Derby, Edward Smith Stanley, 13th Earl of, 1775-1851

The eldest son of the 12th Earl of Derby, Edward Smith Stanley (1775-1851) was born at Knowsley, the family seat, eight miles east of Liverpool. After receiving his MA at Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1795, Stanley entered Parliament, representing Preston, Lancashire, a spot traditionally held by members of his family. He was, however, not a zealous politician, never attaining prominence in the Whig Party, seldom speaking in the House, and stepping down from his seat altogether in 1812. Upon the death of his father in October 1834, Stanley succeeded to the title of 13th Earl of Derby and was made a Knight of the Garter in April 1839.

Although politics may never have absorbed Derby's interests, zoology did. At Knowsley, he established a magnificent private menagerie, tapping his fortune and his social and political contacts, to scour Britain's African colonies for exotic specimens. Eventually, he sought to establish breeding populations at Knowsley, or failing that, to collect at least the skins and bones. He was a discerning collector, widely read in the zoological literature, and sought out the most obscure species available, with a particular eye for antelopes, ruminants and birds. With over 100 acres of land and 70 acres of water, his menagerie supported nearly 100 species of mammals and over 300 species of birds at the time of his death and consumed between £10,000 and £15,000 per year for upkeep. His zoological museum was equally extensive, boasting over 20,000 specimens of mammals, birds, eggs, and lower vertebrates.

Derby was a regular contributor to the Proceedings of the Zoological Society, of which he was President at the time of his death, and between 1828 and 1833 he was President of the Linnæan Society. He may best be remembered, however, as the employer of Edward Lear (1812-1888), who was hired by Derby between 1832 and 1837 to draw the animals at the Knowsley menagerie. Lear's Book of Nonsense was drawn for Derby's grandchildren.

After Derby's death, the menagerie and museum were dispersed. The majority of museum specimens were bequeathed to the Liverpool Museum, becoming the core of their natural historical collections, and some of the animals were sent to the zoo at Regent's Park, London, which had been opened in 1828. In 1971, the 18th Earl of Derby opened Knowsley Park to the public as a safari park.