STANLEY, Edward I (by 1513-64 or later), of Harlech, Merion.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1509-1558, ed. S.T. Bindoff, 1982
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

Family and Education

b. by 1513, 2nd s. of Peter Stanley of Flint, by Janet, da. of Sir Thomas Butler. ?educ. Oxf. BA 2 July 1526. m. Ellen, illegit. da. of Meredydd ap Ievan ap Robert of Dolwyddelan and Gwydir, Caern.1

Offices Held

Dep. constable, Harlech castle by 1534-51, constable 26 Mar. 1551-?d.; bailiff, commote of Ardudwy, Merion. in 1534; j.p.q. Merion. 1543-64 or later; sheriff 1544-5, 1552-3, 1559-60; commr. benevolence 1544/45, relief 1550, goods of churches and fraternities 1553, subsidy 1556.2

Biography

On 17 Dec. 1541 Rowland Lee, president of the council in the marches, wrote to John Wynn ap Meredydd recommending Richard Mytton as knight of the shire for Merioneth in the Parliament due to assemble in the following month, but it was Wynn’s brother-in-law Edward Stanley who was to be chosen on 3 Jan. 1542, while Mytton was elected with his father for Shrewsbury. Stanley perhaps had the support of a more influential figure than Lee in the person of the King’s favourite Sir Francis Bryan, whose deputy he was at Harlech castle: Bryan himself sat for Buckinghamshire on this occasion. Although Bryan lived until 1550 Stanley did not reappear in Parliament: in 1545 he was debarred by his shrievalty and by 1547 Bryan had ceased to be a favourite. As sheriff Stanley returned his neighbour Rhys Vaughan I to Parliament in 1544 and Lewis ab Owen and John Salesbury seven years later.3

Stanley’s father had been a pillar of the Tudors in north Wales, and in addition to offices in Denbighshire and Flintshire he had held the shrievalty of Merioneth and the constableship of Harlech castle until his death during 1520-1: after Bryan’s death Stanley himself succeeded to the constableship. He may be identifiable with the student at Oxford in the early 1520s, but nothing is otherwise known about his life before 1534, by which time he was an established figure in Merioneth. At the Union he was named to the county bench and he was thrice pricked sheriff. He remained active in local affairs until 1564, but after that date nothing more is heard of him. If he made a will it has not been found.4

Ref Volumes: 1509-1558

Author: P. S. Edwards

Notes

  • 1. Date of birth estimated from first reference. Dwnn, Vis. Wales, ii. 284, 316; Griffiths, Peds. 280; Emden, Biog. Reg. Univ. Oxf. 1501-40, p. 535.
  • 2. SC6/Hen. VIII, 5457, mm. iv, 56v; Stowe 571, f. 75; E. Breese, Kalendars of Gwynedd, 133; C193/12/1; E179/222/314, 316, 323; CPR, 1553, pp. 363, 419; 1563-6, p. 31.
  • 3. Cal. Wynn (of Gwydir) Pprs. 1515-1690, p. 1.
  • 4. Breese, 70, 133; SC6/Hen. VIII, 5457, 5471, 5473-5, 5477.