Walter Bateman (1826-1882)

Second generation, son of John Bateman Snr, brother of John Jnr. On the right in the photo. John Jnr is on the left.

John and Walter [right] Bateman (Ward). An earlier photograph of the brothers in a similar pose is to be seen on the plaque near their grave in Fremantle Cemetery. Walter never married.

WALTER BATEMAN (son of John Bateman and Mary Ann Benningfield) was born on 22-Jun-1826 in England. He died on 24-Sep-1882 in Western Australia, Australia. (Ward)

BATEMAN, Walter, b. 22.6.1826 (England), d. 24.9.1882, son of John & Mary Ann, arr. 6.7.1830 per Medina with father & family. Frem. Partner in J. & W. Bateman with brother John until 1874 [or 1872]. 1855-1861 Postmaster while mother was on leave. Pearling 1861 at Nickol Bay. MLC 1868. Employed 4 T/L men 1862-1868. Partnership with his brother was dissolved on the grounds of Walter's mental instability. (Erickson)

Notes for Walter Bateman (from Ward)

Wikipedia:
Walter Bateman (22 June 1826 - 24 September 1882) was a Fremantle merchant who was a member of the Western Australian Legislative Council from 1867 to 1870.

Perth Gazette and West Australian Times (WA : 1864 - 1874), Friday 17 April 1874, page 3
In the Supreme Court. In Lunacy.
In the matter of Walter Bateman, a Lunatic.
NOTICE is hereby given that by an order made in the above matter by the Supreme Court, in Lunacy, bearing date the sixth day of March, 1874, the partnership which has for many years past existed between the Lunatic, Walter Bateman, and John Bateman, under the style or firm of "John and Walter Bateman," as Merchants and Shipowners at Fremantle, in this colony, was dissolved. All liabilities of the said Firm will be liquidated by the said John Bateman, and all debts owing to the Firm are to be paid to him or to his order. Dated this 9th day of March, 1874. G. W. LEAKE, Solicitor in the matter of the Lunacy.

Western Australian Times (Perth, WA : 1874 - 1879), Friday 16 October 1874, page 3
IN LUNACY.
In the matter of Walter Bateman, a Lunatic. This was a petition to confirm the master's report. The Attorney General appeared for the petitioner, Mr. John Bateman, and Mr S. H. Parker for the next of kin. From the master's report it appeared that Walter Bateman had been of unsound mind since January, 1869. The master recommended that the petitioner should be appointed committee of the person and estate of the lunatic, and the lunatic's fortune to be £12,278; and further recommended that an allowance of £500 a year, as maintenance of lunatic, be paid to Petitioner. The Attorney General moved for confirmation of the master's report, and that the custody of the person of the lunatic, and the management of his estate, be granted to the petitioner; and also for the costs of the inquiry. Mr. S. H. Parker, on behalf of the next of kin, assented. After some discussion as to the mode of investing the lunatic's estate, His Honor confirmed the report, and made the order asked for

Herald (Fremantle, WA : 1867 - 1886), Saturday 20 July 1878, page 2
ABUSIVE LANGUAGE.-At the Fremantle Police Court on Tuesday last, Mr John Bateman, of the firm of J. & W. Bateman, was summoned by Mr. G. C. Attfield, medical officer at the Convict Establishment for using threatening, abusive and insulting language towards him. The evidence of Dr. Attfield showed that-on the 13th inst., while the doctor was passing up Henry Street, the defendant's brother Walter, who is in his brother's guardianship as a lunatic, made use of insulting language to the plaintiff across the road, in the hearing of the public, whereupon the plaintiff (who stated that for the past 8 months he had been subject to similar annoyance) crossed the street and remonstrated with him, threatening an appeal to the police on a repetition of such conduct. Upon this Mr. Walter Bateman became violently excited, and raised an iron scraper and menaced an assault within a foot of complainant's face, who thereupon laid an information before Mr. Slade, to the effect that Mr. Walter Bateman was a dangerous lunatic and not under proper and sufficient restraint. An order was made by the Magistrate for a medical examination of Mr. W. Bateman, and Dr. Barnett, the examining officer having reported that he considered Mr. W. Bateman a dangerous lunatic an order was made for his committal to the Lunatic Asylum. Some days after, it appears from Dr. Attfield's statement, that he met the defendant Mr. J. Bateman, in the High Street, when the latter called him a b--- swine, and made use of other abusive expressions. The defendant cross-examined the complainant, who admitted that he had all along advised that the treatment of the defendant's brother should be an avoidance of all excitement, and that at the time he was physically ill he had stated his opinion that his patient was liable "to go off like the snuff of a candle at any minute." Defendant then contended, why did the complainant act in direct contradiction to is own prescription and deliberately cross the road and excite his brother by remonstrating with him? Complainant said others had complained of similar annoyance at the hands of Walter Bateman, and he thought it should be put a stop to. Defendant said he wished to ascertain who had so complained ; Dr. Attfield replied that Mr. Durlacher had more than once done so, and he had told the defendant as much before. Mr. Bateman said he had personally asked that gentleman and had also done so through Mr. Moore, and a denial had been given. Defendant further said that the animus entertained by his brother towards Dr. Attfield, originally arose from the complainant having sent in a bill for medical attendance to his brother Walter Bateman instead of himself (the defendant) who was the guardian of his brother. He submitted that on the occasion of his brother threatening the doctor with the scraper, the doctor had allowed his temper to get the better of him in laying the information alleging that Mr. W. Bateman was a dangerous lunatic. He admitted insulting the complainant by words but denied any threats. His Worship said the offensive words constituted an insult and imposed a fine of 20s. and costs.

References and Links

Many thanks to Rob Ward for a comprehensive genealogy of the family, including the copious notes above.

Brown, Patricia M. 1996, The Merchant Princes of Fremantle: The Rise and Decline of a Colonial Elite 1870-1900, UWAP.

Erickson, Rica et al. 1987 (etc.), Bicentennial Dictionary of Western Australians, UWAP. Available online.

Hitchcock, JK 1929, The History of Fremantle, The Front Gate of Australia 1829-1929, Fremantle City Council.

Wikipedia entry for John Bateman 1789-1855

Geoffrey Bolton's entry for John Bateman 1789-1855 in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, 1966

Freotopia

This page incorporates material from Garry Gillard's Freotopia website, that he started in 2014 and the contents of which he donated to Wikimedia Australia in 2024. The content was originally created on 11 November, 2019 and hosted at freotopia.org/people/batemanwalter.html (it was last updated on 15 January, 2024), and has been edited since it was imported here (see page history). The donated data is also preserved in the Internet Archive's collection.