Dr. Middleton Scales (before 20th April 1859 – 10th May 1922) Teacher and Headmaster at Bailiffe Bridge School

The memorial inscription on the Scales headstone on plot Q62 – now cleared of ivy - states that Middleton Scales had been the “Teacher and Master at Bailiffe Bridge School from 1879 – 1922”. But his sister Mary Jane Scales was also an Elementary School Teacher. Both were born in Grosmont, near Whitby so how did they and their mother end up in Lightcliffe churchyard? This is their story. Their mother, originally Isabella Havelock, was baptised at Whitby on 9th May 1826, the third daughter of Thomas Havelock and his wife Isabella nee Skelton. Thomas Havelock was a Guisborough born tailor and this was where he was on census night 6th June 1841 in the household of a John Havelock, another tailor and draper, presumably a relative probably a brother. Meanwhile Thomas’s wife, Isabella, was back home in the Ruswarp village near Whitby with their family. 1841 census Thomas Havelock died in Guisborough Isabella Havelock 40 aged 52 in 1844 which makes you Dorothy Havelock 20 wonder if he ever returned home to Isabella Havelock 15 Isabella and the children in Ruswarp William Havelock 14 Mary Havelock 9 1851 census Jane Havelock 7 Isabella Havelock Head 51 Laundress Eliza Havelock 4 Isabella Havelock Dau 24 Laundress John Havelock 14 Days Ann Havelock Dau 20 Dress maker Address Ruswarp, Whitby Jane Havelock Dau 18 Laundress Eliza Havelock Dau 14 Scholar John Havelock Son 10 Address Ruswarp, Whitby

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On 6th December 1851 daughter Isabella Havelock married Middleton Scales in Whitby. As the image below shows he made a nark , but Isabella signed her name.

This Middleton Scales was baptised at Harwood Dale, near Scarborough on 13th April 1823, the son of Thomas Scales and Elizabeth who was possibly his second wife. His father’s occupation was “Weaver” and their abode was “Keys Beck”. An older sister, Elizabeth, who appears on the 1841 census was the daughter of labourer Thomas and Anne Scales – his first wife(?).

1841 census 1851 census Thomas Scales 55 Labourer Thomas Scales Head 64 Road Labourer Elizabeth Scales 20 Elizabeth Scales Dau 33 Middleton Scales 15 Jane Scales Granddau 5 Address Undercliff, Pickering Address Undercliff, Pickering

As you can see Middleton Scales was not with his father and sister for the 1851 census. In fact, after his marriage in late 1851 when he was living in Whitby and then the birth of his two children no other record has been found for him. Grosmont near Whitby was where Middleton and Isabella Scales baptised a daughter Mary Jane on 18th December 1853 and then a son Middleton (junior) on 20th April 1859.

For at least the next ten years Isabella and her children remained near Whitby, with her husband always working away from home as a quarryman or miner.

1861 census Isabella Scales Head 34 Quarryman’s W 1871 census Mary J Scales Dau 7 Scholar Smith family Middleton Scales Son 2 Mary Jane Scales Servant 17 Robert Scales Boarder 47 Widower Address Ruswarp, Whitby Labourer Stone breaker Christopher Scales Lodger21 But then there was the move to the Labourer Stonebreaker West Riding of presumably Address Eskdaleside, Yorkshire after Middleton Scales junior did some teacher training. Did a teaching post 1871 census cause the family to move? Was this Isabella Scales Head 43 Miner’s Wife before or after sister Mary Jane Scales Middleton Scales Son 11 Scholar became a servant at Lydgate House, Barney Kelley Lodger 42 Furnace labourer Lightcliffe to Joshua Smithson and his Address 5 Simpson’s Cottage, Eskdaleside wife? We will probably never know!

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1881 census 1891 census Isabella Scales Head 54 Widow Isabella Scales Head 64 Widow Middleton Scales Son 21 School Teacher Mary J Scales Dau 37 (Elementary Day School) Assistant Teacher in Elementary School Address School House, Rd, Wike Middleton Scales Son 31 Certified Teacher in Elementary School 1881 census Address Joshua Smithson Head 63 Cotton Merchant School House, 133 Huddersfield Rd, Wyke Elizabeth SmithsonWife 60 Kate Pilkington Servant 45 Cook 1901 census Mary J. Scales Servant 27 Middleton Scales Head 41 Cora Bailey Servant 18 Public Elementary School Master Address Lydgate House, Lightcliffe Mary J Scales Sister 47 Public Elementary School Teacher And then Mary Jane Scales also Isabella Scales Mother 74 Widow became an assistant teacher. Address Woodlands, Hipperholme

Seventy-six-year-old Isabella Scales died on 1st August 1902 and was buried in St. Matthew’s churchyard, Lightcliffe in plot Q62 on 4th August 1902. Having almost single handily brought up her children, she must have been immensely proud of their achievements. By 1911 Middleton Scales had become the Head teacher at Bailiffe Bridge School although his sister seems to have retired.

1911 census Middleton Scales Head 51 Head of Elementary School Mary Jane Scales Sister 57 Address Woodland House, Road, Hipperholme

Mary Jane Scales death on 6th March 1915 was announced in the Echo. She was buried with her mother in plot Q62 of Lightcliffe churchyard on 9th March 1915.

There is a probate record.

SCALES Mary Jane of Woodlands House Bailiffe Bridge Brighouse Yorkshire spinster died 6 March 1915 Administration London 12 April to Middleton Scales schoolmaster Effects £831 19s 9d

During WW1, no doubt Middleton Scales - as many headmasters did - scoured the local Brighouse Echo with a heavy heart for news of old boys. He had probably taught many of the lads whose names appear on the Bailiff Bridge memorial, some of whom were also buried in Lightcliffe churchyard. Although Middleton Scales died in a Bradford nursing home on 10th Mary 1922 he was buried with his mother and sister in St. Matthew’s churchyard, Lightcliffe on 13th March 1922. Their memorial inscription reads as follows :-

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In loving memory of ISABELLA SCALES of Woodlands Bailiffe Bridge who died August 1st 1902 aged 76 years

Also of MARY JANE the beloved daughter of the above who died March 6th 1915 aged 61 years

Also of MIDDLETON SCALES the beloved son of the above who died May 10th 1922 aged 63 years, teacher and master at Bailiffe Bridge School from 1879 to 1922

Thy Will be Done

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Probate was granted to a James Rutherford Morrison Havelock. James was Middleton’s cousin, the son of his mother’s younger brother John Havelock, the 14- day old baby in the 1841 census. Some of the Havelocks seem to have moved up the north east coast from Whitby to Hartlepool to work as joiners in the shipyards there.

SCALES Middleton of Woodland House Bailiffe Bridge Brighouse died 10 May 1922 at the Nursing Home Eldon Mount Bradford Probate London 22 July to James Rutherford Morrison Havelock joiner. Effects £3402 11s 1d

This son of an illiterate father seems to have come a long way from his birth in Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors to become a head teacher in the West Riding of Yorkshire. His mother Isabella Scales, no doubt, encouraged both her children as they became teachers. But even she may not have dreamt that nearly 100 years after her son’s death in 1922 there would still be a plinth with her son’s name on it outside Bailiffe Bridge Primary School. I am told that the plinth originally held a bust of Middleton Scales, but this is no longer in position. You can see the plinth from the pavement sitting by a side wall on the right-hand side of the building looking from the front.

It is not easy to read from a distance but it seems to say:-

In memoriam MIDDLETON SCALES ??????????????????? Erected by public subscription

D.M.Barker

April 2020

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