Liverpool nobleman proves pivotal to the success of Shakespeare's early years

The Stanley family from Knowsley near Liverpool – now home to the famous safari park - proved pivotal to the creative success of William Shakespeare’s early performing years.

With their vast residences near Ormskirk in Lancashire and at Knowsley, members of the Stanley family were enthusiastic sponsors of Elizabethan entertainers.

Ferdinando Stanley, born around 1559, was the oldest son and heir of Henry Stanley, 4th Earl of Derby. He assumed the title of Lord Strange in his early teens and became the 5th Earl of Derby only briefly, from 25 September 1593 until his premature death seven months later under mysterious circumstances.

Ferdinando’s ancestors, as well as his father, had a long history of patronising entertainers and he was no exception. As a teenager he adopted patronage of his first troupe, which toured the provinces and played at court, with acrobatic skills that won them high rewards.

By the later 1580s, as he pursued his career at court, Ferdinando was looking again to sponsor a troupe in his name. It was around the time soon after the death of his mentor, the powerful Earl of Leicester, Robert Dudley.

Leicester’s troupe included at the time George Bryan, Will Kemp, and Thomas Pope. And it is they who then surface in documentary evidence as Strange’s Men in 1593 and then as the Lord Chamberlain’s Men with Shakespeare in an acting role in 1594.

Lord Strange’s Men (pronounced strang) began life as a troupe of acrobats under the patronage of the Stanley family, headed by the Earl of Derby.

All that changed by 1588 when Lord Strange patronized a new troupe of actors who later in 1593 became known as Derby’s Men when their patron assumed the title when his father died.

We only have the Stanley household accounts which cover a short time in the later 16th century when Henry, the 4th Earl, and his family were periodically in residence at their Northern homes.

It is clear from these brief accounts that the family regularly enjoyed performances by their players during the Christmas and Shrovetide seasons when at home. There is evidence from the accounts that Lord Strange’s Men visited both Lathom and Knowsley between 1587 and 1590 for festive celebrations.

It was in the late 1580s and early 1590s that Lord Strange’s Men were to make their mark as they set their sights on success in London and the new Rose Theatre.

The Rose playhouse was erected in 1587 and became the first purpose-built theatre south of the Thames to be located on Bankside, Southwark.

The first acting company known to have been in residence there was Lord Strange’s Men, who had won themselves a reputation as an innovative and talented troupe under the patronage of Ferdinando Stanley.

There is some agreement among academics and historians that William Shakespeare had joined the troupe by 1592, and among the first of Shakespeare’s plays to be performed was probably Henry VI Part 1.

We know this thanks to theatre manager and owner Philip Henslowe who kept a diary during this time and in the four months around spring 1592 wrote that a new play was in the repertoire of Lord Strange's Men -harey the vj - that is Henry VI.

In 1592, when Henry VI Part I was mounted at the Rose, Strange’s men were forced to go on a provincial tour during the closure of the theatres, first as result of an apprentices’ riot in Southwark in June that drew the ire of the Privy Council, and then as plague became endemic in the city of London later the same summer.

The theatres were closed because of plague for a long period, which explains why Strange's Men did not perform at the Rose after 1 February 1593.

Records show that "my Lordes stranges players" went on to tour and were paid 20 shillings in some venues.

Actor Edward Alleyne. By permission of the Trustees of Dulwich Picture Gallery

Although we cannot say for certain whether Shakespeare joined the tour, leading academics such as Sally-Beth MacLean, from Records of Early English Drama say there's a good chance that his play Henry VI Part 1 was probably in the touring repertory.

Actor Edward Alleyn (also seen spelt as 'Alleyne') was the star performer, and although we have no actual record that Shakespeare himself was a member of Lord Strange’s Men, it is possible that he was indeed one of their hired actors at the time, as well as a contributing playwright.

Will Kemp (also seen spelt as 'Kempe'), Thomas Pope and George Bryan, the three leading members of Strange’s men, migrated to join Shakespeare and Richard Burbage in the newly formed Lord Chamberlain’s Men after the sudden death of their patron, Ferdinando Stanley in the spring of 1594.

All three would have been known to Shakespeare already, at least as actors in Henry VI, Part I during their heyday with Strange’s men.

This Northern connection is still in evidence years later, when in 1614, Shakespeare is still alive and retired to Stratford-Upon-Avon by this time. The Bard’s company, now known as The King’s Men, return to the North West to perform alongside the Earl of Derby’s troupe in a Cheshire inn.

The King’s Men returned again to the North West after Shakespeare’s death in 1616 for a number of performance tours.

The Stanleys had two major properties in the North West – the other at Lathom in Lancashire. Today the Stanley family still own the hall but no longer reside there (though nearby) as it is used for functions and corporate events. The present L-shaped residence is mostly 18th and 20th c. with some fabric from the earlier Tudor house incorporated in the south wing. It is Grade II listed.