Description:This is an abridged version of his biography from the Handsworth Magazine. The full biography is available as a download.
Mr Bayley Lees is a native of Hill Top and received his early education at the school of Mr John Marshall in that parish. Subsequently he was sent to the Wesleyan College, Taunton, of which Mr T Sibley, M.A., was headmaster and went through the usual course. After completing his college career, Mr Lees at once entered upon commercial life and is at the present time head of the firm with which his name has so long been identified in the midlands.
In 1874, Mr Lees married and went to live at West Bromwich. He took a vigorous part in the secular life of the town and assisted by his amiable and accomplished wife, did splendid Christian work. When in 1886 Mr and Mrs Lees came to reside at Handsworth, the West Bromwich Chapel with which they had been connected must have missed them greatly, Mr Lees having filled the offices of chapel, society and circuit steward.
For some years Mr Lees represented the central division of this parish on the Staffordshire County Council and during the three important educational years, 1892-5 (important that is to say to Handsworth, as marking a great change) he did yeoman service on the Handsworth School Board. This authority, which consists of nine members, came into existence in 1892 and has got through an immense amount of useful work. From the first the Board has pursued the policy of giving religious teaching in our Board Schools and its efforts in this direction have been signally successful.
Naturally a great deal depended upon the result of the election of 1892, since it would decide for three years at least, the vexed question of whether the bible should be taught or simply read to the children. There was a strong list of candidates and party feeling ran high. Mr Lees was one of six champions of the cause of bible teaching and he had the satisfaction not only of being returned himself, but of seeing his party head the poll with many hundreds of votes to spare.
At the first meeting of the new Board, Mr Lees was unanimously elected chairman of the Finance Committee and this important office was held by him until 1895 when, owing to the singular conditions under which the election was fought, he was unfortunately defeated. The nine members of the Board being agreed on the general policy which had been adopted and not anticipating any serious opposition, consented to appeal to the electorate in a body. A tenth candidate nominated by the Independent Labour Party in the person of Mr J Humphrey Humphreys (a member of the present Board) and, thanks to the cumulative system under which such elections are conducted, was in due course elected. Someone, of course, had to be at the foot of the poll and to the intense surprise of most people and the unmitigated disgust of not a few, this dubious distinction fell to the lot of Mr Lees.
A generous supporter of all charities and every movement that seeks to improve the social life of the neighbourhood, Mr Lees has long taken an interest in the Handsworth and Smethwick centre of the St John Ambulance Brigade. So keen was the interest taken in the competition, that Mr Lees subsequently provided a massive silver cup for annual competition. The first winners of this were the members of the Railway Carriage Works class and last year it was won by the Handsworth Parish class. It is a direct incentive to the members of the brigade to keep up their knowledge of the principles of first aid.
Soon after Mr Lees came to reside in Handsworth (at 45 Church Lane) he interested himself in the erection of Somerset Road Wesleyan Chapel. The services had been held at the college, but the accommodation was limited and when the students were in residence, the college hall was inadequate to the needs of the locality. At Somerset Road, Mr Lees is superintendent of the Sunday school, society steward and treasurer of the trust.