This parish is situated on the borders of Warwickshire, from which it is divided by the river Leam, and is bounded on the north by Braunston, on the east by Daventry. on the south by Catesby, and on the west by Shuckburgh and Flec-noe, in Warwickshire. It contains 2086 acres, and its population in 1801 was 437; In 1831, 475; in 1841, 503 ; in 1851, 600; in 1861, 486 ; and in 1871, 478 souls. The rateable value of the parish is £3757, 12s., and the gross estimated rental is £4396, 12s. The soil varies from a strong clay to loam on a substratum of shelly rock; the lordship is well supplied by springs rising within its own boundary; and the principal proprietors are Messrs Goodman and other resident yeomen. The greater part of the lordship is in permanent pasture.

Studbury Hill, in this parish, we are told by Bridges, "is judged to be the highest spot of ground in all England, and the conjecture is supported by this observation, that the rain-water which falls from this hill runs to three different points; part of it westward to the Leame, and thence into the western ocean ; part eastward to the Nyne, and thence into the eastern sea, and part southward to the Cherwell, in which direction it continues for nearly thirty miles as far as Oxford, and there joins the Thames." But according to the Ordnance Survey, Arbury Hill, in Badby lordship, is eight feet, and Stavcrton Hill fourteen feet higher than Studbury Hill. That it is one of the highest eminences in this part of the kingdom is certain; but it can have no pretensions to rank in elevation with the mountainous tracts of the northern counties. The western branch of the river Nene has its source at Hartwell spring, in this parish, bordering on Badby,

Manor.—The Earl of Morton held 3 hides of land in Staverton, 1 1/2 hides of which lay within the soke of Fawsley, at the time of the Conquerors survey. Before the Conquest it was the freehold of Saulf, Edric, and Alwin, and had been valued at 40s., but was now rated at 60s. Hugh de Grentemaisnil held also 1 hide here at the same time, which had been the freehold of Baldwin, and valued at 15s. This hide, in the reign of Henry II., was held by William de Novoforo of the fee of Leicester ; and Hugh de Grentemaisnil and Stephen de Welton possessed the other 3 hides of the fee of Roger de Mowbray, son of Nigel de Albini, who came to England with the Conqueror. These 3 hides passed afterwards into the possession of William de his successors. In the ninth of Edward II.(1316), William de Nevyl was lord of Staverton, and his successor, James de Nevyl, in the twentieth of Edward III. (1347), accounted for half a knight's fee and three-eighth parts of a fee in Staverton. In the tenth of Edward I.(1282) m Staverton. In the tenth of Edward I. (1282), Baldwin de Wake, a descendant of William de Stuteville, died seized of this estate, and was succeeded by dant of William de Stuteville. died seized of this estate, and was succeeded by John, his son and heir, whose two sons dying without issue, their inheritance descended to their sister Margaret, the widow of Edmund of Woodstock, Earl of Kent, and from her to John Plautagcnet, Earl of Kent, her grandson. This John died in the twenty-sixth of Edward III. (1353), possessed of 3 1/2 knight's fees in Whilton and Stavcrton, which were held of him by the heirs of Roger de Welton, Eustace de Welton, Richard de Boltisham, and Robert de Mortimer. Upon the decease of Elizabeth Countess of Kent, widow of John Plantagenet, Earl of Kent, in the twelfth of Henry IV. (1411), the reversion of these 3 1/2 knight's fees in Whilton and Staverton fell to the heir of the Lady Joan, late Princess of Wales his sisterand heir. To her succeeded Thomas, her son by her first husband Sir Thomas Holland, who, in the thirty-fourth of Edward III., assumed the title of Earl of Kent, in right of the said Joan, his wife. His two sons dying without issue, their five sisters became their heirs, and in the partition of the family estates, these 3 1/2 fees in Whilton and Staverton were allotted to Thomas Earl of Salisbury, the husband of Eleanor, the younger sister, who died seized of them in the seventh of Henry VI. (1429), and left them to Alice, ins only daughter whose husband, Richard Nevyll, took the title of Earl of Salisbury. In the reign of Edward IV., we find the estates descended to the family of Beaufoy, who held them as of the manor of Melton Mowbray ; and in the eighth of Henry VIII. (1517), John Beaufoy, Esq., died seized of the manor of Staverton. In the same year, Sir Richard Haddon, Knt, died seized of 6 messuages, 200a, of arable land 40a. of meadow, 300a. of pasture, 40a. of wood, and l00a. of heath, of which 3 messuages and 200a. of arable land were held of this John de Beaufoy, Esq., by an unknown service, and the rest of the King, as of his Duchy of Lancaster. The manor of Staverton seems to have continued with the family of Beaufoy for a considerable time, as Thomas Horwood succeeded to a small estate here in the forty-fifth of Elizabeth (1603), which was certified to have been held of Thomas Beaufoy, Esq., as of his manor of Staverton. Henry Beaufoy, Esq., son of Thomas, levied a fine in 1656 of the manors of Whilton and Staverton, both of which were sold a few years afterwards. Samuel Theed, Gent., purchased the manor of Staverton of Simon Wyrley, Gent, about the year 1690, and one of his descendants alienated it; for in 1760 it belonged to William Daniel, Esq., of Southam, in Warwickshire, on whose decease, in 1774, it descended to his only child, the Rev. William Daniel, who died in 1817, and whose widow, about the year 1828, sold it to John Moore, Esq., from whom it passed to his nephew, George Moore, whose son, George, sold all his possessions in this parish in 1872 to divers purchasers.

The Priories of Daventry, Catesby, and Henwood, in Warwickshire, had each possessions in this parish previous to the dissolution of the monasteries.

T/e Manor-House of the Beaufoys and Theeds is now reduced to a farmhouse.

The Village of Staverton or Stareton, which is very respectable, is situated on the turnpike-road to Southam and Warwick, about two miles S.W. of Daventry, and fifteen W. from Northampton. In 1720, a destructive fire occurred in the village, which, in about three hours, burnt twenty-two dwelling-houses, besides out-offices, &c., and destroyed property to the amount of nearly £3000.

The Church, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, stands at the southern extremity ot the village, and consists of a nave, north and south aisles and porches, chancel and north chapel, and a handsome square embattled tower containing live bells and a clock. There are two elegant stained-glass windows, the gift ot the Rev. J. Bull, late vicar; and in the north chapel is a handsome monument, with an inscription in brass, to the memory of Thomas Wylmer, gentleman, who died m 1580. The living is a discharged vicarage in the Deanery of Daventry, certified at £30, and now valued at about £650. It is in the patronage of the Dean and Chapter of Christ Church, Oxford, and incumbency of the Rev. Jacob Ley, B.D. The benefice consists of 276a. 6p. allotted by the Commissioners of Enclosure, in lieu of the rectorial and vicarial tithes, and 74a. 1r. 37p. in lieu of me glebe lands. The Vicarage House is a handsome building.

The Free School is endowed with 27a 3r. of land, allotted by the commisioners in lieu of half-a-yardland left by Mrs Eliz. Darly, for teaching twenty poor children of the parish, and which the Rev. Fras. Baker, by deed of 5th February 1767, the then vicar, conveyed for that purpose to certain trustees. The land lets for about £66 per annum. Miss Catherine Burbidge's legacy of £100 for educational purposes was laid out in the purchase of a house and a small piece of ground for the schoolmaster. In consideration of this endowment, the master teaches twenty-five children free. The other Charities are— the poor's land, consisting of 11a. 3r which lets for £31, 93. ; Mr Wm. Thos. Grooby's charity of ; £100, left to the poor in 1767 ; and the interest of £200, bequeathed by the Rev. Sir John Knightley to the Sunday-school in 1802.

Post-Office— Simon Worley, Beasley sub-postmaster. Letters arrive from Daventry at 7. 15 A.M., and are despatched at 6.40 P.M. The nearest money-order office is Daventry.

Baseley Thomas, shoemaker

Branson James, tailor

Bulliman Win, coal dealer, Ac.

Bunihnm Wm. Hall, schoolmaster and rate collector

Burnham Thos. vict. New Inn

Clarke Mrs Abigail

Cooper Miss Elizabeth

Dickens William, carpenter, wheelwright, and parish clerk

Elms William, blacksmith

Foster Joseph, beerhouse

Goodman Mr Thos.

Hall Samuel, vict. Windmill

Hall William, blacksmith

Hands Miss Ana

Hands Miss Maria, Compton Cottage

Hands Mr Stephen

Harris Mrs Eleanor

Holden Benjamin and Eliza,shopkeepers

Jeffery Mr Thomas

Kitching Miss Jane, shopkeeper

Ley Rev. Jacob, B.D. vicar

Masters James, coal dealer

Page Thomas, butcher

Robbins William, shopkeeper

Taylor George, bricklayer

Vickcrs Edw, police constab.le

Waite William, shoemaker

Webb Caleb, shopkeeper

Farmers and Graziers.

(Marked thus * yeoman.)

Bagshaw Samuel

* Basely George

Bates Jas. Sam. Manor-House

Boddington Robert

Burnham James (and butcher)

Clarke, Jas. Staverton Cottage

Clarke Thomas

Freeman John

*Goodman Clarke

*Goodrnan Uriah & James

*Hall William

* Hands George

*Hands William "Roberts Edward Thomas Roberts Thos. (and rate collr.)

Carrier to Daventry.—William Bulliman, on Wednesday and Saturday.

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