WHY HISTORY MATTERS – History Study Days at Knowsley Hall

The Countess of Derby has launched an innovative History programme that aims to inspire, entertain, and educate by bringing to life 600 years of British history through the fascinating stories of the Derby family and their ancestral home, Knowsley Hall. This programme will offer a fresh perspective on British history, showcasing the pivotal role the Derby family has played in shaping political, cultural, and artistic life across the centuries. Discover captivating narratives from leading historians, writers, and art historians.

The Countess of Derby’s History Study Days are curated and hosted by The Countess of Derby, focusing on the family’s history, bringing together academics and writers. In October there will be two days, a reflection on The Life and Legacy of the 13th Earl of Derby (15 October) and The Life and Legacy of the 14th Earl of Derby (16 October).

15th October 2025 – The Life and Legacy of the 13th Earl of Derby, Art Collector, Conservationist and Natural Historian

An exclusive study day focusing on the life and legacy of the 13th Earl of Derby: natural historian and patron of the watercolourist Edward Lear

Speakers

Lady Derby
Dr Alan Crosby – The early life of the 13th Earl and his interests, family and passion for Natural History
Dr Clemency Fisher – Was this the biggest Zoo on Earth? And The continuing importance to science of the 13th Earl of Derby’s zoological museum
Jenny Uglow – The Gleanings of the Menagerie 1846 & 1850 and Edward Lear
Dr Xanthe Brooke – The 13th Earl’s Collection of Miniatures and Paintings
Frank Cottrell Boyce – 2024 Children’s Poet Laureate on the limericks and their legacy – “How Pleasant to Know Mr Lear”
To discover more click to download the full event programme:

16th October 2025 –The Life and Legacy of the 14th Earl of Derby: Prime Minister three times to Queen Victoria

This study day is devoted to the two largely unknown travel journals, ‘A Grand Tour Journal 1820 – 1822’ and ‘A North American Journal 1824 – 1825’ of Edward Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, later three times Prime Minister and the longest serving party leader in British political history.

Speakers

Professor Andrew O’Shaughnessy – The content and importance of the North American Travel Journal’s eye witness reports and their analysis of contemporary democracy in America.
Patrick Dallaire – The importance of the American Journal to the analysis of the Evolution of the Canadian Constitution 1822-1840
Dr Geoffrey Hicks – The later political career of the 14th Earl of Derby
Anne Somerset – Queen Victoria and her Prime Minister the 14th Earl of Derby
Professor Christopher Leslie Brown – The Antislavery Career of the Earl of Derby
Professor Jeanie Grant Moore – The 14th Earl of Derby and Charles Dickens
Book online at: https://knowsleyhall.digitickets.co.uk/category/64179

You can choose to attend either of the study days or both.

Tickets are priced at £75 per day.

A Study Day ticket includes:

All speaker sessions for one day
Tea and coffee
A light sandwich lunch
Parking
There is an exclusive opportunity to stay at Knowsley Hall the night before each Study Day, you will join the Countess of Derby and the speakers for dinner in the State Dining Room. This gives you an unforgettable way to experience the Hall before your Study Day.

Experience an overnight stay for £350 (single occupancy) or £425 (double occupancy), with each stay inclusive of:

Welcome drink before dinner
Three course dinner in the State Dining Room
Accommodation for the night before you attend the history day with continental breakfast
Your ticket(s) for the History Study Day the following day
Early booking of accommodation is advised as there are only a limited number of bedrooms available.

History Study Day The Life and Legacy of the 13th Earl of Derby, Art Collector, Conservationist and Natural Historian