, playwright, and politician John Burgoyne, who was to surrender his army at Saratoga in 1777. As a young man, Burgoyne eloped with Lord Strange's sister. Burgoyne also wrote a masque to celebrate the wedding of Edward Smith-Stanley to Lady Elizabeth Hamilton, a daughter of James Hamilton, 6th Duke of Hamilton.

Public service

Lord Strange was a Member of Parliament for Lancashire from 1741 until his death. He was Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in the ministry of Lord North from 1762 and became a Privy Councillor at the same time.

As Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire during the Seven Years' War, he was tasked with calling out the Lancashire Militia, which had been disembodied since 1746. Although Lancashire's quota was only a single regiment, and despite Strange's enthusiasm, it was not until July 1760 that the regiment attained 60 per cent of its establishment and was issued with arms. Strange was then commissioned as its Colonel (15 July 1760). The regiment was finally embodied for full-tine service on 23 December that year. In October 1761 King George III presented the Regimental Colours and granted it the title 'Royal Lancashire Militia', the colonel's own company becoming 'the King's Company'. The regiment was disembodied in December 1762 as the war was coming to an end, but Strange remained its colonel for the rest of his life.^[2]^[3]

He is mentioned by Parkman as plenipotentiary to Paris and Choiseul, and advisor to Pitt, during the 1760s turbulence that attended the Treaty of Paris (1763).^[4]

Ancestry

Ancestors of James Smith-Stanley, Lord Strange

16. Thomas Stanley of Bickerstaffe

8. Edward Stanley

17. Mary Egerton

4. Sir Thomas Stanley, 4th Baronet

18. Francis Wyatt

9. Elizabeth Wyatt

19. Margaret Sandys

2. Edward Stanley, 11th Earl of Derby

10. Thomas Patten of Preston

5. Elizabeth Patten

1. James Smith-Stanley ^[5]

24. Robert Hesketh of Rufford

12. Thomas Hesketh

25. Lucy Rigby

6. Robert Hesketh

26. Sir Richard Grosvenor, 2nd Baronet

13. Sydney Grovesnor

27. Sidney Mostyn

3. Elizabeth Hesketh

28. William Spencer, 2nd Baron Spencer of Wormleighton

14. William Spencer of Ashton

29. Penelope of Wriothesley

7. Elizabeth Spencer

30. Dutton Gerard

15. Elizabeth Gerard

31. Elizabeth O'Brien

References

^ Burke's Peerage (1939 edition), s.v. Derby, Earl of
^ Maj R.J.T. Williamson & Col J. Lawson Whalley, History of the Old County Regiment of Lancashire Militia, London: Simpkin, Marshall, 1888, pp. 87–115.
^ J.R. Western, The English Militia in the Eighteenth Century, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1965, p. 125; Appendices A & B.
^ Parkman, Francis: "Montcalm and Wolfe"
^ "The Pedigree of Elizabeth Hesketh". "Fabulous" Pedigree. Jamie Allen's Family Tree. Retrieved 3 September 2022.

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Peter Bold Richard Shuttleworth	Member of Parliament for Lancashire 1741–1771 With: Richard Shuttleworth 1741–1750 Peter Bold 1750–1761 James Shuttleworth 1761–1768 Lord Archibald Hamilton 1768–1771	Succeeded by The Earl of Sefton Lord Archibald Hamilton
Political offices
Preceded by The Earl of Kinnoull	Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 1762–1771	Succeeded by The Earl of Clarendon
Honorary titles
Preceded by The Earl of Derby	Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire 1757–1771	Succeeded by The Earl of Derby