An Illustrated History of Old Sutton in St.Helens
Part 6 (of 41) - Sutton's Lords & Masters
#3
Dr. Henry Baker Bates - "the uncrowned King of
Sutton"
Researched
& Written by S.R.Wainwright ©MMX
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Header image: Dr. Baker Bates in 1905 in probably the first motor car in Sutton
Dr.Bates in Sutton,
St.Helens driving a Prunel a Tonneau vehicle in 1905 - the
first motor car in Sutton
Henry
Baker Bates
was born in Liverpool in 1866, the son of a doctor, and he
took his own diploma in medicine at London University with
his license to practice awarded in June 1891. Dr. Bates
arrived in Sutton shortly afterwards as assistant to
Dr. Thomas Pennington,
who had a surgery in Junction Lane. The two doctors were
already very well acquainted as Henry had been courting his
daughter
Edith Elizabeth Pennington (1871-1908),
for some time. Indeed in the 1891 census Henry Baker Bates
is recorded as a visitor at the Pennington household in
Liverpool and Dr. Pennington seems to have transferred to
Sutton shortly afterwards, recruiting the newly-qualified
Dr. Bates to be his assistant.
Henry and Edith married on 15th September, 1891 at
St.Augustine church in Everton and set up home initially at
10 then 24, Junction Lane. Edith bore Henry three children
who were called
William Henry (1893-1915),
Dorothy
and
Eric Thomas (1905-1986)
but surprisingly despite being a doctor himself, the couple
lost three other youngsters during the 1890s. These were
Edith Amy (d.1892),
Leslie (d.1897)
and Harold (d.1899),
who died after 1 day, 10 months and 7 months respectively.
William Henry also died in 1915 at just 22 years.
Charles Walsh who became
liberal councillor for East Sutton had a draper's shop
in Peckers Hill Road. This advertisement was in the
St.Helens Lantern in 1889
The St.Helens Newspaper of November 3rd, 1896 reported that Cllr. Walsh's election cries were "Baths for Sutton", "Recreation Grounds", "Better water, better lighting, and better streets" while Dr.Bates asked the electors to vote for "no school board" and rather curiously, "the winning side".
Two polling booths were set up on waste land off Sutton Road with the election closing at 8pm. The boxes were sealed and transported to St.Helens Town Hall where a crowd of several thousand gathered. The Newspaper reported that the main interest in the five borough wards where elections were taking place was in Central Ward where a curious battle of the bottle was taking place. Publican Edward Ormesher, who was secretary of the St.Helens Licensed Victuallers' Association, was fighting against leading Liberal and prominent St.Helens temperance worker Joseph B. Leach, the retiring councillor. As the paper reporter, it was a solid Liberal ward but "there was no knowing how the beer element might prevail". In fact there were three publican candidates, including Mr. H. Bickerstaffe in West Sutton.
Dr. Bates became the only medical man on the council and continued his practice at Junction Lane. He probably owned the first motor car in Sutton, believed to be a Prunel A Tonneau. Shortly after the election, Henry and Edith moved their residence to Leach Hall, the former home of a number of Sutton dignitaries including William Blinkhorn and leased from Captain Michael Hughes. This brought him into contact with Sutton's major landowner who wrote to him on September 25th, 1906 offering him the position of Sherdley estate agent. His role was to manage all Hughes' estates for the initial salary of £600 per annum (rising to £700), free use of Sutton Hall as his private residence as well as the estate office, plus commission on new estate business. Bates accepted the offer and took up the position on November 1st.
When Sutton residents heard of Dr. Bates' new role, it caused distress to a number of Suttoners who'd become dependent upon his medical services. At first he announced that he would be continuing his practice part-time and had engaged Dr. Frederick Tough (1878 - ?) as his partner. However, Captain Hughes insisted on a clause in his terms of employment preventing any other form of work apart from council duties.
Captain Hughes and Dr. Bates were also president and vice-president, respectively, of Sutton Harriers Athletics Club and Bates and Hughes journeyed with the team to Paris in January 1907, where they beat the French national champions. St.Helens newspapers reported that a special cheer went up when the crowd that had assembled at the station to welcome home their conquering heroes saw Dr. Bates disembarking.
Alice and Henry Baker Bates in 1930 with Sir James Crooks (1858 - 1940) - Inset as mayor
As councillor, Dr.Bates became chairman of St.Helens Corporation's Health Committee and is credited as a health pioneer in the town. In 1908 he was raised to the Aldermanic bench upon the death of Alderman Massey, although it was also a year of personal tragedy. Whilst in the middle of a campaign for re-election as the retiring councillor for East Sutton, Dr. Bates' wife Edith became very ill with dropsy and died. Her funeral was held on October 10th, 1908 at a packed St.Nicholas which the St. Helens Newspaper (13/10/1908) reported as:
...an extraordinary
demonstration of sympathy and regard, there being a
large attendance of people from all parts of the town.
The church was crowded and the cemetery and its
approaches were also
crowded. 
Alice Ann Rigby pictured
in 1911 the year of her marriage to Henry. She moved from
the family
home at 64 Peckers Hill Road into Sutton Hall which in 2009
is one half of Booze Busters
The large attendance at the funeral service was also, no
doubt, a reflection of Dr. Bates's own personal popularity
within Sutton and St.Helens. However, the Victorian and
Edwardian eras were practical times and with young children
and a very busy professional and municipal life, the doctor
needed a wife and mother. The lengthy newspaper funeral
attendees list included a number of individuals from the
Rigby family and in 1911 Henry married
Alice Ann Rigby (1878-1966)
who moved in with Henry at Sutton Hall. Alice had
previously lived in rather modest accommodation at the
family home in Peckers Hill Road, initially at no. 47 and
then at 64 almost opposite.
Dr. Bates contributed to
the Independent Methodist Chapel's new build in Herbert
Street in 1910
In 1915 Dr. Bates became Mayor of the Borough of St.Helens
and was re-elected for three successive years. He was
dubbed by The St.Helens Newspaper,"the people's
mayor" and chaired numerous war charities, including a
fund in which owners of one-man businesses could become
re-established after the war. In 1916 Bates became a J.P.
and in 1918 was elected leader of the Conservative party.
On January 2nd, 1919 the doctor was made a Freeman of the
Borough of St.Helens, with the award of the M.B.E.
following later that year. The scroll confirming the
granting of the freemanship was contained within a silver
gilt casket and his widow presented it to the town in 1953
to mark Queen Elizabeth's coronation.
However, 1919 was also a very difficult year for Dr. Bates
as his relationship with his boss at Sherdley Hall, Colonel
Hughes, finally broke down. Although Hughes had consented
to Dr. Bates becoming Mayor of St.Helens for three
successive years, he felt that his work as the Sherdley
Estate agent was suffering and so he had refused permission
for his fourth term. He was also highly critical of his
leadership of St.Helens Corporation and in a letter to the
council (dated
1/10/1918)
- which the St.Helens Reporter dubbed "amazing" and
the St.Helens Newspaper called "extraordinary" -
Hughes called for Dr. Bates' administration to be replaced
by individuals:
...who will exercise care
and consideration in the administration. The
squandering of the ratepayers' money during the last
twelve months in order to curry favour with Government
officials has, in my opinion, been scandalous.
Quite a talking point in
Sutton - Colonel Hughes of Sherdley Hall vs.
Dr.Bates
Letters dated between 1910 and 1919, that are in the
possession of Dr. Bates' grandson, evidence increasing
acrimony between the pair which was finally brought to a
bitter conclusion in the St.Helens County Court on April
30th, 1919 when the Colonel sought to evict Bates from
Sutton Hall. The Mayor of St.Helens brought his own action
for unpaid salary.
Letters that had been exchanged between the pair were read
out during the court hearing. In one dated November 9th,
1918, which was the day when Dr. Bates accepted the offer
of a fourth term as Mayor, Colonel Hughes felt that he had
breached the terms of his employment contract and
wrote:
Your connection with the
Sherdley Estate terminates today by your own act. I
shall be obliged if you will inform me when it will be
convenient to you to hand over to me everything that
you hold of mine...I shall be glad if you will vacate
Sutton Hall as soon as possible...In conclusion I have
one favour to ask, and that is, that once having left
Sutton Hall you never set foot on any part of my
property again. 
Dr. Bates for his part said that he had only requested permission from his employer to accept the offer of the Mayoralty out of courtesy as their original agreement made in 1906 permitted council duties as well as estate duties. His argument was that his employer could not stop him from accepting the office of Mayor and he demanded three months salary in lieu of notice. Dr. Bates accepted that he and his wife had to leave Sutton Hall but said that they had difficulty finding suitable accommodation. In further correspondence through his secretary W. F. Spencer (dated 19/11/1918) Colonel Hughes said:
If Mr. Bates cannot find a
house, tell him to find an hotel,
there are plenty of them round about.
The scroll granting the
freeman of the borough to Dr.Bates was contained within a
silver gilt casket
Although County Court Judge Thomas ruled in Dr. Bates
favour and awarded him £271 in back salary, victory was
bitter-sweet as Henry and Alice lost their home and an
important source of income. Plus there was potential damage
to his reputation as accusations were made at the hearing
that Dr. Bates had used his terms of mayor to avoid
military service. The following week letters were released
to the press which showed that the mayor had volunteered
for army service "on two or three occasions".
However, Dr. Bates was able to take up medical practice
again and the couple left Sutton for 'Parkside', located
close to Taylor Park in Prescot Road. Alice busied herself
designing their garden, which was renowned in St.Helens for
its collection of terracotta figures, water features,
windmill, stone bridges, animals and birds.
For a time their gardens were opened to the public but too
much damage was caused by visitors. Dr. Bates kept quite a
menagerie at their home including several dogs, several
budgerigars, a toucan, monkey, tawney owl and a Chinese
pheasant and he grew hundreds of exotic plants in his
greenhouse with a particular love for
orchids.
Above left - a portrait
of the young Henry Baker Bates Above
right - election leaflet from 1922
When he died on September 19th, 1940, aged 74 but still practicing medicine, the St. Helens Reporter declared it the "passing of a great leader" who'd played a significant role in shaping Sutton and St.Helens. The St.Helens Newspaper reported that he'd had "a great record of public service". His wife Alice, the four-times mayoress, outlived him by 26 years and died in 1966.
Dr. Baker Bates' son Eric Tom Baker Bates (1905-1986), also joined the medical profession with a practice in Liverpool's Rodney Street but also worked at St.Helens' Providence Hospital in Tolver Street until its closure in the 1980s. He ended his days looking after the needs of retired priests in Colwyn Bay. When he passed away in 1986, he brought to a close a 200 year-long family tradition in the medical profession. Eric is buried with his mother Edith in Sutton Parish churchyard at St.Nicholas. The inscription on his memorial reads 'father, physician, friend, teacher & wit', which was composed by his close friend Father Bernard Eager.
Sutton Beauty & Heritage is grateful to Dr. Bates'
grandson Merrick Baker-Bates for his contributions.
Sutton Beauty & Heritage's History Pages:
01) Township of Sutton & St.Helens | 02) Lords & Masters03) Michael Hughes of Sherdley | 04) The Sherdley Estate
05) Sutton's Halls & Houses | 06) Dr. Henry Baker Bates
07) Religion in Sutton | 08) Rev. Henry Vallancey
09) Education in Sutton | 10) Mineworking in Sutton
11) Sutton Manor Colliery #1 | 12) Sutton Manor Colliery #2
13) Clock Face Colliery | 14) Bold Colliery
15) Industry in Sutton Township | 16) Sutton Transport
17) Sutton Transport Timeline | 18) Health & Sanitary Conditions
19) Old Sutton Pubs | 20) Sport in Sutton
21) Sutton Boxers & Wrestlers | 22) Rapid Rise of Sutton Harriers
23) Leisure & Entertainment | 24) Sutton Celebrations
25) Sutton Streetnames | 26) Pudding Bag
27) Notorious & Curious Crime | 28) Sutton Tragedy #1
29) Sutton Tragedy #2 | 30) What's Wrong With Sutton?
31) How Sutton Has Changed | 32) Memories of Sutton Part 1
33) Memories of Sutton Part 2 | 34) Memories of Sutton Part 3
35) Memories of Sutton Part 4 | 36) Memories of Sutton Part 5
37) Memories of Sutton Part 6 | 38) Memories of Sutton Part 7
39) Sutton Trivia & True Facts | 40) Clog Clatters in Old Sutton
41) Research Sources, References & Bibliography
Transport; Sport, Leisure & Entertainment; Sutton Streets;
Sutton Manor Colliery #1; #2; #3; #4; Clock Face Colliery;
Bold Colliery; Sutton Industry;
Sutton Beauty & Heritage strives for factual accuracy at all times. Please do also get in touch if you believe that there are any errors, with details of any corrections contained within the site's update history page, which also details the regular updates. Many individuals from all over the world have kindly contributed Sutton information or photographs. If you would like to participate in this project, I would be delighted to hear from you and this website always credits any assistance given. Do also consider contributing any recollections of old Sutton that you might have for the Sutton Memories pages, which are proving very popular. I respond quickly to all emails and if you haven't received a response within 12 hours, please check your junk mail folder or send your message again. Thank you! SRW
