Page:Dictionary of National Biography, Second Supplement, volume 1.djvu/130

 'Border Holds' (1891), a minute study of Northumbrian castles, he showed thoroughness of research and sedulous accuracy. His design of completing the work in a second volume was unfulfilled. His popular 'History of Northumberland' (1895) suffered somewhat from compression, but remains a standard work. Bates also assisted both as critic and contributor in the compilation of the first six volumes of a 'History of Northumberland' (Newcastle-on-Tyne, 1893-1902), designed to complete the work of John Hodgson [q. v.]. He was a vice-president of the Newcastle Society of Antiquaries, and from 1880 a frequent contributor to 'Archæologia Æliana.' He left some unfinished studies on the lives of St. Patrick and St. Gildas, 'The Three Pentecosts of St. Colomb and Kille,' and 'The Early Paschal Cycle.' A collection of his letters, chiefly on antiquarian subjects, was published in 1906.

 BATESON, MARY (1865–1906), historian, born at Ings House, Robin Hood's Bay, near Whitby,on 12 Sept. 1865, was the daughter of William Henry Bateson [q. v.], Master of St. John's College, Cambridge, by his wife Anna, daughter of James Aikin. She spent practically all her life at Cambridge. Educated first privately, then at the Misses Thornton's school, Bateman Street, Cambridge, afterwards at the Institut Friedlander, Karlsruhe, Baden, 1880-1, and finally at the Perse school for girls, Cambridge, she became in October 1884 a student of Newnham College, of which her parents had been among the first promoters. She won a first class in the Cambridge historical tripos in 1887, being placed second in 'an exceptionally good year.' Next year she began to teach at her own college, of which she was an associate, and was long a member of the council and a liberal contributor to its funds. With occasional interruptions she continued to lecture there for the rest of her life. She furthered the interests of Newnham in every way in her power, and was popular among students and teachers, although her zeal for historical investigation made routine teaching or educational discipline secondary interests with her. She disliked and sought to amend the system of historical study prescribed by the Cambridge tripos, and was at her best in helping post-graduate students. She took a prominent part in procuring the establishment of research fellowships at Newnham. In 1903 she accepted one of these recently founded fellowships, and when it lapsed three years later resumed her teaching. Her historical work often required her to travel to libraries and archives, and when she was at home she lived, surrounded by her books, in her own house in the Huntingdon Road. She left her library and all her property to Newnham at her death. Her memory has been appropriately commemorated there by the foundation of a fellowship which bears her name.

Mandell Creighton [q. v. Suppl. I], when professor of ecclesiastical history at Cambridge, first awoke in Miss Bateson a zeal for historical scholarship. At his suggestion she wrote as a student a dissertation on 'Monastic Civilisation in the Fens,' which gained the college historical essay prize. By aphorisms of good counsel, Creighton checked a tendency to dissipate her energy in public agitation on the platform or in the press in the cause of political liberalism and women's enfranchisement, of which she was always a thorough-going advocate (see, Life and Letters, i. 108-9). He persuaded her that her main business in life was to 'write true history' and pursue a scholar's career.

She proved an indefatigable worker, and made herself a fully trained medievalist. Continuing her study of monastic history, she published in 1889 her first work, 'The Register of Crabhouse Nunnery,' for the Norfolk and Norwich Archaeological Society. In 1890 she first contributed to the 'English Historical Review' (v. 330-352, and 550-573), of which Creighton was then editor; she wrote on the 'Pilgrimage of Grace.' The most solid result of her monastic studies was her article on the ' Origin and Early History of Double Monasteries,' published in 'Transactions of the Royal Historical Society' (new series, xiii. 137-198, 1899).

Miss Bateson in 1899 turned to municipal history. The corporation of Leicester, the chief town of Creighton's diocese, entrusted to her the editing of extracts from its archives. In her municipal research she received much help from the writings and advice of Frederic William Maitland [q. v. Suppl. II], whose whole-hearted disciple she soon became. Her work at Leicester resulted in the three stout volumes called 'Records of the 