| Notes |
- Illustrated History of Pawtucket, Central Falls and Vicinity
by Robert Grieve, 1897
Providence: Published by Henry R. Caufield
Frank May Bates received his education in the common schools and in the high school of Pawtucket, but did not graduate on account of ill health. He worked for Gorham & Co. and Brown in Providence for two years and he then in 1866 entered into his father's business, and continued therein until his appointment as city treasurer, July, 1891. In 1893, after his father's death, the business was finally closed up. Mr. Bates has always been a Republican. He served on the school committee for two years, during which period he was secretary. From 1879 to 1882 inclusive, he represented Pawtucket in the General Assembly, and for two sessions was chairman of the committee on militia. In 1884 he was delegate at large to the Chicago convention which nominated James G. Blaine for the presidency, and was the only Blaine man from RI. During the Centenary celebration, Mr. Bates was chief of staff on Military Day, and he delivered the oration Saturday, Oct. 4, 1890 at the dedication of the Collyer monument. He is one of the original members of the Pawtucket Business Men's Association, Feb. 6, 1888, he read a paper before this organization on 'Fires and Insurances' which contained an array of facts and figures of great interest. He has been correspondent for the 'Gazette' and 'Chronicle' and for the 'Daily Times', and accompanied a party of capitalists to Sioux City in this capacity for the 'Daily Times' in 1889. He is a member of the First Baptist church, and was a teacher in its Sunday school for more than thirty years, in this respect following in the footsteps of his great-grandfather, Amariah Marsh. Out of fifty scholars in the class he taught for many years, all have been successful men, except two or three. Mr. Bates is a member of many societies and has been treasurer of nearly all of them. He was for two years treasurer of the Veteran Firemen's Association and for five years treasurer of the Horse Guards, and has been treasurer of the Young People's Society of his church.
In the local militia Mr. Bates was for many years very active. He joined the Pawtucket Horse Guards in 1862, during the next ten years passed through all grades, and was captain in 1878-9. In 1885 he was appointed by Governor Brown a member of his staff with the rank of colonel, and as such represented RI on the staff of Gen. Philip H. Sheridan at the dedication of the Washington monument, Feb. 22, 1885. He was married Aug. 22, 1866, to Susan Perry Eddy of East Greenwich, and they had two children: Charles Eddy, b. Aug. 8, 1867, died July 29, 1877; and Sarah May, b. Dec. 3, 1872.
illustration on page 246: photo: Frank May Bates, City Treasurer, Pawtucket.
full page of illustrations, facing page 246: photos of Joseph De Vere Barber, M. D.; Louis H. Beaudy, M. D.; John H. Bennett, M. D.; Thomas T. Berry, undertaker; Edward S. Bowen, treasurer, Newell Coal & Lumber Co.; Edward Barker, jobber in woolen remnants.
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BATES, Frank May, the present treasurer of the city of Pawtucket, was born in Pawtucket, Mass., Aug. 4, 1843, and is the only child of Nahum and Sarah Maria (May) Bates. His father was for 60 years a merchant on the east side, Pawtucket, at the corner of Broadway and Main street; and his grandfather, also named Nahum, was a farmer and wholesale dealer in cattle and live stock in Mendon, Mass. The Bates family for many generations been conspicuous in Mendon, Bridgewater, and other towns of the Old Colony. Through his paternal grandmother Mr. Bates is descended from the Ballous, so long a conspicuous family in northern RI and in southern and western MA. On his mother's side he traces his descent to John May, who came from Mayfield, England in 1635 and settled at Roxbury, Mass. His great grandfather May was a prominent man in his day in MA, was a member of the governor's council, a state senator, and served as colonel in the revolutionary war. His grandfather, Jesse May, was the first lawyer who began to practice that profession in the village of Pawtucket in the town of North Providence. Jesse May's wife was Betsey Marsh, the daughter of Amariah Marsh, who, it is claimed, was the teacher in the first Sunday school established by Samuel Slater, and received one dollar each Sunday for teaching the children the three R's. Other members of this branch of the family have been distinguished. Seth May of Winthrop, Me., was judge of the Maine Supreme Court. Lemuel May of Attleboro, brother of Mr. Bates' maternal grandfather, was commonly known as Squire May, and his son John W. May, who was a classmate of Judge W. W. Blodgett of Pawtucket, was a prominent lawyer, and at one time was district attorney for Suffolk County, MA.
Mr. Bates' father was born in Mendon, Mass.,. March 6, 1811, and came to Pawtucket in 1832. From 1860 to 1874 he was town treasurer, was a member of the MA Legislature from 1846 to 1849, and served as selectman for many terms. For a long period, and up to the time of his death, he was a deacon of the First Baptist church, and for many years was superintendent of the Sunday school. He cast his first vote for Henry Clay in 1832, and voted thereafter in ever election, national, state, town or district, which occurred in Pawtucket until his death, the day of the presidential election, Nov. 8, 1892. One of the most prominent members of the Bates family has been Samuel P. Bates, who was state historian and state superintendent of schools in Pennsylvania, and wrote a history of the civil war and a defence of General Hooker's action at the battle of Chancellorsville.
Frank May Bates received his education in the common schools and in the high school of Pawtucket, but did not graduate on account of ill health. He worked for Gorham & Co. and Brown in Providence for two years and he then in 1866 entered into his father's business, and continued therein until his appointment as city treasurer, July, 1891. In 1893, after his father's death, the business was finally closed up. Mr. Bates has always been a Republican. He served on the school committee for two years, during which period he was secretary. From 1879 to 1882 inclusive, he represented Pawtucket in the General Assembly, and for two sessions was chairman of the committee on militia. In 1884 he was delegate at large to the Chicago convention which nominated James G. Blaine for the presidency, and was the only Blaine man from RI. During the Centenary celebration, Mr. Bates was chief of staff on Military Day, and he delivered the oration Saturday, Oct. 4, 1890 at the dedication of the Collyer monument. He is one of the original members of the Pawtucket Business Men's Association, Feb. 6, 1888, he read a paper before this organization on 'Fires and Insurances' which contained an array of facts and figures of great interest. He has been correspondent for the 'Gazette' and 'Chronicle' and for the 'Daily Times', and accompanied a party of capitalists to Sioux City in this capacity for the 'Daily Times' in 1889. He is a member of the First Baptist church, and was a teacher in its Sunday school for more than thirty years, in this respect following in the footsteps of his great-grandfather, Amariah Marsh. Out of fifty scholars in the class he taught for many years, all have been successful men, except two or three. Mr. Bates is a member of many societies and has been treasurer of nearly all of them. He was for two years treasurer of the Veteran Firemen's Association and for five years treasurer of the Horse Guards, and has been treasurer of the Young People's Society of his church.
In the local militia Mr. Bates was for many years very active. He joined the Pawtucket Horse Guards in 1862, during the next ten years passed through all grades, and was captain in 1878-9. In 1885 he was appointed by Governor Brown a member of his staff with the rank of colonel, and as such represented RI on the staff of Gen. Philip H. Sheridan at the dedication of the Washington monument, Feb. 22, 1885. He was married Aug. 22, 1866, to Susan Perry Eddy of East Greenwich, and they had two children: Charles Eddy, b. Aug. 8, 1867, died July 29, 1877; and Sarah May, b. Dec. 3, 1872.
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