Basil Edgar Baily was born in Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, England on 14 January 1869. In 1885 he was articled in the office of Martin & Hardy, brewing and malting engineers, and then with Sir Ernest George (1839-1922) and Harold Ainsworth Peto (1854-1933), and with Rowland Plumbe (1838-1919).
Baily commenced practice as an independent architect in Newark, Nottinghamshire in 1891 and in 1894 formed a partnership, Brewill & Baily, with Arthur William Lancelot Brewill (1861-1922) in Nottingham.
Work by Brewill & Baily included the New Bolsover model village in Bolsover, Derbyshire, begun by Brewill (1891-96); a new chancel for the Church of the Holy Rood, Edwalton, Nottinghamshire (1894); 104–106 Lenton Boulevard, Nottingham (1895–97): The Red House, 256 Melton Road, Edwalton, Nottinghamshire (1896); St Columba's Church, Nottingham (1896); Bardencroft, Tweed Street, Saltburn, Yorkshire (1897); Turkish Baths, Upper Parliament Street, Nottingham (1898); Friary United Reformed Church, West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire (1898-1901); St John the Baptist, South Witham, Lincolnshire (1898–1901); Ram Hotel, Long Row, Nottingham (1899); Creswell Church of England Infants School, Bolsover, Derbyshire (1900); Wesleyan Methodist Church, Long Eaton, Derbyshire (1903-04); Edwalton Hall, Nottingham (1907); Drill Hall, Derby Road, Nottingham (1910-12); Methodist Church, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire (1913); Memorial to the Robin Hood Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters in the chancel of St Mary's Church, Nottingham (1921) Albert Ball Memorial Homes, Lenton, Nottingham (1921-22); War Memorial at Nottingham High School (1922); War Memorial at Crich, Derbyshire (1923)
The Brewill & Baily partnership was dissolved in 1922 and Brewill died the following year. Baily subsequently formed a partnership with Albert Edgar Eberlin (1895-1977) as Baily & Eberlin. Work by Baily & Eberlin included the County Tavern, Nottingham (1933); and Royal Children public house in Nottingham (1933-34).
Baily was elected a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1901. While serving in the Army during during World War One he was severely injured in April 1915, nevertheless he resumed his architectural practice after the war. He died in Midhurst, Sussex on 14 September 1942.
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 1: A-K. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001