520 
S T A 
been the most ancient, part of it having existed antecedent 
to the year 1230. It consists of a nave and choir, with north 
and south aisles, and chancels extending beyond the aisles. 
The windows of this building were decorated with figures 
and heraldic ornaments, of which there are now no remains. 
St. Mary’s church appears to have been built about the latter 
end ot the 13th century, on the site, perhaps, of one much 
earlier. The upper part of the chancel contains a monument, 
without armorial ensigns, device, or inscription, but merely 
a statue in armour, lying besides a female figure: it was 
erected, according to Leland, to the memory ot Sir David 
Philips and his wife, the former of whom distinguished 
himself in the battle of Bosworth field. St. George's church 
is a plain building, consisting of a chancel, a nave, north 
and south aisles, with a rectangular embattled tower at the 
west end. It was rebuilt in 1450 by William Bruges, the 
first garter king of arms, who bequeathed to it many valuable 
presents. The remains of David Cecil, high sheriff of North¬ 
amptonshire in 1542, grandfather of lord Burleigh, are here 
emtombed. All Saints church is a large and well propor¬ 
tioned building consisting of a nave, two aisles, and chancels. 
At the west end of the north aisle rises the steeple, a lofty and 
handsome structure, embattled with octagonal turrets at the 
corners, and surmounted by a spire of a similar form, 
crocketed at the angles, from the base to the summit. This 
church was built at the expense of Mr John Brown, a 
merchant of the staple at Calais, who, w.th his wife, are 
buried at the upper end of the north aisle. St. John’s church 
which was rebuilt about the year 1452, consists of a nave 
and two aisles, with a chancel at the east end of the first, and 
separated from it by elegant screen-work. The roof is 
adorned with figures carved in wood and stone, and the 
windows contain some admirable specimens of stained glass. 
St. Martin’s church is a large and handsome building, 
consisting of a nave, two chancels and aisles, and a square 
pinnacled tower. At (he upper end of one of the chancels 
are deposited the remains of Richard Cecil and his w ife, the 
immediate progenitors of lord Burleigh. Here is also a 
splendid monument of William Cecil, baron of Burleigh, 
and several others deserving of attention. Stamford formerly 
contained several monastic establishments, and is related by 
tradition to have been at one time a seat of a university. 
In 1333, according to Camden, many of the masters and 
students at Oxford retired to Stamford, on account of a 
violent dispute which arose between the northern and south¬ 
ern scholars. Several of these, however, returned to Oxford, 
and soon afterwards a prohibition was issued by Edw'ard III. 
for any person to study or perform scholastic exercises else¬ 
where than in the universities, on pain of certain forfeitures. 
In the reign of Henry III. the Carmelites had a monastery 
here, and gave public lectures on divinity and the liberal 
arts. Other religious houses also were converted into schools, 
and Stamford became famed for literary instruction. The 
other public schools which were supposed to constitute part 
of the above mentioned university, were Brazennose col¬ 
lege, a school from which that of Oxford is supposed to 
have taken its name, and wh.ch was taken down in 1668, 
and a charily school erected in its place; Sempringham- 
hall, Black-hall, Peterborough-hall, and Vaudey-hall. The 
schools at present supported in Stamford are RadclifFe’s free 
ichcol, Wells’s, or the Petty school, the Blue-coat school, 
and a school for girls on Dr, Bell’s system. The cha¬ 
ritable foundations in the town are numerous. The chief 
of these is one founded by William Brown, in the reign 
of Richard HI. and the revenues of which have greatly 
increased. Another was erected by Mr Thomas Truesdale 
in 1730. Besides these, there are certain other charities, 
with various institutions of a similar kind. Of the other 
public buildings, the town-hall stands near St. Mary's church 
and was erected in 1776, the old hall being at that time 
taken down. It consists of two handsome fronts, and contains 
20 apartments, a guard room, a house of correction, and a 
gaol. In St. Mary’s-street is a small theatre, which was built 
sn 1768: and in the south-west corner of St. George's-square 
is a spacious assembly-room which was erected in 1725. 
S T A 
A new row of commodious butchers’ shambles has beets 
recently erected. The river Welland is navigable to Stamford 
for boats and barges, and by this navigation some trade is car¬ 
ried on, chiefly in coals, malt, and freestone. The town is 
governed by a mayor, 12 aldermen, and 24 burgesses. It 
returns two members to parliament. The right of election is 
vested in the housekeepers paying scot and lot, and who 
receive no alms. The number of voters is about 500, and 
the mayor is the returning officer. The custom of borough 
English still prevails here; and the practice of bull baiting 
has been long in vogue, and is still repeated annually on the 
13th November. Stamford is of great antiquity. It was 
a place of note in the time of the Danes and the Saxons. It 
is mentioned in Doomsday Survey as containing 141 man¬ 
sions, and 15 laymen or civil magistrates. It had an ancient 
castle, which was probably built by the Danes. After 
passing in subsequent ages through the hands of various pos¬ 
sessors, it was granted by queen Elizabeth to lord Burleigh. 
Scarcely any vestiges of it are now visible. In the time of 
William the Conqueror, Stamford was governed by the 
laymen or aldermen. The privilege of sending members to 
parliament was conferred on it by Edward IV., who also 
incorporated the civic officers of the town by charter. 
Charles II. gave it a new charter, which was confirmed by 
James II. Market on Monday and Friday ; 46 miles south¬ 
east of Lincoln, and 90 north of London. Lat; 52. 40. N. 
long. 0. 29. W. 
STAMFORD, a small village of England, in Bedford¬ 
shire, near Southill. 
STAMFORD, a hamlet of England, in Northumberland ; 
4| miles north-east of Alnwick. 
STAMFORD, a township of the United States, in Ben¬ 
nington county, Vermont. Population 378. 
STAMFORD, a post township of the United States, in 
Fairfield county, Connecticut, on Long Island Sound; 31 
miles norfh-east of New York. This township contains a 
considerable village, situated on Mill River, a small stream 
which flows through the town, into the sound. 
STAMFORD, a post township of the United States, in 
Delaware county, New York; 15 miles east-north-east of 
Delhi. Population 1658. 
STAMFORD-BRIDGE, East, a hamlet of England, 
East Riding of Yorkshire; miles east-north-east of York. 
STAMFORD-BRIDGE, West, a hamlet adjoining the 
foregoing, remarkable in history for a bloody battle, in which 
Harold defeated the Danes, ten days before the invasion of 
William the Conqueror, from which event the place was an¬ 
ciently called Battle-bridge. 
STAMFORDHAM, a parish of England, in Northum¬ 
berland; 12^ miles north-west of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 
Population 1813. 
STAMFORD HILL, a small but improving village of 
England, in Middlesex, between Newington and Totten¬ 
ham. 
STA'MIN, s. [estamme, Fr.] A slight sort of. stuff'; 
kind of woollen cloth.—Wearing of here or of stamin. 
Chaucer. 
STA'MINA,[Lat ] The first principles of any thing.— 
A prerogative, that had moulded into its original stamina 
irresistible principles of decay and dissolution. Burle .— 
The solids of a human body.—[In botany.] Those little 
fine threads or capillaments which grow up within the 
flowers of plants, encompassing round the style, and on 
which the apices grow at their extremities. 
To STA'MINATE, v. a. To endue with stamina.—The 
persons who, Moses tells us, lived to so great an age, were 
the special favourites of God, and formed and stamin at eel 
by the immediate hand of God with peculiar principles of 
vitality. B'ibiioth. 
STAMI'NEOUS, adj. ^stamineous, Lat.] Consisting, of 
threads.— Stamineous flowers are so imperfect as to want 
those coloured leaves which are called pelala, and consist 
only of the stylus and the stamina ; and such plants as do 
bear these stamineous flowers Ray makes to constitute a 
large genus of plants. 
STA'MMEL. 
