Hall & Sons with Duty 1 Shilling and Sixpence. GII Die No. 64 with 1first re-cut dated c. 1810
Hunt & Sons, George IV
Duty One Shilling & Sixpence. dated c. 1827
One card from the Hunt & Sons deck with a crude attempt at transformation. This could even be by the hand of William Parry a famous artic explorer. :)
The two decks of cards shown above were acquired from the family descendants of John Stanley (1766 - 1850) 1st Baron Stanley of Alderley and known as Sir John Stanley, 7th Baronet from 1807 to 1839. He was a British peer and politician between the years 1807 - 1839.
He was elected to the House of Commons for Wootton Basset in 1790 and retained the seat until 1796. In 1839 Stanley was raised to the peerage as Baron Stanley of Alderley, in the County of Cheshire.
Lord Stanley died at his home Alderley Park in October 1850 aged 83 leaving his wife the Hon. Maria Josepha, daughter of John Holroyd, 1st Earl of Sheffield. Lady Stanley died in 1863. Between them they had 11 children 9 of which survived to adulthood including his eldest daughter Isabella Louisa born 1801. The playing cards continued to be held by Louisa and her new family which followed.
Born 19 December 1790 died 8 July 1855, William Parry was born in Bath, Somerset, the son of Caleb Hillier Parry and Sarah Rigby. At the age of 13 years he joined the flagship of Admiral Sir William Cornwallis in the Channel fleet as a first class volunteer and in 1806 became a midshipman. By 1810 he had been promoted to lieutenant on the frigate Alexander and spent the next 3 years protecting the Spitsbergen whale fishery.
During this time he studied the practice of astronomical observations in northern latitudes and afterwards published his results in a small book titled 'Nautical Astronomy by Night'. From 1813 to 1817 he served on the North American Station. William went on to become a famous artic explorer, best known for his 1819 - 1820 expedition through the Parry Channel, probably the most successful in the long quest for the Northwest Passage. In 1827, Parry attempted one of the earliest expeditions to the North Pole, the farthest distance North, a record which stood 50 years. He was knighted in 1829 and attained the rank of Rear Admiral in 1852 and died 8 July 1855.
Born in 1801, Louisa married William Parry on the 23 October 1826 , she died in 13 May 1839 leaving two daughters Lucy (Parry) Coote and Caroline (Parry ) Way.
Parry's artic exploration began in 1818 when he received command of the brig Alexander in the artic expedition under Captain John Ross. This expedition followed the coast of Baffin Bay but was to turn around at the north end of Baffin Island at the entrance to Lancaster Sound. Parry was later to be given command of a new expedition returning to Lancaster Sound, in HMS Hecla accompanied by HMS Griper. Parry headed straight for Lancaster Sound and passed the point at which John Ross previously turned back. Blocked by heavy ice they went south for more than 100 miles into Prince Regent Inlet before turning back. Continuing for 600 miles, west of Lancaster Strait they won an award of £5,000 offered by Parliament. Finally, blocked by ice they turned back to a place called Winter Harbour on the south shore of Melville Island and remained there at anchorage for the next 10 months. It was not until August 1820 that the ship was allowed to resume sail in open water and they returned to reach England in October 1820, having lost only one crew member. Parry's voyage which had taken him through the Parry Channel three-quarters of the way across the Canadian Artic Archipelago was probably the single most productive voyage in the quest for the North West passage.
In April, 1821 Parry again left for the Artic commanding HMS Fury accompanied by HMS Hecla. The aim this time was to find a passage near the northwest end of Hudson Bay. The expedition had limited success but paved the way for a final voyage in 1824. In April 1824, Parry left London in command of HMS Hecla accompanied by HMS Fury. The goal this time was Prince Regent Inlet at the west end of Baffin Island a place were they had previously been stalled from progressing further by heavy ice. It was a bad year for ice and he did not reach Lancaster Sound until 10 September. He entered Prince Regent inlet but afyer 60 miles of ice he was forced to winter at place called Port Bowen. In late July 1825 they freed themselves from the ice but 60 miles further south they were caught in strong gales which forced Fury against the western shore causing considerable damage. After beaching the ship to attempt repairs it was revealed that the keel was broken and advancing ice forced them to abandon further efforts. Most of the stores were left on the beach with the crew of the Fury joining HMS Hecla. The Hecla returned to England reaching it in October 1825.
After marrying Louisa Stanley in October 1826, and having been given permission from the Admiralty, Parry set off for his last expedition in 1827 for an attempt on the North Pole from the northern shores of Spitsbergen at Sjuoyane. He reached 82 degrees 45 N which remained the highest latitude attained for the next 49 years and published an account of this journey under the title of 'Narrative of the Attempt to reach the North Pole.'