ROBERT BRETTELL BATE

Country England Lived 1782 - 1847

Biography

Robert Brettell Bate, the son of a mercer and banker was born in Stourbridge in 1782.

It is not known where he was educated but he went to join his uncle Robert Brettell, in business as a haberdasher, at 21 Foster Lane, London.

Bate’s mother’s sister Mary, and her husband Bartholomew Sikes lived in Wilderness Row, Clerkenwell a short walk from Foster Lane.

Naturally enough Bate visited his relations frequently and his friendship with their daughter Anna Maria led to a hastily arranged marriage in 1804. The newly wed couple went to live with the bride’s newly widowed mother.

Before his death Bartholomew Sikes, a scientific instrument maker, had been negotiating with the Excise Office for a contract to supply them with his improved hydrometer, a device for measuring the specific gravity of alcoholic beverages so that the appropriate tax could be calculated.

After strenuous lobbying by Mary Sikes, Bate was awarded the contract. This good fortune set Bate on the road to prosperity as a scientific instrument maker and he was able to take premises at 17 Poultry in the heart of the City of London in about 1807.

Business must have prospered as in 1824 Bate leased larger premises at 20 and 21 Poultry. Bate became a freeman of the Spectacle Makers Company (many scientific instrument makers were members) in 1814 and was master of the Company in 1828 – 30. During his period as Master he was appointed Optician in Ordinary to King George IV.

Robert Brettell Bate died at his Hampstead house in December 1847 after a short bout of influenza.
Bate’s success was founded on the supply of hydrometers and saccharometers to the Excise Office, and the supply of Imperial Standard weights and measures to the Exchequer. Bate also made (or perhaps supplied) a wide range of other instruments including microscopes, telescopes, drawing instruments, sundials, barometers, sextants and at least one waywiser.

The information above is taken from reference 1) below which contains a lot more information on the life and times of Robert Brettell Bate.

References:
1) McConnell (Anita): R.B. Bate of The Poultry 1782 – 1847. Published by The Scientific Instrument Society, London, 1993

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Jeffrey Formby Antiques view dealer details » England Clocks, horological books and some scientific instruments