William Stanley (died 1495)
Sir William Stanley KG (c. 1435[1] – 16 February 1495) was an English soldier and the younger brother of Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby. Stanley fought with his troops in several battles of the Wars of the Roses.
Private life
Born at Latham, Ormskirk, Lancashire, Sir William was the younger son of Thomas Stanley, 1st Baron Stanley.[2] In 1465 he married Joan(d. 1469), daughter of John Beaumont, 1st Viscount Beaumont, and widow of John, Lord Lovel. They had three children: William, Joan and Catherine. Following the execution of her second husband the Earl of Worcester, Sir William married secondly, c.1471, Elizabeth Hopton (d. 1498), daughter of Thomas Hopton with whom he had a daughter, Jane Stanley.[3] He is known as Sir William Stanley of Holt, Wrexham, from one of the castles he was granted by Richard III.[4]
Career
William Stanley fought on the Yorkist side at the
Having been loyal to Richard, Stanley nevertheless changed sides in 1485, and suddenly supported the Lancastrian
However, in 1495 Stanley was convicted of treason and executed for his support of the pretender Perkin Warbeck. Though the evidence was circumstantial, he admitted the offence in the hope that through a full confession he would escape execution.[6] The King, partly to avoid antagonizing his mother and stepfather, was at first inclined to spare Sir William's life. Yet ultimately the King feared that by showing clemency, he would be endangering himself through encouraging other potential conspirators. As a consequence, Sir William was condemned to death, and a few days later, beheaded.
Letitia Elizabeth Landon's poetical illustration Sir William Stanley, tells his story.[7]
In popular culture
Sir William Stanley appears as a character in three episodes of the 1972 BBC television series about the reign of Henry VII, The Shadow of the Tower, played by John Franklyn-Robbins.[8][9]
In the 2017 Starz miniseries The White Princess, Stanley is portrayed by Guy Williams.
In 2024, Stanley was portrayed by Tyler Dobbs in the theatre production “Richard, My Richard” performed at The Northern Shakespeare Playhouse.
Notes
- ODNB
- ^ a b c d e f Wagner 2001, p. 257.
- ^ Coulton, Barbara (1992). "The wives of Sir William Stanley: Joan Beaumont and Elizabeth Hopton". The Ricardian. 9 (118): 315–318.
- ^ Vaughan, H.J.F. (1883). "Sir William Stanley". Archaeologia Cambrensis. XIV Fourth Series: 65.
- ^ "William Stanley – A Yorkist". Archived from the original on 3 July 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
- ^ Seaacome, John (1821). The History of the House of Stanley. p. 55. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
- ^ Landon, Letitia Elizabeth (1836). "poetical illustration". Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1837. Fisher, Son & Co.Landon, Letitia Elizabeth (1836). "picture". Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1837. Fisher, Son & Co.
- ^ "The Shadow of the Tower: The White Hart". Genome BETA Radio Times 1923 - 2009. BBC. 10 February 1972. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
- ^ "The Shadow of the Tower". IMDb. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
References
- Wagner, John A., ed. (2001). "Sir William Stanley (d.1495)". Encyclopedia of the Wars of the Roses. ABC-CLIO.257
- Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. .