Bates was the son of Joseph Bates, a wool finisher and exporter and his wife Rebekah Walker. He was sent to Calcutta in 1833 to join his elder brother in the business which his father had started since the ending of the East India Company monopoly.
He made two short trips to England in 1838-1839 and in 1843, but otherwise remained in India at Calcutta and Bombay until 1848. Back in England, Bates began his own business chartering ships for the Bombay trade. He then started to own his own ships, acquiring the newly built Jamsetjee Cursetjee, named after his Parsee partner in Bombay.
He had built a fleet of 60 ships in 1860 and eventually owned 130 ships.
He regained the seat in 1885, holding it until 1892. He was Deputy Lieutenant of Hampshire and Lancashire, an Justice of the Peace for Lancashire.
He was created 1st Baronet Bates, of Bellefield, company Lancaster on 13 May 1880.
He lived at Bellefield, West Derby, Liverpool, Lancashire, Manydown Park, Hampshire, and Gyrn Castle, Llanasa, Flintshire, Wales.
20th United Kingdom Parliament. 21st United Kingdom Parliament. 23rd United Kingdom Parliament.
24th United Kingdom Parliament]
Bates became Conservative Member of Parliament for Plymouth in 1871 and held the seat until 1880.
