His last remove was to Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, where, and at the neighbouring towns, such as St. Albans, 'seeing he could not preach in a church to many, he would preach in a chamber to a few.' He died at Bovingdon on 14 July 1671, and was buried in the parish church, where there still exists 'a fair stone' bearing an inscription with a quaint Latin epitaph to his memory. Ten of Staunton's children lie buried in Kingston church, where a brass over their grave commemorates the fact in doggerel rhyme.
Though so constant a preacher, and occupying so prominent a position among those of his own beliefs, Staunton wrote only a few occasional sermons and two puritanic tracts, entitled respectively 'A Dialogue between a Minister and a Stranger about Soul Affairs,' and 'A Treatise of Christian Conference.' These were published at the end of Mayo's biography in 1671. Staunton's literary unproductiveness affords a confirmation of the character given of him by a junior contemporary: namely, that he was reckoned by his friends 'a man that had parts, but idle, and would instruct but not study for what he did.'
[Fowler's Hist. of Corpus Christi College, pp. 108-9, 211-12. 217-24, 263; Wood's Athenæ Oxon. University and Coll. Registers; The Life and Death of Edmund Staunton, D.D., published by Richard Mayo (or Mayow), of Kingston, London, 1671, to which is added A Brief Relation, &c., by Mr. J. M. A short Appendix to the life of Edmund Staunton, D.D.. London, 1675, published anonymously, but written by Pulman, was a series of sarcastic strictures on the former book.]
STAUNTON, FRANCIS FRENCH (1779?–1825), lieutenant-colonel, born about 1779, went to India as a cadet in 1797, and was commissioned an ensign in the Bombay army on 21 Sept. 1798, He became lieutenant on 6 March 1800, and captain on 18 June 1807. He served in the Mysore war, including the storming of Seringapatam, and in the campaign of 1801 in Egypt, receiving medals for both. But his claim to remembrance is his conduct in the action of Korigaum, in which he repulsed the army of the peshwa, Baji Rao, on 1 Jan. 1818. He was ordered from Seroor to Poona to reinforce Colonel Burr with five hundred men of the 2nd battalion 1st Bombay native infantry—his own regiment—three hundred regular horse, and twenty-four men of the Madras artillery with two 6-pounders. After a night march of twenty-seven miles he reached the Bhima a 10 a.m., and found the army of the peshwa drawn up on the opposite side. It consisted of five thousand foot and twenty-five thousand horse. He threw his men into the village of Korigaum, and there they fought all day without food or water. Many of the houses were set on fire by the enemy, who had guns and rockets, and succeeded in gaining possession of put of the village. The British troops (all native except the artillery) lost nearly two hundred men in killed and wounded, including six out of the seven English officers, but they held out till night. Next morning they found that the peshwa had retreated upon news of the approach of reinforcements. A stone obelisk still marks the spot. The battalion was made a grenadier battalion, and Staunton was nominated CB. and aide-de-camp to the governor-general. He was promoted major on 15 April 1819, and lieutenant-colonel on 28 Sept. 1823. He died on board the Florentia on 25 June 1825.
[Grant Duff's History of the Mahrattas, iii. 432; Colebrooke's Life of Mountstuart Elphinstone, iii. 17; Gent. Mag. 1825, ii. 283 ; Georgian Era, vol. ii.]
STAUNTON, Sir GEORGE LEONARD (1737–1801), diplomatist, born at Cargin, co. Galway, on 19 April 1737, was the son
of George Staunton (1700-1780), colonel of
militia, of Cargin, and Margaret (d. 1784), daughter of John Leonard of Carra, co. Galway. In 1753 he was sent to France to complete his education. After studying about a twelve month at the Jesuit College, Toulouse, he joined the school of medicine at Montpellier, where he graduated M.D. in 1758. In October 1759 he arrived in London, and he attained some reputation as a writer on medical subjects. Among his friends at this time was Dr. Johnson, one of whose letters to him is quoted by Boswell. In 1763 he went to the West Indies, where he practised as a physician and held several official appointments, being at one time secretary to the governor of Dominica. Having acquired a large fortune, he purchased an estate in Grenada, and in 1770 returned to England. His interests being neglected by agents, he was obliged in 1772 to proceed again to the West Indies, where he remained till 1779, being for some time member of the legislative council and attorney-general for Grenada. In 1774 began his life-long friendship with George Macartney (afterwards Earl Macartney) [q. v.], appointed in that year governor of the Caribee Islands. When Grenada was attacked by the French in 1779, Staunton, as colonel of militia and aide-de-camp to the governor, took an active part in the defence, and after the capitulation was one of the hostages sent to Paris.
