Stokes early training : In 1874 he was articled to S.J.Nichol for three years; afterwards he worked in the offices of a number of distiguished architects including G.E.Street. He finally came to the office of Bodley and Garner to work on a competition for Liverpool Cathedral from 1885-1886. He was therefore not a true pupil of Bodley.  While he owed much to Bodley he did develop an architectural style along his own lines. Comparisons can be made between Stokes' St Clares and Bodley's St Augustine Pendlebury.

His buildings : These included All Saints Convent, London Colney, Hertfordshire (begun 1899), the great house of Minterne in Dorset (1903-6), the North Court of Emmanual College, Cambridge (1910-1914) and a number of exchanges for the National Telephone Co. The comparatively few commissions received from the Roman Catholic Church (of which he was a member) included schools and Houses of Nazarith.

Associations and medals : Stokes was a member of the Art Worker's Guild , President of the Architectural Association 1888-91, and of the R.I.B.A 1910-12.  Received R.I.B.A Gold Medal 1919.

Stokes - The man : He was remembered as a rugged personality with great originality of feeling. His presidential portrait of 1910 shows Stokes in characteristic pose:a rather scowling figure, standing with clasped hands, in a dressing gown. 

Stokes was a devout catholic and had an impulsive temperament, which was notorious. It was remembered by a member of staff that the atmosphere in Stoke’s office was sometimes alarming. His pupils and assistants(“damned colonials” and”damned scotsmen”) were his two main descriptive labels and many frequently felt the whip of his tongue. One day he was swearing at the top of his voice – and the ceiling in his office fell in.  He fell on his knees, prayed and crossed himself, gave cheques to all his assistants – and was worse the next morning

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