Hi Gita, Today you wrote, "...I would like to correspond with anyone who has information about Bates from Mass. who may have settled in Maine. " Tracing my BATES line has also led me back to MA. My oldest confirmed info is Almira Bates, b.about 1800 in MA, had at least 4 children in marriage with Thomas Shaff while living in Oswego Co, NY between 1822 and 1835. Suspect her parents was Samuel Bates and Sally Houghton, ... Samuel was b. in Brimfield MA either 1773 or 1777 (LDS IGI has two Samuel Bates born in Brimfield,... different parents... for those dates. They moved to Houndsfield, Jefferson Co, NY in 1801-1802. Is Samuel related to your ancestors? Wayne Olsen Bonney Lake, WA