Timothy Dingwall Bateson (3 April 1926 – 15 September 2009) was an English actor.

Life and career

Born in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, the son of solicitor Dingwall Latham Bateson and the great-nephew of rugby player

Harold Dingwall Bateson Harold Dingwall Bateson (2 May 1855 – 29 October 1927) was an English rugby union international player. Personal history Bateson was born in Liverpool, Lancashire. He was the son of William Gandy Bateson and Agnes Dingwall Bateson (née Bla ...

, he was educated at

Uppingham School Uppingham School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school for pupils 13-18) in Uppingham, Rutland, England, founded in 1584 by Robert Johnson, the Archdeacon of Leicester, who also established Oakham School. The headm ...

Rutland Rutland () is a ceremonial county and unitary authority in the East Midlands, England. The county is bounded to the west and north by Leicestershire, to the northeast by Lincolnshire and the southeast by Northamptonshire. Its greatest l ...

and

Wadham College, Oxford Wadham College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is located in the centre of Oxford, at the intersection of Broad Street and Parks Road. Wadham College was founded in 1610 by Doroth ...

. At

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the Un ...

, he read history, rowed cox for the Wadham College Boat Club during

Eights Week Eights Week, also known as Summer Eights, is a four-day regatta of bumps races which constitutes the University of Oxford's main intercollegiate rowing event of the year. The regatta takes place in May of each year, from the Wednesday to th ...

and performed in the

Oxford University Dramatic Society The Oxford University Dramatic Society (OUDS) is the principal funding body and provider of theatrical services to the many independent student productions put on by students in Oxford, England. Not all student productions at Oxford University ...

.Michael Covene
Obituary
''The Guardian'', 8 November 2009 Bateson's stage credits included the first British production of

Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish novelist, dramatist, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. His literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal and tragicomic ex ...

's '' Waiting for Godot'' in 1955 at the

Arts Theatre The Arts Theatre is a theatre in Great Newport Street, in Westminster, Central London. History It opened on 20 April 1927 as a members-only club for the performance of unlicensed plays, thus avoiding theatre censorship by the Lord Chamber ...

in London in a production directed by Peter Hall. In 1957 he starred in the BBC adventure serial ''

The Adventures of Peter Simple ''The Adventures of Peter Simple'' is a British period adventure television series which aired in six parts on BBC 1 in 1957.Baskin p.21 It stars Timothy Bateson in the title role, a midshipman in the Royal Navy at the time of the Napoleon ...

''. He appeared in many film, television and radio productions including ''

The Cadfael Chronicles ''The Cadfael Chronicles'' is a series of historical murder mysteries written by the linguist-scholar Edith Pargeter (1913–1995) under the name "Ellis Peters". Set in the 12th century during the Anarchy in England, the novels focus on a Bene ...

'', '' Doctor Who'' (in the serial entitled '' The Ribos Operation'') and ''

Labyrinth In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth (, ) was an elaborate, confusing structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, the monster eventually killed by the ...

''. He also provided the voices for several characters in the children's TV series ''

TUGS A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, suc ...

'' (1989). Most notably, he provided the voice of O.J., the oldest member of the Star Fleet. Since 1994, he did the voice of Measley from the audiotape version of '' The Animals of Farthing Wood''. Bateson was featured in many productions of

Focus on the Family Focus on the Family (FOTF or FotF) is a fundamentalist Protestant organization founded in 1977 in Southern California by James Dobson, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The group is one of a number of evangelical parachurch organizatio ...

Radio Theater. Among his appearances on the program were in '' A Christmas Carol'' (1996), where he doubled as narrator and as the

Ghost of Christmas Present The Ghost of Christmas Present is a fictional character in Charles Dickens' 1843 novella ''A Christmas Carol''. The Ghost is one of three spirits which appear to miser Ebenezer Scrooge to offer him a chance of redemption. Following a visit fro ...

; ''Dietrich Bonhoeffer: The Cost Of Freedom'' (1997), portraying Dr. Karl Bonhoeffer; ''

Ben-Hur Ben-Hur or Ben Hur may refer to: Fiction *'' Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ'', an 1880 novel by American general and author Lew Wallace ** ''Ben-Hur'' (play), a play that debuted on Broadway in 1899 ** ''Ben Hur'' (1907 film), a one-reel silent ...

'' (2001), portraying Balthasar; ''Father Gilbert Mysteries: The Silver Cord'' (2004), portraying Mr. Lehman; and ''

Silas Marner ''Silas Marner: The Weaver of Raveloe'' is the third novel by George Eliot. It was published in 1861. An outwardly simple tale of a linen weaver, the novel is notable for its strong realism and its sophisticated treatment of a variety of issue ...

'' (2007), portraying Mr. Macey. He voiced the house-elf Kreacher in ''

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ''Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'' is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling and the fifth novel in the ''Harry Potter'' series. It follows Harry Potter's struggles through his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Wi ...

'', his last work.

Family and death

In 1953, Bateson married former actress Sheila Shand Gibbs, with whom he had three children, Elizabeth, Andrew and Caroline. He and his wife were committed

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...

s. He died in London at the age of 83 on 16 September 2009. He was survived by his wife, their children and his older sister Ann.

Selected filmography

*''

Nicholas Nickleby ''Nicholas Nickleby'' or ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby'' (or also ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, Containing a Faithful Account of the Fortunes, Misfortunes, Uprisings, Downfallings, and Complete Career of the ...

'' (1947) – Lord Verisopht *''

Vice Versa References Additional references * * {{Latin phrases V ca:Locució llatina#V da:Latinske ord og vendinger#V fr:Liste de locutions latines#V id:Daftar frasa Latin#V it:Locuzioni latine#V nl:Lijst van Latijnse spreekwoorden en ui ...

'' (1948) – Coker *'' The Guinea Pig'' (1948) – Tracey *''

The History of Mr. Polly ''The History of Mr. Polly'' is a 1910 comic novel by H. G. Wells. Plot summary The protagonist of ''The History of Mr. Polly'' is an antihero inspired by H. G. Wells's early experiences in the drapery trade: Alfred Polly, born circa 1 ...

'' (1949) – Apprentice (uncredited) *'' White Corridors'' (1951) – Dr. Cook *'' Never Look Back'' (1952) as Court Official (uncredited) *''

Sunday Night Theatre ''Sunday Night Theatre'' was a long-running series of televised live television plays screened by BBC Television from early 1950 until 1959. The productions for the first five years or so of the run were re-staged live the following Thursday, pa ...

'' (1952–1954) – Val *'' Carrington V.C.'' (1955) – 1st Soldier in

NAAFI The Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI ) is a company created by the British government on 9 December 1920 to run recreational establishments needed by the British Armed Forces, and to sell goods to servicemen and their families. It runs ...

(uncredited) *''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Bat ...

'' (1955) – Ostler *'' The Black Arrow'' (1958) – Lord Shoreby *'' Tread Softly Stranger'' (1958) – Fletcher *''

Mother Courage and Her Children ''Mother Courage and Her Children'' (german: Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder, links=no) is a play written in 1939 by the German dramatist and poet Bertolt Brecht (1898–1956), with significant contributions from Margarete Steffin. Four theatrica ...

'' (1959) – 'Swiss Cheese' *'' Yesterday's Enemy'' (1959) – Simpson (uncredited) *'' The Mouse That Roared'' (1959) – Roger *''

Devil's Bait ''Devil's Bait'' is a 1959 black and white British drama film directed by Peter Graham Scott and starring Geoffrey Keen, Jane Hylton and Gordon Jackson.Chibnall & McFarlane, pp. 274-76. It was a second feature, made for release by the Rank Organ ...

'' (1959) – Dentist (uncredited) *''

Bleak House ''Bleak House'' is a novel by Charles Dickens, first published as a 20-episode serial between March 1852 and September 1853. The novel has many characters and several sub-plots, and is told partly by the novel's heroine, Esther Summerson, an ...

'' (1959) – William Guppy *'' Our Man in Havana'' (1959) – Rudy (uncredited) *'' The Shakedown'' (1960) – Estate Agent *'' The Big Day'' (1960) – Clerk *'' There Was a Crooked Man'' (1960) – Flash Dan *''

Barnaby Rudge ''Barnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of Eighty'' (commonly known as ''Barnaby Rudge'') is a historical novel by British novelist Charles Dickens. ''Barnaby Rudge'' was one of two novels (the other was '' The Old Curiosity Shop'') that Dickens pub ...

'' (1960) – Simon Tappertit *'' Seven Keys'' (1961) – Bank Teller (uncredited) *'' The Unstoppable Man'' (1961) – Rocky *'' What a Carve Up!'' (1961) – Porter – (US: 'No Place like Homicide') *'' On the Fiddle'' (1961) – Stretcher Bearer (uncredited) *'' The Day the Earth Caught Fire'' (1961) – Printer in Printroom (uncredited) *'' The Golden Rabbit'' (1961) – Henry Tucker *''

Ring-a-Ding Rhythm ''It's Trad, Dad!'' (1962), known in the U.S. as ''Ring-A-Ding Rhythm'', is a British musical comedy featuring performances by a variety of Dixieland jazz bands and rock-and-roll singers. The film was one of the first produced by Amicus Produ ...

'' (1962) – Coffee shop owner *'' Crooks Anonymous'' (1962) – Partrige *'' The Girl on the Boat'' (1962) – Purser *'' Jigsaw'' (1962) – Porter (uncredited) *'' Doctor in Distress'' (1963) – Mr. Holly *''Seventy Deadly Pills'' (1964) – Goldstone *'' Father Came Too!'' (1964) – Wally *''

Nightmare A nightmare, also known as a bad dream, Retrieved 11 July 2016. is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong emotional response from the mind, typically fear but also despair, anxiety or great sadness. The dream may contain situations of d ...

'' (1964) – Barman *'' The Evil of Frankenstein'' (1964) – Hypnotized Man (uncredited) *'' The Knack ...and How to Get It'' (1965) – Junkyard Owner *''

The Wrong Box ''The Wrong Box'' is a 1966 British comedy film produced and directed by Bryan Forbes from a screenplay by Larry Gelbart and Burt Shevelove, based on the 1889 novel ''The Wrong Box'' by Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne. It was made by ...

'' (1966) – Clerk *''

Thirty-Minute Theatre ''Thirty-Minute Theatre'' was a British anthology drama series of short plays shown on BBC Television between 1965 and 1973, which was used in part at least as a training ground for new writers, on account of its short running length, and which t ...

'' (1966) – Big Ted *'' After the Fox'' (1966) – Michael O'Reilly (uncredited) *'' Danger Route'' (1967) – Halliwell *'' Torture Garden'' (1967) – Fairground Barker *'' The Anniversary'' (1968) – Mr. Bird *''

Z-Cars ''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by the BBC, it debut ...

'' (1968, TV) – Andrew Rogers *'' Twisted Nerve'' (1968) – Mr. Groom *''

The Italian Job ''The Italian Job'' is a 1969 British comedy caper film, written by Troy Kennedy Martin, produced by Michael Deeley, directed by Peter Collinson, and starring Michael Caine. The film's plot centres around Cockney criminal Charlie Croker, r ...

'' (1969) – Dentist *''

1917 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 9 – WWI – Battle of Rafa: The last substantial Ottoman Army garrison on the Sinai Peninsula is captured by the Egyptian Expeditionary For ...

'' (1970) – Corporal Falk *'' Doctor at Large'' (1971, TV) – Mr. Clifford * ''

Kindly Leave the Kerb ''Kindly Leave the Kerb'' is a 1971 British television sitcom which aired on ITV.Donnelley p.314 It features Peter Butterworth as a second-rate escapologist, who busks around the streets of London with his companion played by Peter Jones. The s ...

'' (1971, TV) – *'' Please Sir!'' (1971, TV) – Dutton *'' The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes'' (1971, TV) – Goujon *'' Barlow at Large'' (1973) – Smeed *''

David Copperfield ''David Copperfield'' Dickens invented over 14 variations of the title for this work, see is a novel in the bildungsroman genre by Charles Dickens, narrated by the eponymous David Copperfield, detailing his adventures in his journey from inf ...

'' (1974) – Mr. Dick *''

Autobiography of a Princess ''Autobiography of a Princess'' is a 1975 film directed by James Ivory and starring James Mason and Madhur Jaffrey. It was written by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and produced by Ismail Merchant. Plot An Indian princess (Madhur Jaffrey), long-divorced ...

'' (1975) – Blackmailer *''

The Good Life The Good Life or Good Life may refer to: Film * ''The Good Life'' (1996 film), a Spanish film by David Trueba * ''The Good Life'' (1997 film), an American crime comedy film * ''The Good Life'' (2007 film), a Canadian-American film by Stephen ...

'' (1976, TV) – Arthur Bailey *''

Joseph Andrews ''The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews and of his Friend Mr. Abraham Adams'', was the first full-length novel by the English author Henry Fielding to be published and among the early novels in the English language. Appearing in 174 ...

'' (1977) – Master of Hounds *''

The Duchess of Duke Street ''The Duchess of Duke Street'' is a BBC television drama series set in London between the late 1800s and 1925. It was created by John Hawkesworth, previously the producer of the ITV period drama ''Upstairs, Downstairs''. It starred Gemma ...

'' (1977, TV) – Mr. Bream *'' Doctor Who: The Ribos Operation'' (1978, TV) – Binro *''

Last of the Summer Wine ''Last of the Summer Wine'' is a British sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke and originally broadcast by the BBC from 1973 to 2010. It premiered as an episode of ''Comedy Playhouse'' on 4 January 1973, and the first series of episodes fo ...

'' (1978, TV) – Amos Hames *'' Going Straight'' (1978, TV) – Oaksey *'' All Creatures Great and Small'' (1978, TV) – Mr. Beckwith *''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has ...

'' (1978) – Sir Oliver Martext *''

Pinocchio Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a Tuscan vil ...

'' (1978, TV) – Schoolmaster *''A Hitch in Time'' (1978) – Headmaster (uncredited) *'' The Famous Five'' (1978, TV) – Professor Hayling *'' Diary of a Nobody'' (1979) – Cummings *'' Rings on Their Fingers'' (1979) – Meter Reader *''Tanglewoods' Secret'' (1980) – Mr. Tandy *''

Treasures of the Snow ''Treasures of the Snow'' is a children's story book by Patricia St. John. Originally published by CSSM in 1950, it has been reprinted over a dozen times by various publishers, including braille versions published by the Royal National Instit ...

'' (1980) – Portier *''

Grange Hill ''Grange Hill'' is a British children's television drama series, originally produced by the BBC and portraying life in a typical comprehensive school. The show began its run on 8 February 1978 on BBC1, and was one of the longest-running program ...

'' (1980–1983) – Mr. Thomson *''

Loophole A loophole is an ambiguity or inadequacy in a system, such as a law or security, which can be used to circumvent or otherwise avoid the purpose, implied or explicitly stated, of the system. Originally, the word meant an arrowslit An arrowsli ...

'' (1981) – 3rd Interviewer *''

Chintz Chintz () is a woodblock printed, painted, stained or glazed calico textile that originated in Golconda (present day Hyderabad, India) in the 16th century. The cloth is printed with designs featuring flowers and other patterns in different colou ...

'' (1981) – Shop Assistant *''

Terry and June ''Terry and June'' is a BBC television sitcom, which was broadcast on BBC1 from 1979 to 1987. The show was largely a reworking of '' Happy Ever After'', and starred Terry Scott and June Whitfield as a middle-aged, middle-class suburban couple ...

'' (1981) – Mervyn *''

Q.E.D. Q.E.D. or QED is an initialism of the Latin phrase , meaning "which was to be demonstrated". Literally it states "what was to be shown". Traditionally, the abbreviation is placed at the end of mathematical proofs and philosophical arguments in pri ...

'' (1982) – Alfie *'' The Hunchback of Notre Dame'' (1982) – Commerce *''

High Road to China High Road to China or The High Road to China may refer to: * ''High Road to China'' (novel), a 1977 novel by Jon Cleary * ''High Road to China'' (film), a 1983 American adventure film based on Cleary's novel * ''The High Road to China'' (book), ...

'' (1983) – Alec Wedgeworth *'' Don't Wait Up'' (1983) – Mr. Burton *'' A Christmas Carol'' (1984) – Mr. Fezziwig *'' Minder'' (1984) – Railwayman *'' Ever Decreasing Circles'' (1984) – Laurence *'' Dramarama'' (1985) – Keeper *''

'' (1986) – The Worm / The Four Guards / Goblin (voice) *''

Foreign Body A foreign body (FB) is any object originating outside the body of an organism. In machinery, it can mean any unwanted intruding object. Most references to foreign bodies involve propulsion through natural orifices into hollow organs. Foreign b ...

'' (1986) – Agent at Harley Street *''

East of Ipswich ''East of Ipswich'' is a BBC television drama from 1987 written by Michael Palin, based on his own memories of dreary holidays in English coastal towns in the 1950s. It is the story of the rite of passage of 17-year-old Richard Burrill; Palin c ...

'' (1987) – Mr. Macklin *''

Hi-de-Hi! ''Hi-de-Hi!'' is a BBC television sitcom shown on BBC1 from 1 January 1980 to 30 January 1988. Set in 1959 and 1960 in Maplins, a fictional holiday camp, the show was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, who also wrote '' Dad's Army'' a ...

'' (1987) – Charlie *''

Chelmsford 123 ''Chelmsford 123'' is a British television situation comedy produced for Channel 4 by Hat Trick Productions. Chelmsford ran for two series, of six and seven episodes respectively, in 1988 and 1990. The series was set in the British town of Che ...

'' (1988) – Latin Tutor *'' A Handful of Dust'' (1988) – MacDougal *''

'' (1989–1990, TV Series) – O.J. / Eddie / Little Ditcher / Lord Stinker / Garbage Corporation Master / Big Mickey (voice) *''

Zorro Zorro ( Spanish for 'fox') is a fictional character created in 1919 by American pulp writer Johnston McCulley, appearing in works set in the Pueblo of Los Angeles in Alta California. He is typically portrayed as a dashing masked vigilant ...

'' (1990–1993, TV Series) – Padre Benites *'' Shakespeare: The Animated Tales'' (1992) – Antigonus (voice) *'' The Animals of Farthing Wood'' (1994) – Measley (Audiotape only) *'' True Blue'' (1996) – Porter *''

For My Baby "For My Baby" is a song by Full Flava featuring CeCe Peniston, written and produced by Rob Derbyshire and Paul "Solomon" Mullings. Dance remixes of the composition were based on a sample of "Heartache No. 9", the Delegation hit single, which sc ...

'' (1997) – Max Liebman *''

Merlin Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and le ...

'' (1998) – Father Abbot *''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...

'' (1998) – Banker *''

Midsomer Murders ''Midsomer Murders'' is a British crime drama television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the '' Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series (created by Caroline Graham), and broadcast on two channels of ...

'' (1999, TV) – Mr. Jocelyne *''

The Criminal A criminal is a person who commits a crime. Criminal or The Criminal may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Criminal'' (1916 film), an American film of 1916 * ''The Criminal'' (1926 film), a French silent film * ''The Criminal'' (196 ...

'' (1999) – Thomas *'' The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc'' (1999) – English Judge *'' The Clandestine Marriage'' (1999) – Gaoler *''

Barbara Barbara may refer to: People * Barbara (given name) * Barbara (painter) (1915–2002), pseudonym of Olga Biglieri, Italian futurist painter * Barbara (singer) (1930–1997), French singer * Barbara Popović (born 2000), also known mononymously as ...

'' (2000, TV) – Mr. Dugdale *''

The 10th Kingdom ''The 10th Kingdom'' is an American fairytale fantasy miniseries written by Simon Moore and produced by Britain's Carnival Films, Germany's Babelsberg Film und Fernsehen, and the US's Hallmark Entertainment. It depicts the adventures of a you ...

'' (2000, TV) – Tooth Fairy *'' The Discovery of Heaven'' (2001) – Mr. Keller *''

All or Nothing All or Nothing may refer to: Film and television * ''All or Nothing'' (film), a 2002 film by Mike Leigh * ''All or Nothing'' (game show), a 2004–2005 Russian game show based on ''Deal or No Deal'' * ''All or Nothing'' (sports docuseries), ...

'' (2002) – Harold *'' Fakers'' (2004) – Old Gezzer *'' Ladies in Lavender'' (2004) – Mr. Hallett *''

Oliver Twist ''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', Charles Dickens's second novel, was published as a serial from 1837 to 1839, and as a three-volume book in 1838. Born in a workhouse, the orphan Oliver Twist is bound into apprenticeship with ...

'' (2005) – Parson *''

Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont ''Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont'' is a 2005 US-produced comedy-drama film based on the 1971 novel by Elizabeth Taylor. It was directed by Dan Ireland and produced by Lee Caplin, Carl Colpaert and Zachary Matz from a screenplay by Ruth Sacks Ca ...

'' (2005) – Summers *'' My Hero'' (2006, TV) – Leo *'' Terry Pratchett's Hogfather'' (2006, TV) – The Lecturer *''

'' (2007) – Kreacher (voice) (final film role)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bateson, Timothy 1926 births 2009 deaths 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors Alumni of Wadham College, Oxford English male film actors English male radio actors English male Shakespearean actors English male stage actors English male television actors English male voice actors English Christians Male actors from London People educated at Uppingham School Royal Shakespeare Company members