Asher B. Bates
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Asher B. Bates (1810-1873) was a lawyer and politician in the U.S. state of Michigan and in the Kingdom of Hawaii.
Bates was born in Genesee County, New York[1] and came to Detroit, Michigan in 1831, where he was an attorney, Justice of the Peace, City Attorney, and City Recorder. In 1838, he served as Mayor of Detroit[2] after the resignation of Augustus S. Porter to run for the U.S. Senate.[3] He was also an agent for the Protection Insurance Company of Hartford.[4]
He established the practice of Farnsworth & Bates with Elon Farnsworth. They were joined by Henry N. Walker in 1836, who had studied law in their office. In 1837, Farnsworth left the firm to became chancellor of the chancery court of Michigan and with the addition of Samuel T. Douglass, the firm became Bates, Walker & Douglass. The firm of Walker & Douglass continued after Bates' departure for several years until they were joined by James V. Campbell. Both Campbell and Douglass served terms on the Michigan Supreme Court[5] and both Farnsworth and Walker served as Michigan Attorney General.[6]
At some point he moved from Detroit to Jackson County, Michigan, where he ran unsuccessfully as a Whig Party candidate for Justice of Probate in 1844.[7]
In 1852 he emigrated to the Sandwich Islands.[8] In 1855, he was appointed a commissioner by the General Government to prosecute certain business in the Sandwich Islands, after which he became a subject of the King of Hawaii, and was later raised to the position of Attorney-General.[3][9]
He died in San Francisco[9] of leprosy contracted while in Hawaii.[10]
[edit] Notes
- ^ De Land p. 277 indicates he is a native of Boston, but this may be mistaken as De Land also states that Bates came to Detroit in 1840 which is clearly mistaken as he held public offices in the 1830s.
- ^ See Farmer p. 140.
- ^ a b See Lanham p. 419.
- ^ See Farmer p. 873
- ^ See Moore p. 1291
- ^ See Tuttle p. 672
- ^ See De Land p. 295.
- ^ See De Land p. 277
- ^ a b See Durant p. 296
- ^ See Burton p. 1146.
[edit] References
- Burton, Clarence Monroe [1922] (2005). The city of Detroit, Michigan, 1701-1922. Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan Library. Retrieved on 2007-04-15.
- De Land, Charles V. [1903] (2005). De Land's history of Jackson county, Michigan. Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan Library. Retrieved on 2007-04-15.
- Durant, Samuel W. [1877] (2005). History of Oakland County, Michigan. Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan Library. Retrieved on 2007-04-15.
- Farmer, Silas [1884] (2005). The history of Detroit and Michigan. Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan Library. Retrieved on 2007-04-15.
- Lanman, Charles [1871] (2005). "Biographical History of Michigan", The red book of Michigan; a civil, military and biographical history. Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan Library, p. 419. Retrieved on 2007-04-15.
- Moore, Charles [1915] (2005). History of Michigan. Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan Library. Retrieved on 2007-04-15.
- Tuttle, Charles Richard [1873] (2005). General history of the state of Michigan. Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan Library. Retrieved on 2007-04-15.
