Lawrence Batley

Lawrence Batley was an entrepreneur and philanthropist who was born in the town of Huddersfield, in the English county of Yorkshire, and went on to pioneer the wholesale cash and carry business, and to support local endeavours in the areas of arts, education and sports.

Leaving school at the age of 14, Lawrence Batley's jobs involved working in a solicitor’s office, the insurance business, the Royal Air Force, and the pharmaceuticals business. However his biggest contribution to business came when he founded Batley’s Cash and Carry; he was the first to come up with the phrase and the concept of cash and carry, and his ideas caught on in a big way, bringing a whole new way of working to retailers across the UK.

In later life Lawrence Batley sponsored the Lawrence Batley Seniors Tournament (a veterans golf competition), the Lawrence Batley Stand at the Galpharm Stadium for its first 10 years, the Lawrence Batley Theatre and the National Arts Education Archive at Bretton Hall College (now part of the University of Leeds).

The business has now been taken over by his only child, Rita Firth. Helped by her husband, Bruce Firth, they have sold Batley's Cash and Carry and now own L.Batley Pet Products,one of the leading pet food distributors in the UK.

Rita and Bruce then had 3 children, Simon, Sarah (married to damian) and Rupert. All of her family add their own contributions to the business.

Lawrence has 5 great-grandchildren; Theadora (the eldest), Hebe, India, Holly and Isabella.The two eldest are at school at Queen Margaret's School near York, a private boarding school. The other three girls, are not yet old enough to go to school.