Weaste Cemetery

Biographies of people buried between 1900 & 09

Henry Bates (1846 - 1903)


Henry Bates was an Engineer and member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers. His early career was with Sir Joseph Whitworth and Co. He moved to W W Hulse Engineering works of Salford, where he rose to become Managing Director.


He was born on 15th August 1846 in Salford. His father was James Bates (1820- 1886) who became a Greengrocer in Garside Street Manchester, and his mother was Ann Williamson (born 1824 in Swinton, Lancashire). James was actually born James Bate (without the "s") as shown on his baptism record and his marriage record in 1844. But the 1851 census shows he was James Bates aged 31 a Carter, who lived at Springfield Lane, Salford with his wife Ann aged 27, Henry aged 4, Elizabeth (born 1849 in Salford) aged 2 and John (born 1850 in Salford) age 1.


Tragedy struck in 1853 when Henry's mother Ann died, when Henry was only 7 years old. His father James married the following year in 1854 to Henrietta Bunting (1823 – 1886) at St John's Church, Deansgate, Manchester. Henrietta was born in Derbyshire, the daughter of Adam Bunting. James and Henrietta had nine children Mary (born 1855 in Salford), Adam (born 1857 in Salford), Robert (born 1859 in Cheshire or Russia), Joseph (born 1861 in Manchester), James Thomas (born 1863 in Manchester), Ann (born 1865 in Manchester and died 1866 aged 1), Sarah Ann (born 1867 in Manchester and died 1868 aged 0), Henrietta (born 1869 in Manchester) and William (born 1871 in Manchester and died 1872 aged 1). In 1861 the family lived at 9, Carter Street, Manchester where 15-year-old Henry was an Apprentice Millwright.


In 1870, Henry married Ann Coops at St John's Church, Deansgate, Manchester. Ann was born in 1846 at Knutsford, Cheshire. She was 23 years old and the daughter of Henry and Susannah Coops of Toft, near Knutsford, Cheshire. The following year, the 1871 census shows Henry and Ann lived at Cavendish Street, Salford. They had six children. Henry jnr (born 1871 in Salford and died on 25th July 1887 aged 16), Arthur (born 1873 in Salford and died 23rd July 1873 aged 3 weeks), Herbert (born 1874 in Salford and died on 17th October 1925 aged 51), James (born 1876 in Salford and died 3rd Sept 1958 aged 83), Ann (born 1878 in Salford and died 19th July 1960 aged 81) and Jackson (born 1881 in Salford and died on 19th December 1881 aged 10 months.


There is no 1881 census available, but in 1891 they lived at Trafford Road, Salford. Henry was aged 44 and his occupation was Foreman Machine Tool Fitter. Ann's age is given as 43, Herbert is aged 16 and a Machine Tool Fitter, James is aged 14 and Ann is aged 12. In 1901 Henry is a Managing Director Machine Tool Works, Herbert is Works Manager Machine Tool Works and James is Pattern Maker Machine Tools.


On 1st February 1903 Henry Bates died aged 56 and was interred in a vault in A3 of the Dissenters portion at Weaste Cemetery. His widow Ann died on 4th June 1909 aged 61 and was re-united with her husband and children. Their son Herbert went on to become Managing Director of W W Hulse and Co and was awarded an OBE for his work during the First World War.