• Home
• Staveley Name
• Origins
• Heraldry
• Lineages
• DNA Project
• Records
• Research
• Forum
• Guestbook
• Search

Leicester, Leicestershire

Christopher Staveley was born in Melton Mowbray in 1759 the son of Christopher Staveley and Sarah HILL.  Christopher first married Lucy SMITH December 23, 1784, and later married his second wife Ruth:

Christopher's son John b. 1800 is residing with his son Henry in Sherwood, Nottinghamshire in 1871.

Christopher's daughter Lucy married Gabriel RIDDLE on May 24, 1819 at All Saints church in Loughborough, and later moved with her husband, a stationer by trade, to London.

Christopher initially worked along side his father Christopher (b. 1726), under the tutelage of William Jessop, and was later appointed surveyor in 1791.  That same year he surveyed the region of the Charnwood Forest Canal and came up with a seven and a half mile long contour canal between Thringstone and Nanpantan, near Loughborough. The canal and its railroads were completed on 24th October 1794.

Christopher Staveley Jr., in conjunction with his son Edward (b. 1795), engineered the Leicestershire and Northampton Union Canal.

The following is a transcript of Christopher Staveley's will dated November 12, 1819

This is the last Will and testament of me Christopher Staveley of Leicester in the county of Leicester Gentleman. First I wish that all my just debts funeral and testamentary expenses be paid by my executors or administrators named out of my personal estate and subject ? I give devise and bequeath all my messuages lands tenements hereditaments and real estate with the appurtenances and the use and enjoyments of all my household furniture plate linen china books the interest dividends and produce of all my many and all that my personal estate and effects whatsoever and wheresoever unto my dear wife Ruth Staveley for and during the term of her natural life for the support of herself and the bringing up of my children and from and after the decease of my said wife I give devise and bequeath all my said real and personal estate and effects unto my friend James Ella of ? in the said county of Leicester gentleman and my brother Edward Staveley of the town and county of the ? Nottingham their heirs executors and administrators upon ? trust and confidence nevertheless that they or the survivor of them or the heirs executors or administrators of such survivor do and shall ? decease of my said wife call and dispose of my said messuages lands tenements hereditaments and real estates and also such past of my personal estate as shall not ? of ? either by public auction or private contract and either together or parts as they shall judge most advantageous and ? my said messuages lands tenements hereditaments and real estate and the ? in the simple thereof to the purchase or purchases thereof and do and shall for that purpose make and execute all such deeds conveyances and ? as they the said James Ella and Edward Staveley or the survivor of them or the heirs of such survivor shall think fit and ? and I do hereby will order and direct that on payment of the money to arise by such sale or sales of my said messuages lands tenements hereditaments and real estate as aforesaid or any part thereof it shall and may be lawful to and for the said ? Ella and Edward Staveley or the survivor of them or the heirs of such survivor to give and sign any receipt or receipts for the money to arise by such sale or sales aforesaid or any part or parts thereof respectively which receipt or receipts thereby declare shall be a good and effectual discharge or discharges to the purchases or purchasers of my said messuages lands tenements hereditaments and real estate his ? and ? respective executors administrators and assigns for so much of the said purchase money as shall be therein expressed or acknowledged to be received and such purchaser or purchasers his her or their respective heirs executors administrators or assigns shall not afterwards be obliged to see to the application of such purchase money or be accountable or accountable for any misapplication or non-application thereof or any part thereof respectively and my mind and will is and I do hereby declare that the said James Ella and Edward Staveley or the survivor of them or the executors or administrators of such survivor do and shall ? ? of and interest in all and singular the monies to arise by this sale of my said real and personal estates from and after the decease of my said wife upon trust to pay ? and distribute all such monies and premises unto between and amongst all and every my children Ann Staveley, Edward Staveley, Christopher Staveley, Lucy Riddle, John Staveley, Sarah Staveley and Mary Staveley in equal shares and proportions save and except that the share and proportion of my said daughter Lucy Riddle shall be less than the share and proportions of my said other children by the sum of three hundred pounds she having already received that sum in my life time and I ? that if any of my said children shall happen to be under the age of twenty one years at the decease of my said wife the part or share of him or her so being under age shall be placed out at interest and shall be applied for his or her benefit in the mean time in such manner as my said trustees or trustee for the time being shall think fit and my mind and will further is and I so hereby direct that if any of my said children shall depart this life in the life time of my said wife having ? lawfully begotten or if any of my said children shall afterwards depart this life under the age of twenty one years leaving ? lawfully begotten then and in either of such cases the part or share of such child or children so dying as aforesaid shall be paid to the ? of such child or children at their respective ages of twenty one years in equal proportions if more than one and if but one thou to such one ? and the dividends interest or proceeds to be applied in the mean time in or towards their maintenance education and support but if any of my said children shall happen to die in the life time of my said wife without leaving ? lawfully begotten or shall depart this life after the death of my said wife under the age of twenty one years and without leaving ? lawfully begotten then and in ? such cases the part or share of such child or children so dying shall be paid or payable unto and amongst the survivors or survivor of my said children in equal shares and proportions at their respective ages of twenty one years and that the shares of further ? shall extend to the surviving as well as to the ? ? provided always and I do hereby declare my mind and will to be that it shall and may be lawful to and for my said wife with the application and consent of the said James Ella and Edward Staveley or the survivor of them or the executors or administrators of such survivor to ? any sum or sums of money for the establishing and setup up any of my said sons or any ? ? or by ? or to advance any sum or sums to or the the benefit of my said daughters so as that ? ? case the sum is to advanced to or for the benefit of any one child shall ? his or her share and proportion of what he or she will be ? entitled to under or by virtue of this my will and ? sum or sums to be advanced as aforesaid shall be ? as part of and deducted out of the respective share and proportion to which such child or children would eventually entitled under this my will provided also and I do hereby will order and direct that if it shall appear to my said wife at any time or times during her life that it will be fore the advantage of ? and my said children to have my aforesaid real estates or any part or parts thereof sold and reinvested into money in her lifetime then and in such case and on my said wife expressing her desire by writing under her hand to the said James Ella and Edward Staveley or the survivor of them or the heirs of such survivor it shall and may be lawful to and for the said James Ella and Edward Staveley or the survivor of them or the heirs of such survivor to sell and dispose of all y said real estates or such part or parts thereof as my said wife shall by such writing under her hand as aforesaid direct and to invest the money to arise by such sale or sales ? of the public funds or in good ? security or securities in the their or his own name or names and to apply the dividends interest or proceeds thereof and afterwards the principal unto and for the benefit of my said wife and children in such manner as is herein before directed respecting my said real estate in case the same should not be sold until after the decease of my said wife and I do hereby give unto the said James Ella and Edward Staveley and the survivor of them and the heirs of such survivor such and the same powers and authorities to ? my said real estates to the purchase or purchases thereof in the life time of my said wife on such her desire as aforesaid and sing and give receipts for the monies to arise by sale thereof as are hereinbefore given to them in case my said real estates should not be sold until after the decease of my said wife any thing hereinbefore contained to the contrary notwithstanding and I do hereby nominate constitute and appoint my said wife and the said James Ella and Edward Staveley executors of this my will and guardians of my said children during the respective minorities and I do hereby direct that it shall and may be lawful to and for the said James Ella and Edward Staveley and the survivor of them or the heirs executors and admons of such survivor by and out of such monies as shall come to their own respective hands under or by ? of the trusts of this my will to reimburse himself and themselves all such costs charges damages and expenses as they may or any of them shall incur expend sustain or be put unto for or by reason of or on account of any of the trusts hereby in them reposed or in the management or execution thereof or for or by reason of any other matter or thing relative thereto and that neither of them the said James Ella and Edward Staveley their respective heirs executors or administrators shall be answerable or accountable for anymore money that what they shall respectively receive by virtue of the trust aforesaid nor shall either of them be charged or be chargeable with or accountable for the receipts disbursements neglects defaults or acts of the others or other of them but each for his and their own receipts disbursements neglects defaults or acts only nor shall they be either of them be answerable or accountable for any ? which may happen to the said trust monies and premises unless such ? shall happen through their wilful neglect or default and lastly I do hereby revoke all former wills by me made and do declare this only to be my last in witness whereof I the said Christopher Staveley the testator have this my last will and testament written on five sheets of paper set my hand and seal to ? my hand to the first four sheets hereof and my hand and seal to this fifth and last sheet hereof the twelfth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and nineteen -- Christ. Staveley signed sealed published and declared by the said Christopher Staveley the testator as and for his last will and testament in the presence of us also in his presence at his request and in the presence of each other have subscribed our hands as witnesses hereto Halford Adcock, Edward Every, Jno Sheppard   Proved at London 22nd November 1827 before the Judge by the oaths of Ruth Staveley Widow the ? James Ella and Edward Staveley the brother the executors to whom administration was granted having been first sworn/by commission/duly to administer.

Just a few years after Christopher's death, the story of the Staveleys of Melton Mowbray and Leicester takes an unfortunate turn.  Edward Staveley (1795-1872), son of Christopher above, apparently  embezzled approximately £1,700 from the Leicester Navigation Company.  Edward however fled to America with his new wife Mary Ann WHITE in 1833.

In 1833 Edward Staveley (aged 38) and Mary Ann Staveley (aged 28) first arrived in Baltimore. Edward worked in the US as a canal and railway engineer in Baltimore and later moved to Quebec, Canada where he died in 1872 aged 77.

In 1841, Christopher's widow Ruth is living in Loughborough with daughter Mary:

1841: Sparrow Hill, Loughborough, Leicestershire, England

Ruth died the following year in Loughborough, in the March quarter of 1842.

Text and Images Copyright © 1999-2006