Born in London, the younger son of Thomas George Staveley, of the Foreign Office. He was educated at Tonbridge School from 1870-1874, being in the School House. He entered St Thomas's Hospital in 1881. After qualification he was Clinical Assistant in the Ear Department, Assistant House Physician, and House Surgeon. Having become FRCS, he was appointed Resident Clinical Assistant at Bethlem Royal Hospital, and then Resident Medical Officer at the Victoria Hospital for Children, when the operation for adenoids had just been introduced, and intubation was being used as an alternative to tracheotomy before the discovery of diphtheria antitoxin. He became skilful in and an advocate for both operations. He practised in South Eaton Place, and later at Sloane Gardens, Chelsea, where he proved a popular, hopeful, kindly, sympathetic practitioner who knew his work. Unfortunately for many years before his death he was frequently ill with chronic pulmonary tuberculosis, and he died on December 15th, 1910, leaving a widow and one son. Staveley had proved himself a good athlete at Tonbridge School, a fine swimmer, and an enthusiastic fisherman. But above all he distinguished himself as a master at fencing; he attained celebrity in being chosen to fence for England in several international competitions, and at the Crystal Palace in 1904 he was unanimously chosen by the foreign competitors to preside over the jury in the final pool for the International Epée Championship. He also organized the fencing at the Olympic Games in London in 1908, and was conspicuous for absolute fairness.