He was born circa 1699.
No records of apprenticeship or freedom have been found. This might be explained by the destruction of the Lorimers’ Company records in 1940. He might have been apprenticed to one of the Mumford family who were in this Company (see the connections below).
He signed a bond as Aaron Battes in 1722, a bachelor and silversmith aged 23 years of St Andrew parish, Holborn, to marry spinster Mary Mumford aged 22 years of the same parish. They were married at St Katherine Cree three days later.
The christenings of two of their children were recorded at St Leonard, Shoreditch in 1726 and 1727 when their address was in Moorfields.
He entered a mark at Goldsmiths’ Hall in 1730 and the christenings of two more of their children were recorded at St Andrew, Holborn on the same day in 1731. Their address was Field Lane. Joseph Mumford (Grimwade p.603) had his business address in Field Lane from 1720.
Bates was assessed to Land Tax there from 1731-36, then from 1737-1754 on unidentified property in St John Zachary precinct close to Wax Chandlers’ Hall in Gresham Street and finally from 1755-1769 on unidentified property close to Haberdashers’ Hall on the corner of Maiden Lane and Staining Lane.
His was buried in St Michael’s churchyard, Wood Street in 1770.