Staveley Hill. D.C.L., Q.C., M.P.

The member for the Kingswinford division of Staffordshire was born at Dunstall Hall in that county, in 1825, and comes of an old family on both sides, He was educated at Birmingham Grammar School, in the house of Dr. Lee, the future first Bishop of Manchester, and in company with Rendall, Westcott, Evans, Lightfoot, Benson, and other celebrities. After leaving Birmingham Grammar School, Mr. Staveley Hill went to Exeter College, Oxford, where he took his degree, and was elected to a Staffordshire Fellowship at St John's, Having taken the degree of D.C.L, he was appointed one of the Examiners in Law and Modern History, in which capacity he participated in the award of a 'first class' to Sir Michael Hicks-Beach.

Mr. Staveley Hill was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple in 1852, and joined the Oxford Circuit, being elected the same night as Mr. Henry Matthews, page 58 Mr. Ward Hunt, and Sir Henry James. He soon obtained a large and varied practice, eventually be-coming leader of the Circuit. It is said that only the busy man can find time, and this would seem to be true in the present case; for in the midst of his many duties he found time to devote himself energetically to the Volunteer movement. He was in fact one of the first to join the Victorian Rifles in 1859. Although his Parliamentary practice had become exceedingly lucrative, he was induced by Mr. Disraeli to start upon a political career. He entered the House of Commons in 1868 as member for Coventry, which constituency he continued to represent until 1874 when he became member for West Staffordshire, representing that division of the county until 1885, From that year to the present he has sat for the Kingswinford division.

Mr. Staveley Hill is as well known on the other side of the Atlantic as this. He first went to Canada in 1881 to ascertain on behalf of his constituents what were its claims for emigration. He soon realised the advantages of the New World, and not only established a large cattle ranche in the Far West, but returned there himself in successive autumns. It was this experience that led to the publication of his well-known book" From Home to Home," which describes life among the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The work is dedicated by permission to the Princess Louise and illustrated with beautiful sketches by the present page 59 Mrs. Staveley Hill, who has regularly accompanied him in his Canadian tours. During the last year, on the occasion of the destruction by fire of the University Library at Toronto, he initiated the movement which, under the Presidency of the Marquis of Lorne, has been the means of contributing some 30,000 volumes sent from this side the Atlantic to the new Library.

He has been a good political soldier, and has done more for his leaders than his leaders have done for him, but he holds a position that cannot be interfered with by the exigences of party warfare, and it is on this account that he will be remembered in the future,

We should add that he is J.P. and D.L. for Staffordshire. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1868 and Recorder of Banbury in same year, has held the position of Judge Advocate of the Fleet and Counsel to the Admiralty since 1874. He was appointed Deputy High Steward, Oxford University in 1874.