S T A 
517 
S T A' 
STAINDROP, a village and parish of England, in the 
county of Durham; 5 miles from Barnard Castle. It was 
formerly a market town. In the neighbourhood is the 
elegant mansion of the Earl of Darlington, called Raby 
castle. It is an irregular building, but is entirely embattled 
and surrounded by a fosse. It was built by John de Neville, 
about the year 1378. 
STA'INER, s. One who stains-, one who blots; one 
who dyes; a dyer. 
STAINES, a market town of England, in the county of 
Middlesex, situated on the northern banks of the Thames, 
over which there is a strong timber bridge, connecting the 
counties of Surrey and Middlesex. The Thames is here 
about 80 feet broad. Of late years the town has been 
greatly improved. Most of the houses extend along the 
sides of the great western road; but the parish church, with 
a few buildings, are situated nearly half a mile norlh-west 
of the chief mass of building. The church consists of a 
chancel, nave, and north aisle, separated by circular co¬ 
lumns and pointed arches. The door of the chancel is of 
early Norman architecture. A square embattled tower at 
the west end was built by Inigo Jones in 1631, as appears 
by an inscription on the south side. Besides the church, 
here are meeting-houses for the Quakers, Anabaptists, and 
Methodists. A Lancasterian school has been recently 
established, and is supported by voluntary contributions. 
The bridge, in its present state, was completed in 1807. 
This bridge appears to have been one of the most ancient 
in the country. So far back as the year 1262, three oaks 
out of Windsor forest were granted for its repairs by Henry 
III.; and numerous grants of pontage or temporary tolls 
for the same purpose, were made from time to time in the 
subsequent reigns, which were confirmed by acts of parlia¬ 
ment in 1509 and 1597. In 1791 an act was pas-ed for 
building a new bridge, and allowing certain tolls to defray 
the expence. Under this act, a stone bridge of three arches 
was begun in August 1792, and opened in March 1797; 
but one of the piers giving way, the building was taken 
down, and an iron bridge substituted. This, however, also 
failed, and the builders were obliged to support it on 
wooden piles and frame-work. Staines is a lordship of the 
crown, and is governed by two constables and four head- 
boroughs. In old records Staines was written Stana, a 
Saxon word for a stone; and Camden supposes that the 
name was derived from a stone that was fixed on the bank 
of the river here, to denote the extent of the jurisdiction of 
the city of London over the Thames westward. A stone, 
bearing the date of 1280, on the margin of the water, near 
the church, is still preserved here In 1811, Staines parish 
contained 355 houses, and 2042 inhabitants. Market on 
Friday, and two annual fairs; 16 miles from Hyde Park 
corner. 
STAINESBY, a small village of England, North Riding 
of Yorkshire, on the banks of the Tees, near Yarin. 
STAINF1ELD, a hamlet of England, in Lincolnshire; 3y 
miles north-north-west of Bourne. 
STAINFIELD, a parish of England, in Lincolnshire; 3 
miles soulh-bywest of Wragby. 
STA1NFORTH, a township of England, West Riding of 
Yorkshire, on the banks of the Don. The Stain forth and 
Keadby canal commences here, and passing Thorne, enters 
Lincolnshire at Crowle Bridge. Population 508 ; 3 j miles 
west-nort h-west of Thorne. 
STAINFORTH, a township of England, West Riding 
of Yorkshire; 2 miles north of Settle. 
5TAININGTON, a hamlet of England, West Riding of 
Yorkshire; 4 miles west-by-north of Sheffield. 
STAINLAND, a township of England, West Riding of 
Yorkshire; 4| miles south-by-west of Halifax. Population 
2077 
STA'INLESS, adj. Free from blots or spots. Not in 
use. 
The phenix wings are not so rare, 
For faultless length and stainless hue. Sidney , 
Voi» XXIII. No. 1587. 
Free from sin or reproach. 
I cannot love him ; 
Yet I suppose him virtuous, know him noble, 
Of great estate, of fresh and stainless youth. Shakspeare. 
STAINLEY, North, a township of England, West 
Riding of Yorkshire; 4J miles north of Rippon. 
STAINLEY, South, a township of England, West 
Riding of Yorkshire; 5 miles north-west of Knaresborough. 
STAINMORE, or Stanemore, a township of England 
in Westmoreland; 4 miles east-south-east of Brough. Po¬ 
pulation 502. 
STAINS, a town of France; 6 miles north of Paris. 
Population 1100. 
STAINSBY, a township of England, in Derbyshire; 6 
miles south-east of Chesterfield. 
STAINTON, a hamlet of England, in Cumberland; lj 
mile north-west of Carlisle. 
STAINTON, a township of England, in Cumberland; 3 
miles south-west of Penrith. 
STAINTON, a township of England, in Durham; 1£ 
mile east-by-north of Barnard Castle. 
STAINTON, a hamlet of England, in Durham ; 8 miles 
west-by-north of Stocklon-upon-Tees. 
STAINTON, a parish of England, in Lincolnshire; 5 
miles west of Wragby. 
STAINTON, a township of England, in Westmoreland; 
4| miles south-by-east of Kendal. 
STAINTON, a parish of England, West Riding of York¬ 
shire; 7 miles south-by-west of Doncaster. 
STAINTON, a township of England, North Riding of 
Yorkshire; 5| miles south-west of Richmond. 
STAINTON, a township of England, North Riding of 
Yorkshire; 4f miles north-north.west of Stokesley. 
STAINTON DALE, a township of England, North Ri¬ 
ding of Yorkshire; 7 miles from Scarborough. 
STAINTON-IN-THE-VALE, a parish of England, in 
Lincolnshire; 6 miles north-east of Market Raisen. 
STAINTON MARKET, a parish of England, in Lin¬ 
colnshire; 7 miles east-by-north of Wragby 
STAINVILLE, a small town in the north-east of France, 
in the department of the Meuse, on the Saux; 22 miles north¬ 
west of Vaucouleurs. 
STAIR, s. [j-caejep. Sax., stege, Sueth, from steigdn, 
M. Goth., stiga, Su. Goth., to ascend, to mount. Serenius. 
We have thus, in our northern dialect, stee or step, a lad¬ 
der, from the old verb sty, to ascend.] Steps by which we 
ascend from the lower part of a building to the upper. Stair 
was anciently used for the whole order of steps; but stair 
now, if it be used at all, signifies, as in Milton, only one 
flight of steps. 
How many cowards, whose hearts are all as false 
As stairs of sand, wear yet upon their chins 
The beards of Hercules and frowning Mars. Shakspeare. 
STAIR, a parish of Scotland, in Ayrshire, five miles long, 
by two broad, lying on the banks of the river Ayr. Po¬ 
pulation 614. 
STAI'RCASE, s. The part of a fabric that contains the 
stairs.—To make a complete staircase is a curious piece of 
architecture. Wotton. 
STAKE, s. [peace, ftace, Sax.; stake, Swed.; from the 
Su. Goth., stick a, to pierce. Serenius. And in like man¬ 
ner Mr. H. Tooke refers j-tac to the verb jrican, to stick, to 
pierce.] A post or strong stick fixed in the ground. 
He wanted pikes to set before his archers; 
Instead whereof sharp stakes, pluckt out of hedges. 
They pitched in the ground. Shakspeare. 
In France the grapes that make the wine grow upon low 
vines bound to small stakes, and the raised vines in arbors 
make but verjuice. Bacon .—A piece of long rough wood. 
While he whirl’d in fiery circles round 
The brand, a sharpen’d stake strong Dryas found' 
And in the shoulder’s joint inflicts the wound. Dry den. 
6 Q Any 
