BATES, Hannah Huet

[LloydG]

Whilst searching for Hannah's arrival in New Zealand, I found reference to a 'Miss Bates, age 20, English, sailed to Hokitika NZ on the ship 'Alhambra' departing Melbourne Australia 27 March 1867.'
I'm betting this is her! There were a number of 'Misses in their 20s' on the ship (English, Scots and Irish) but I don't know if that has any relevance. But there are no clues how long she'd been in Australia or how/when she got there! She does seem to have been a very um... 'enterprising' lass!

[DylanOB]

Hi. John Huett Bates (b. 3 Mar 1808, Stepney) was my great great great grandfather, but I don't have a Hannah Huet in my tree... Should I?!
As I have it, John Huett Bates was the son of John Bates (a coal heaver, b 1780) and Elizabeth Huett (b Jan 1784). He married Emma Barnett in 1832 and had 4 children: Walter White (my great great grandfather), Henry Barnett, Arthur & Emma.
John Huett had two sisters, Elizabeth and Mary Hewitt Bates.

I'd be happy to learn of any Bates or Huett connections I'm not aware of!
Dylan Bates

[mosiefish]

Hello Dylan,

A warm welcome to Rootschat  . 

As far as I can see John Huett Bates was an Engineer and definitely not the father of your Walter White Bates.  He was married to a Hannah and you can see his family on the 1851 census that I previously posted.   

Your Walter White Bates parents were John Bates and Emma Barnett.  John was a Linen Draper/Commercial Traveller on the census and on his childrens baptisms and marriages.  They certainly moved around quite a bit too.  On the 1841 Emma and children are in York and John is in Bedale Yorkshire.  On the 1851 Emma aged 38 is in Cheetham, Manchester and John aged 41 is in Doncaster. 

Kind regards,
Mo

[whiteout7]

LloydG this announcement seems to imply she was 'late' of London, so probably just transiting through Melbourne to Hokotika?

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=NENZC18700608.2.6&cl=search&srpos=1&e=-------10--1----0%22Hannah+Huet+Bates%22--&st=1

From the number of Misses on the Alhambra indicates she may have been 'recruited' to come out to New Zealand as a single woman for work purposes (domestic servants) or to address the fact there were more men in NZ than women at that time (future wives). Women/girls were very much wanted in the colony.

A great book for you to read (if you can get it from a library) is 'Over the Mountains of the Sea' Life on the Migrant Ships 1870-1885 by David Hastings.

It is highly likely she was made to travel in 'the virgins cage' strictly kept by the ships matron to ensure her respectability. This was horrible as the women had to stay 'locked' mostly below decks for the duration of the trip to ensure they didn't talk to the single men. Only if the Captain allowed were they to take the air on the deck.

You will probably find she worked as a domestic servant for the whole time before her wedding 3 years(?) later

[middlesbrough]

Hi,
East London Observer, 26th November 1859

Deaths
On Tuesday, 22nd November, John Huet Bates, Engineer of the London Hospital, aged 30 years.
Hope this helps.

[middlesbrough]

Another notice has been put in the same paper on 3rd December, 1859

John Huet Bates 30 years Engineer at The London Hospital, aged 52.

[middlesbrough]

baptism
Hannah Bates
15 July 1849
Parents John and Hannah
Fathers occ. Engineer

[middlesbrough]

Sorry, didn't finish typing, pressed the wrong key.

Address. 3 Bedford St, Bedford Square
Parish. St Thomas, Stepney
Church Address. Arbour Square

[LloydG]

Hi all - I was beginning to think 'my' John Huet BATES must have been a BIGAMIST!
When Hannah died in NZ in 1894, her Death Cert (only recently discovered) stated her parents were 'John and Hannah (nee Hodge) BATES of London', and this tied in with the info kindly provided by you marvellous RootsChat detectives. Thank you one and all.

Dylan - sorry we don't seem to be related, and good luck to you in rewriting your family history.

Just as an aside, I found Hannah's gravesite (in a very sad state of disrepair) in the old Inangahua Junction cemetery in NZ's South Island where Hannah and her husband Henry LLOYD ran the Junction Hotel, and have had it restored to it's former glory. It is quite an ornate affair. So many of my ancestors lie in unmarked graves, and finding one actually marked but in such a parlous state I just couldn't leave it abandoned and uncaredfor.