Frederic Foster La Trobe-Bateman
Frederic Foster La Trobe-Bateman (1853-1889)
1883 His father assumed by royal licence the prefix, surname, and arms of La Trobe, as a compliment to his grandfather.
1889 Obituary [1]
FREDERIC FOSTER LA TROBE-BATEMAN was born at the Polygon, Ardwick, Manchester, on the 22nd of July, 1853. He was educated partly at Wellington College, but left in consequence of his health not being good enough for the ordinary routine of a public school. He completed his stndies under private tutors, and in 1871 entered the office of his father, Mr. J. F. La Trobe-Batenan, Past President Inst. C.E.
In serving his pupilage he acquired a good deal of experience in Buenos Ayres and on the Manchester waterworks, carrying out part of the survey for the noted Thirlmere scheme of the latter undertaking. In January, 1880, he became a partner with his father and Mr. G. H. Hill, and during the partnership superintended the construction of large additions to the Ashton-under-Lyne and Oldham waterworks.
In the autumn of 1881 he went to Canada where he remained nearly four years, returning in 1885, mainly on account of the illness of his wife, who died a year later. After that event he became himself invalided and unable to attend to business. Towards the end of 1888 he left England with the intention of going to New Zealand, hoping to benefit by the long sea voyage ; but he was not destined to reach land again, dying off Hobart, Tasmania, on the 5th of February, 1880.
Mr. Foster Bateman was a man of considerable ability, and his early death cut short a career of much promise. He was elected a Member of the Institution on the 1st of March, 1881.