Henry Bates and Son
of Washer Lane, Sowerby Bridge, Yorkshire
1822 'HENRY BATES & CO, Washer Lane, in Skircoat, the Parish of Haliax, FRIZING MILLERS, assure the Public, that Joshua Bates, of Soyland, in the Parish of Halifax, Millwright, has not, nor has been since the Month ef January, 1818, a Partner in the above Firm and Business, which has been carried on since that Period, solely by, and on the Account of the undersigned, who will not be responsible for any Debts which may have already contracted since that Date, or may contract hereafter; and that he has no Authority to make use of their Firm or Names in any Transaction whatever.— Dated tbe Fifth Day of Feb. 1822
HENRY BATES.
JAMES WILSON.
Washer Lane, near Halifax.'[1]
1839 Sale Notice: 'To BE TO BE SOLD OR LET, WITH IMMEDIATE POSSESSION.
IMPORTANT AND VALUABLE MILLWRIGHT'S and SMITH'S SHOPS, IRON and BRASS FOUNDRY, and PREMISES, situate at WASHER LANE, near to Sowerby Bridge, in the Parish of Halifax, in the Occupation of Messrs HENRY BATES & SON, with Two Steam Engines, of Seven Horses Power each, which can be coupled together or wrought single, as occasion may require, with Shafts and Going Gear complete ; Ten Pair of Throw Heads, all wrought by the Sliding Rest; Two Boring Machines, one for Boring Cylinders and the other Wheels; Two Screwing Machines, one on an horizontal, and the other on an upright, with a Drilling Machine attached, on a new and improved principle; One Strong Drilling Machine, with self-acting Lever and Drills, &c. One Cutting Machine, for cutting Cogs in gear; Wheel Patterns; a valuable and extensive variety of Gear Wheel, Spar, Bevil, and Mike Wheel Patterns, of which a List may be seen; like wise a Variety of Patterns for Condensing and High Pressure Steam Engines ; Shaft ; Coupling Pedestal; Hanger, and Iron Pullies of various sizes and dimensions, &c.
The Buildings are New and in excellent Repair, and adjoin upon one side to the Calder and Hebble navigation, connecting together the Town of Hull, Manchester, and Liverpool; and upon the other to a good Turnpike Road leading through the Vale of the Calder, from Sowerby Bridge to Wakefield. The Manchester and Leeds Railway passes within 200 or 300 yards of the Premises, which, in addition to their other advantates, afford a very desirable Situation for the construction of Locomotive Steam Engines.
The above Property presents a most favourable opportunity to Engineers, Millwrights, and others, of entering upon an extensive and flourishing Business in full work, in the centre of a dense Manufacturing District, with first-rate Connexions established for nearly 10 years by the present Proprietor, who wishes to retire from an active life, in consequence of the death of his only surviving son ; and will render every Information and Assistance to a Purchaser or Lessee.
For further Particulars and Information, apply (if by letter, post paid), to Mr. BATES, the Owner, Washer Lane, near Halifax.
Washer Lane, 25th Sept., 1839.' [2]
1841 'On the 6th inst., aged 77, Henry Bates, Esq., of Thorn Cottage, Washer-lane, near Halifax, after a short but fatal illness of half-an-hour. He was much esteemed and respected by his family, and his loss is deeply and sincerely regretted by all those who had the pleasure of his acquaintance. His talents as a millwright and engineer have seldom or ever been surpassed.'[3]
1844 Sale Notice: 'TO IRON FOUNDERS, MILLWRIGHTS, ENGINEERS, MECHANICS, AND OTHERS.— By Mr. Davis, on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, the 25th, 26th, 27th and 28th Days of March, 1844, by order of the Executors the late Messrs. Henry Bates and Son, Engineers, Millwrights, and Iron Founders, on the Premises, Washer Lane, near Halifax, the Whole of the VALUABLE STOCK of MODELS, MECHANICS' TOOLS, FOUNDRY IMPLEMENTS, STEAM ENGINES, comprising Two Condensing Steam Engines, 8 Horse Power each, Working together separate as occasion may require; Steam Boiler, 20 Horse Power; Ditto, 8 Horse Ditto ; a very powerful Blowing Machine, with 3 Cylinders, Frames, Gearing, and Conducting Pipes to Foundry : Two Wrought Iron Cupolas, with Brick Work, &c.; large Foundry Crane, with Blocks and Chains ; about 100 Pairs of Cast Iron Moulding Boxes, various Sizes and Descriptions ; Core Plates and Barrels; Lifting Plates; Pipe Patterns ; small Cranes; Hand and Crane Ladles ; Three Sets of Condensing Steam Engine Patterns, containing all the Models in Wood and Iron for 10, 12 and 16 Horse Power; High Pressure Steam Engine Models of various Sizes; an immense Number of Iron and Wood Models for Water Wheels, Fly Wheels, Spur Wheels and Segments, Bevel aud Mitre Wheels of all descriptions; Iron Drum Models ; Cone Drum ditto ; Carriage and Bridge Tree Models and Caps; Hanger and Step ditto, with every other Description of Wool and Iron Models for carrying on the Business in all its various Branches ; an excellent 23 /1/2 Inch Double Geared Slide Lathe, Thirty-six Feet long, on Metal V Facings, for Boring Wheels and Pulleys, with Face Plate, Head Stocks, Speed Pulleys and Appendages; upon the same Gauntrees, a Capital Fourteen and a Half Inch Double Speed Slide Lathe, with Gearing complete; Cutting Machine Iron Frame, with Screw and Slide for cutting Cogs in Wheels from 1 1/2 Inch to 8 Feet Diameter ; One 14 Inch Geared Lathe, on Circular Cast Iron Gauntree, 27 Feet 3 Inches long, with Two Face Plates, 16 and 23 Inches Diameter, Slide Rest, with all the essential Implements; upon the same Gauntree, One 16 Inch Double Geared Slide Lathe, with Face Plates 20 Inches Diameter, with all the Appendages, capable of turning a Shaft Five Tons Weight; One 12 3/4 Double Geared Slide Lathe, upon a Pair of Circular Cast Iron Gauntrees, 14 Feet Inches Long, with Iron Stands, Face Plates 16 Inches Diameter, Slide Rest and Frame for Boring Cylinders, with other Appendages adapting the Tool for Slotting; Slotting Lathe on Cast Iron Gauntrce, Feet Inches long, with all the Implements ; Glazing .Machine in Iron Frame; One 11 1/2 Inch Single Geared Lathe on Metal V Gauntree, 11 Feet 11 Inches Long, with Face Plate 20 Inches Diameter, with Speeds and Shafting ; Pair of Cast Iron V Gauntrees, 38 Feet 2 Inches Long, with Iron Stands, bearing 3 Excellent Double-speed Lathes, with all their Appendages for Screw Cutting, and various other sorts of work ; a very superior Portable Upright Self acting Machine for Drilling, Screwing, and Tapping, with set of Taps and Dies from 3-8ths to 1 Inch, with 15 Inch Slide Drill and Rising Rest for Dies, Three Men can work at one Time with this Machine: Grindstones, Frames, Iron Troughs ; One upright Boring Machine, 17 Inch Slide, Shaft and Driving Policy ; capital Screwing Machine, capable of Screwing to 2 Inches Diameter; Fly Punch in Strong Iron Frame, with Dies, Punches, Bolsters, and Tools; Two Pairs of French Millstones, Several New Grindstones ; large Quantity of WROUGHT IRON, Round, Square, and Flat, various Sizes; Quantity of Mill Shafting, ready for welding; Steam Engines part made, readyin the Castings; large quantity various Castings, intended for sundry purposes; new Brass Castings; quantity of new Cast Steel ; old Wrought and Cast Iron, in Lots; valuable Stocks, Taps and Dies, with a large Stock of Smiths' Tools and Implements ; quantity new and old Files; quantity of Line and Cross Shafting of various Sizes, with Drums, Pulleys, and Hangers; Steam Pipes; Thirty Pairs of Gallows Pulleys; Number of Vices and Boards; quantity of Dry Beech Planks of various thicknesses, cut for Mill-wright Work; several Ladders; Cart, Rulley and Theodolite and Levelling Staff, by Jones, of London ; Theodolite and do., in Wood Case, by Rothwell, of Manchester ; Drawing Instruments; Rolls of finished Drawings, Sketches of Machinery and Elevations, containing 348 Plans; Five Friezing Engines, One Raising Gig; Quantity of Driving Straps, Three Less and Tup, Beams, Scales and Weights, Chains Ropes ; Stanhope Gig, Set of Gig Harness, Horse Gears, Szc.; with large Quantity of valuable Multifarious Stock too numerous to compress within the limits of an Advertisement, but which will be more fully detailed in Printed Catalogues tbat may be had from the Auctioneer, Halifax; or of Mr. Geo. Stansfeld, 46, Trafalgar-Street. Leeds, Six Days previous to Sale. ..... The Premises are situate close to the Calder and Hebble Canal and within Quarter of a Mile of the Sowerby Bidge Railway Station.....' </ref>Leeds Intelligencer - Saturday 16 March 1844</ref>