John Bates (?–1790)
John Bates was a marine in the 47th (Portsmouth) Company. He arrived in Sydney in January 1788 aboard the Sirius as part of the First Fleet. He was a mason by trade.
He drowned on 23 July 1790 after a whale attacked a small boat from which he, James Ferguson, Thomas Harp and John Wilkins were fishing near Bradley's Head in Sydney Harbour. Only Wilkins managed to swim ashore.
* information from Mollie Gillen, The Founders of Australia: A Biographical Dictionary of the First Fleet (1989), p 27
Related Entries in NCB Sites
- Harp, Thomas (acquaintance)
- Wilkins, John (acquaintance)
- Ferguson, James (acquaintance)
Citation details
'Bates, John (?–1790)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/bates-john-30194/text37472, accessed 14 May 2024.
Life Summary [details]
Death
23 July,
1790
Sydney,
New South Wales,
Australia
Cause of Death
Cultural Heritage
Includes subject's nationality; their parents' nationality; the countries in which they spent a significant part of their childhood, and their self-identity.