He was born on January 28, 1821 at Laurel, the son of Jacob and Mary (Jones) Moore and grandson of Elzey Moore, both Methodist clergymen. His parents both died when he was a child and he was adopted by Martin Waltham Bates, a leading Democratic politician, United States senator and lawyer of Dover, Del. , who procured an act of the legislature changing the child's name to Daniel Moore Bates.
His early education was received at a private school, and he entered Dickinson College in 1835, graduating in 1839. He studied law in Martin W. Bates's office, was admitted to the bar in 1842, and entered into partnership with his adopted father.
The firm enjoyed an extensive practise and he soon became generally known as possessing qualities of industry and reliability which marked him out for public employment. In 1847 he was made secretary of state of Delaware, a position which he occupied for four years. In 1849 he removed to Wilmington, and in the same year was by resolution of the General Assembly appointed a commissioner to revise and codify the state statutes, a work which took ultimate shape as the Revised Code of 1852.
He was in 1852 appointed United States district attorney for Delaware by President Pierce and held this office till 1861, being reappointed by President Buchanan. In 1861, as one of the five Delaware commissioners, he attended the abortive Peace Conference at Washington, serving on the committee which drafted the scheme of adjustment subsequently submitted to Congress. On December 12, 1865, he was, with the indorsement of the entire state bar, appointed chancellor of Delaware. On his accession to the bench, he addressed himself with great energy to increasing the efficiency of the court, revising the rules and reforming the old practise. In addition, he prepared a manual of Chancery practise and forms for the use of the profession. The General Assembly held in 1871 passed a resolution directing the Chancellor to collect and publish such equity cases as in his judgment should be proper for public information, and he accordingly commenced to assemble the unreported decisions of his predecessors in office.
Failing health compelled him, however, to relinquish all work and he resigned October 15, 1873. Immediately after his resignation, he undertook a long visit to Europe with his family, returning in September 1875 much benefited by the change. He resumed his work on the chancery records and as a result published Reports of Cases Adjudged and Determined in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, Volumes I and II, which incorporated all the decisions of utility from 1814 to 1865 (1876, 1878). At the same time he commenced to practise in a small way at Wilmington, but did not attempt any heavy responsibilities. He died rather suddenly at Richmond, Va. , while on a business visit.
As a judge he enjoyed the confidence of both the profession and the public. Possessing great patience, an infinite capacity for taking pains, and a logical precision of thought, his decisions carried great weight and always bore evidence of anxious deliberation.
He had married in November 1844 Margaret Handy, daughter of Isaac P. Smith of Snow Hill, an adopted daughter of George Handy of Philadelphia, who predeceased him.
