John Bates (1858 - 1945)

Born 20 Mar 1858 in Tanner's End, Edmonton, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Gertrude Moon (Burrows) Bates — married 28 Sep 1885 in Howard Chapel, Mill Street, Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, United Kingdom

Husband of Olive Marianne (Morton) Bates — married 1911 in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, united Kingdom

Descendants

Died 8 Oct 1945 at age 87 in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, United Kingdom

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Biography

1861 census: living in Tanner's End, Edmonton with his parents and siblings.

1871 census: still living in Edmonton with widowed mother and siblings Samuel and Alfred.

1881 census records him as a visitor presumably in a boarding house in Finchley - there is no head of household listed on the record I can see. Occupation is given as Draper - may have been a business trip?

1885 - marriage to Gertrude Moon Burrows takes place by licence in the Howard Chapel, Bedford. Presumably at least one party was of a non-conformist background. Occupation given as Draper and address given as 14 Bromham Road, Bedford.

1891 census: living in St Mary's Street, Bedford with wife, children and servant and employees. Occupation: Draper. Owned a drapers shop in Bedford.

Others in household at this census (unrelated): Grace Helen Sarah Burwell, 16 year old servant girl from Yarborough in Lincolnshire George Anderson, 25 year old assistant from Saleby in Lincolnshire Percy Frederic Fisher, 16 year old apprentice from Bedford Gustavus Hanaford Armstrong, 37 year old servant from Exeter in Devonshire Annie Line, 18 year old assistant from Wotton in Bedfordshire Jane Powell, 22 year old assistant from Tunbridge in Kent Lily Harriet Margaret Ford, 19 year old assistant from St Heath in Cornwall Emma Annie Kenyon, 25 year old assistance from Garstang in Lincolnshire

I was interested to see that, baring the apprentice from Bedford, these people had come from far and wide - Cornwall is a long way from Bedford! I can't help but wonder how they all come to end up there.

1901 census: still living in St Mary's Street, Bedford. Family has increased but servants and apprentices no longer living with the family. Occupation: Draper Etc.

1911 census: living in Bedford with wife and children. Occupation: Draper Shopkeeper. There are two female servants and four female shop assistants also in the household.

John Bates' Draper was situated at 2 St Mary's Street, Bedford. Sadly the site is now covered by a rather unattractive modern hotel. John Bates had promised that the business would pass to his son, Raymond, who worked in the shop himself, however in the end the business was sold without consulting Raymond who was left without a vocation. Son Herbert has his occupation listed as Drapers Assistant in the record with the Australian Army from WW1.

Having sold the Drapers shop, John ran an hotel in Bushmead Avenue, Bedford. He features in the Bedford directory of 1939 at 'The Kingsley', 52 Bushmead Avenue, Bedford. A number of spoons from the hotel, with an ornamental letter B carved on them still exist within the family. His Grandson also had a dining table that had formed part of the hotel dinning room furniture.

Death: Occupation: Retired Hotel Proprietor Cause of Death: Strangulated Hernia (right inguinal) Informant: second wife, Olive Address: 39 Chaucer Road, Bedford

Probate: BATES John of 39a Chaucer Road, Bedford, died 8th October 1945. Probate Oxford 10th December to Marianne Olive Bates, widow, and Raymond John Bates, Armature Bander. Effects: £5327 1s 3d

Sources

• Birth: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:26YK-2RW

• Marriage: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2DYQ-22Q

• 1861 census: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M7XY-MG5

• 1871 census: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VF6C-64Z

• 1881 census: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q27Z-DJPW

• 1891 census: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:7B4H-XT2

• 1901 census: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XS3Z-XF3

• 1911 census: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7VY-LYT

• Death: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVCM-FB1R

• Kelly's Bedfordshire Directory 1896 (consulted in Luton Central Library)

• Bedford Directory of 1939 - page 348 (consulted in Luton Central Library)

• England & Wales Probate Calendar