James Smith-Stanley, Lord Strange

James Smith-Stanley, Lord Strange (1716–1771) was commonly known by that title, though neither he nor his father had any claim to it. He was the eldest son of Edward Stanley, 11th Earl of Derby, whose predecessor's heirs had used that courtesy title, but the right to two successive baronies Lord Strange (being baronies by writ) had descended to daughters, when the earldom had passed to the heir male.

James Stanley's Name Act 1747
Act of Parliament
Parliament of Great Britain
Long title	An Act to enable James Stanley Esquire, commonly called Lord Strange, Eldest Son and Heir Apparent of Edward Earl of Derby, and his Issue by Lucy his Wife (late Lucy Smith), to take and use the Surname of Smith, and bear the Arms of Smith and Hertz.
Citation	21 Geo. 2. c. 4
Dates
Royal assent	25 March 1748

James Stanley married Lucy daughter and coheir of Hugh Smith of Weald Hall, Essex, and took the additional surname Smith on his marriage. This marriage produced Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby and several other children, including Thomas Stanley (1753–1779).^[1] He died before his father, so that the earldom passed straight to his son.

He attended Westminster School where he became a close friend of the future soldier, playwright, and politician John Burgoyne, who was to surrender his army at Saratoga in 1777. As a young man, Burgoyne eloped with Lord Strange's sister. Burgoyne also wrote a masque to celebrate the wedding of Edward Smith-Stanley to Lady Elizabeth Hamilton, a daughter of James Hamilton, 6th Duke of Hamilton.