Ancestry of Joshua Bates of Bridgewater Massachusetts
The Bates lineage in Massachusetts began with Clement Bates, a tailor from Hertfordshire, who arrived in 1635 and settled in Hingham. His descendants included significant figures such as Colonel Seth Bates, who served in the Revolutionary War, and his son Joshua Bates, who established a successful furnace in Canada before returning to farm in Bridgewater. Joshua Bates married Bethia Ames, fathering four children, and his family continued to thrive in Bridgewater, with generations contributing to local history and community life.