Robert B. Bates
{{Short description|American politician (1789–1841)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Robert B. Bates
|image =
|state_house1 = Vermont
|order1 = 29th
|office1 = Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives
|term_start1 = 1826
|term_end1 = 1829
|predecessor1 = Daniel Azro Ashley Buck
|successor1 = Daniel Azro Ashley Buck
|state_house2 = Vermont
|order2 = 31st
|office2 = Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives
|term_start2 = 1830
|term_end2 = 1831
|predecessor2 = Daniel Azro Ashley Buck
|successor2 = John Smith
|birth_date = 1789
|birth_place = Salisbury, Connecticut, U.S.
|death_date = October 7, {{death year and age|1841|1789}}
|death_place = New York, New York, U.S.
|spouse =
|children =
|relations =
|alma_mater =
|profession = Lawyer
Politician
|party = Democratic-Republican
|signature =
|website =
}}
Robert Bull Bates (1789 – October 7, 1841) was an American lawyer and politician in the U.S. state of Vermont. He served as the 29th and 31st Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives.
Early life
Bates was born in Salisbury, Connecticut in 1789 and was raised in Richmond, Massachusetts.[https://books.google.com/books?id=RUEOAAAAIAAJ&q=Vital+Records+of+Richmond%2C+Massachusetts Vital Records of Richmond, Massachusetts to the year 1850], by New England Historic Genealogical Society (Boston), 1913, page 13 He studied law in Delaware and settled in Middlebury, Vermont in 1813, where he practiced law in partnership with Daniel Chipman.[https://books.google.com/books?id=f8haxqa2USkC&q=bates&pg=PA57 Semicentennial Sermon, Containing a History of Middlebury, Vt.], by Thomas Abbot Merrill, 1841, page 75[https://books.google.com/books?id=YHgUAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22robert+b+bates%22+middlebury&pg=PA346 History of the Town of Middlebury], by Samuel Swift, 1859, page 3461820 United States Federal Census, entry for Robert B. Bates of Middlebury, Vermont, accessed via Ancestry.com, February 20, 20121830 United States Federal Census, entry for Robert B. Bates of Middlebury, Vermont, accessed via Ancestry.com, February 20, 2012 During the War of 1812 Bates was one of two aides de camp for the commander of the Vermont Militia's 3rd Division.[https://books.google.com/books?id=wVA8AAAAIAAJ&dq=%22robert+b+bates%22+general+strong&pg=RA1-PA183 Niles' Weekly Register], H. Niles, editor, Volume 7, 1815, page 183[https://books.google.com/books?id=RXc8AAAAIAAJ&dq=%22r.b.+bates%22+vermont&pg=PA94 The New England and New York Law Register for the Year 1835], by John Hayward (Boston), 1834, page 94[http://www.vermonthistory.org/journal/68/vt681_202.pdf Magazine article, Malfeasance or Theft? What Really Happened at the Middlebury Branch of the Vermont State Bank], by Kenneth A. Degree, Vermont History magazine, Winter/Spring 2000, pages 5 to 34
Active in the Episcopal Church, Bates was a delegate to the Vermont diocese's annual convention in 1826.[https://books.google.com/books?id=mNEQAAAAIAAJ&dq=robert+bates+middlebury&pg=PP73 Convention Journal and the Diocesan Canons], by Episcopal Diocese of Vermont, 1826, page 3
Political career
A Democratic-Republican, Bates served in several local offices, including Justice of the Peace.[https://books.google.com/books?id=9zAFAAAAQAAJ&dq=%22robert+b+bates%22+middlebury+justice+of+the+peace&pg=PA35 Journal of the Vermont General Assembly], published by Rufus Colton (Woodstock), 1829, page 35 He represented Middlebury in the Vermont House of Representatives on several occasions, and was Speaker of the State House from 1826 to 1829 and from 1830 to 1831.[https://books.google.com/books?id=y4MUAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22robert+b+bates%22+speaker&pg=PA9 Catalogue of the Principal Officers of Vermont], by Leonard Deming, 1851, page 9
In 1831 Bates was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States House of Representatives, losing to William Slade.[http://www.usgenealogyexpress.com/~ny/ny_news.htm Daily National Intelligencer, May 30, 1831], reprinted on U.S. Genealogy Express web site, accessed February 20, 2012
Bates later moved to Albany, New York, and then to New York City where he practiced law until his death on October 7, 1841.Longworth's American Almanac, New-York Register and City Directory, by Thomas Longworth (New York), 1839Death notice, Robert B. Bates, New York Evening Post, October 8, 1841[http://www.nekg-vt.com/news/news-vermont-watchman-deaths-1836-44.htm Death notice, Robert B. Bates], 1836-1844 Death Notices of The Vermont Watchman & State Journal Newspaper, Reprinted on Vermont Northeast Kingdom Genealogy web site, accessed February 20, 2012
References
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{{succession box | before=D. Azro A. Buck |title=Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives | years=1826–1829 | after=D. Azro A. Buck}}
{{succession box | before=D. Azro A. Buck |title=Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives | years=1830–1831 | after=John Smith}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bates, Robert B.}}
Category:People from Salisbury, Connecticut
Category:People from Richmond, Massachusetts
Category:Politicians from Middlebury, Vermont
Category:Vermont Democratic-Republicans
Category:Members of the Vermont House of Representatives
Category:Speakers of the Vermont House of Representatives
Category:American militiamen in the War of 1812
Category:19th-century American lawyers
Category:19th-century members of the Vermont General Assembly