Roseberry Mary Staveley

On Sunday, I posted about Thomas Kitchingman Staveley, who owned the north side of Roseberry Topping and the Common in the mid-19th-century.

I ended it by saying he had a son and two daughters. The eldest of the daughters was delightfully named Roseberry Mary Staveley who eventually inherited the whole estate including Newton manor.

Although T.K.S. was an absentee landlord — his seat was Old Sleningford, near Ripon — he must have had quite an affection for the area to name his daughter after its prominent peak.

So too, Miss Staveley, who never married and remained living at Old Sleningford. Her connection with Newton continued; she provided a ‘living’ for the vicar at St. Oswalds church and had a new vicarage built¹‘ECCLESIASTICAL NEWS’ (1894) York Herald, 13 Oct, 13, available: https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.is.ed.ac.uk/apps/doc/R3212357272/GDCS?u=ed_itw&sid=bookmark-GDCS&xid=95094c80 [accessed 01 Feb 2022].²‘ECCLESIASTICAL INTELLIGENCE’ (1896) Morning Post, 11 Aug, 6, available: https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.is.ed.ac.uk/apps/doc/GS3214962106/GDCS?u=ed_itw&sid=bookmark-GDCS&xid=734c4c13 [accessed 01 Feb 2022].. She is listed as the owner of the King’s Head when it was relet in 1882³‘Multiple Classified ads’ (1882) York Herald, 20 Feb, [1]+, available: https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.is.ed.ac.uk/apps/doc/R3211227473/GDCS?u=ed_itw&sid=bookmark-GDCS&xid=007c2947 [accessed 01 Feb 2022]..

Roseberry Mary Staveley died in 1931 and, apart from a couple of small annuities, left her estate to William Miles Staveley, a very distant relative; upsetting her younger sister’s family in the process. He was indeed a distant relative, the connection being dated back to the 1400s⁴MASHAM PARISHES. (2022). History of North Stainley. [online] Available at: https://www.mashamparishes.org/history-of-north-stainley.html [Accessed 1 Feb. 2022]..

After her death, the estate had to be disposed off to pay for death duties and it was sold to Major Charles S Bedford. I assume the Newton estate was sold separately.

As you can see, an overcast day over Roseberry this morning, which was noticeably quiet so I took the opportunity of climbing to the summit.

• 1
  ‘ECCLESIASTICAL NEWS’ (1894) York Herald, 13 Oct, 13, available: https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.is.ed.ac.uk/apps/doc/R3212357272/GDCS?u=ed_itw&sid=bookmark-GDCS&xid=95094c80 [accessed 01 Feb 2022].
• 2
  ‘ECCLESIASTICAL INTELLIGENCE’ (1896) Morning Post, 11 Aug, 6, available: https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.is.ed.ac.uk/apps/doc/GS3214962106/GDCS?u=ed_itw&sid=bookmark-GDCS&xid=734c4c13 [accessed 01 Feb 2022].
• 3
  ‘Multiple Classified ads’ (1882) York Herald, 20 Feb, [1]+, available: https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.is.ed.ac.uk/apps/doc/R3211227473/GDCS?u=ed_itw&sid=bookmark-GDCS&xid=007c2947 [accessed 01 Feb 2022].
• 4
  MASHAM PARISHES. (2022). History of North Stainley. [online] Available at: https://www.mashamparishes.org/history-of-north-stainley.html [Accessed 1 Feb. 2022].