# Percy Bates

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For the Australian rules footballer, see [Percy Bates (footballer)](/source/Percy_Bates_(footballer)).

**Sir Percy Elly Bates, 4th Baronet** (12 May 1879 – 16 October 1946) was an [English](/source/England) [shipowner](/source/Shipowner).

Bates was born in [Wavertree](/source/Wavertree), [Liverpool](/source/Liverpool), the second son of Sir Edward Percy Bates, 2nd Baronet. He was educated at [Winchester College](/source/Winchester_College) from 1892 to 1897 and was then apprenticed to William Johnston & Co, a Liverpool shipowners. After his father's death in 1899 he joined the family shipping business, Edward Bates & Sons.

Bates succeeded his older brother, [Edward](/source/Sir_Edward_Bertram_Bates,_3rd_Baronet), as 4th Baronet in 1903. In 1910 he became a [director](/source/Board_of_directors) of [Cunard](/source/Cunard_Line), becoming deputy chairman in 1922 and chairman in 1930, holding the post until his death. He became a director of the *[Morning Post](/source/Morning_Post)* in 1924 and chairman in 1930, holding the post until 1937.

On the outbreak of the [First World War](/source/First_World_War) Bates joined the Transport Department of the [Admiralty](/source/British_Admiralty), and later became Director of Commercial Services of the new [Ministry of Shipping](/source/Ministry_of_Shipping_(United_Kingdom)), responsible for the shipment of civilian supplies. For these services he was appointed [Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire](/source/Order_of_the_British_Empire) (GBE) in the [1920 Birthday Honours](/source/1920_Birthday_Honours).[1] He was also appointed in 1920 [High Sheriff of Cheshire](/source/High_Sheriff_of_Cheshire).[2] In the [Second World War](/source/Second_World_War) he served on the Advisory Committee and the Liner Committee of the [Ministry of War Transport](/source/Ministry_of_War_Transport).

Bates was an occasional guest at meetings of the [Inklings](/source/Inklings), an informal literary discussion group associated with the [University of Oxford](/source/University_of_Oxford) attended by [C. S. Lewis](/source/C._S._Lewis) and [J. R. R. Tolkien](/source/J._R._R._Tolkien), which met for nearly two decades between the early 1930s and late 1949.[3]

Bates suffered a [heart attack](/source/Heart_attack) in his office on 14 October 1946 and died at his home, [Hinderton Hall](/source/Hinderton_Hall), [Neston](/source/Neston), [Cheshire](/source/Cheshire), two days later.

Bates's only child, Edward Percy, was killed over [Germany](/source/Germany) in 1945 while serving as a [Pilot Officer](/source/Pilot_Officer) with the [Royal Air Force](/source/Royal_Air_Force).

## Footnotes

1. No. 31931. 5 June 1920. p. 6318.

1. No. 31821. 12 March 1920. p. 3177.

1. [Kilby & Mead 1982](/source/Inklings#CITEREFKilbyMead1982), p. 230.

## References

- Biography, *[Oxford Dictionary of National Biography](/source/Oxford_Dictionary_of_National_Biography)*

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