Preston Pub Sign Study - The Stanley Arms

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Many pubs in Lancashire bear the Stanley family name of the Earls of Derby, who hail from Knowsley (itself a name given to Stanley family related bars). The family itself owned this central Preston pub until 1923, and the pub itself was renamed The Knowsley until the 1970’s. It dates from 1853, replacing a nearby but now demolished earlier pub of the same name, dating from 1827. The curious image of an eagle with a baby in the crib relates to a family legend that the 14th century family ancestor, the Earl of Latham who came up with a unique excuse to cover up for his infant son’s illegitimacy. Latham claimed that he and his pregnancy concealing wife were walking in the woods when they heard a baby crying and found the boy in an eagle’s nest in a tree. Believing the boy was seized by the eagle and that they could not trace his parents they claimed that had adopted him as their own. Most people naturally took the claim with a pinch of salt. Later Stanleys have used images of the eagle and child in their family portraits and art work ever since. Arthur Chappell