His Excellency Frederick
Arthur Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby KG GCB GCVO PC
Baron Stanley of
Preston, Governor General & Commander-in-Chief
of Canada
Frederick Arthur Stanley held the position of Governor General of
Canada from 1888 to 1893. He was
the sixth holder of this vice-regal office but was regarded highly by Her
Majesty Queen Victoria and became the third Governor General to whom Her
Majesty bestowed permission to grant pardons to offenders and to remit
sentences and fines as well as mitigate capital sentences.
Stanley was born in London in 1841 to British Prime Minister, the 14th
Earl of Derby Edward Smith-Stanley and the Hon. Emma Caroline. He was educated at Eton College and
Sandhurst Royal Military College. In
the army Stanley rose to the rank of Captain before retiring to focus his
attention on politics. He was a
Conservative Member of Parliament for Preston, North Lancashire and Blackpool
and he held a number of political Cabinet positions, beginning with financial
offices in his early years and moving on to become Secretary of State for War,
Secretary of State for the Colonies and finally President of the Board of Trade,
before being appointed Governor General of Canada in 1888.
In 1891 a discussions were held in the House of Commons regarding a
payment that the government of Quebec intended to make as compensation for land
granted to the Jesuits by the King of France. The motion called on Stanley, as Governor General, to
disallow the payment of $400,000 but he refused to compromise the vice-regal
position of political neutrality.
This action gained him enormous popularity and respect in Canada.
The people of Canada felt a great affection for Stanley, recognising
and appreciating his dedication and passion for their country. He often travelled throughout Canada, for
his own personal love of its natural beauty, as well as feeling it was an
essential part of his role as Governor General. He left a lasting impression on the people of Canada and his
name has been taken by many landmarks including Stanley Park (a public park of
aprproximately 1000 acres in downtown Vancouver, almost entirely surrounded by
the Pacific Ocean), Stanley Peak (a 3,155m high peak in the Ball Range of the
Canadian Rocky Mountains, named in 1901 by English explorer Edward Whymper who
was it’s first recorded climber), and the town of Stanley, Nova Scotia.
In 1892 Stanley presented
Canada with the gift of a cup, to be awarded to amateur hockey clubs. In 1909 the coveted ‘Stanley Cup’ became
contested by professional hockey clubs and in 1926 passed to the National
Hockey League. The trophy itself has
been replaced by a larger, grander version, but to this day the award of the
Stanley Cup remains.
Stanley’s term in office was due to end in September 1893, however
in April of that year his elder brother, the 15th Earl of Derby
passed away, bringing his return to England forward to July. Control of his office was given to an
administrator until Lord Aberdeen was sworn into office in September.
In his later years Stanley dedicated much time to philanthropic
work. He died in 1908 at the age
of 67, leaving behind his wife and their eight surviving children (two died
during infancy). His eldest son,
Edward, became the 17th Earl of Derby and followed in his father’s
political footsteps as Conservative MP and a member of the Prime Minister’s
Cabinet.
With the exception of an audio
recording of Thomas Edison himself, it is thought that a recording of Lord
Stanley in 1888 may be the oldest voice recording still in existence.
The personal coat of arms of Frederick Arthur Stanely, 16th
Earl of Derby
Arms: Argent on a bend Azure, three stags' heads
caboshed Or, a crescent azure for difference
Crest
(shown above the coronet of an Earl): A cap of maintenance Gules, turned up Ermine, an eagle
wings extended Or, preying on an infant in its cradle proper swaddled Gules,
the cradle laced Or
Supporters: Dexter, a griffin wings elevated; sinister, a
stag, each Or and ducally gorged with a line reflexed over the back and charged
on the shoulder with a crescent Azure
