Dear Charles Hunter, The only way I know of HUNTER is that it is the middle name of my uncle JAMES HUNTER BATES. His grandaughter, years ago said that they had HUNTERS in their family and I have never found any on the BATES side. She made this remark to my neice in 1981. She will not answer countless messsages phone messages nor will she answer letters and we have given up on her. You cannot force people to be helpful. We do not know the reason for her amnesia. We know only the Bates side and can only hope to one day find out why my uncle has HUNTER for a middle name. The furthest we have gone back with Bates is JOHN BATES who was born on the Island of Guernsey in the channel Islands. He was born there in 1774 and married there about 1800. He died in Philadelphia after 1850. He had a wife named Mary who was also born in GUERNSEY in 1780 and died in Philadelphia after 1850. They had a son named Charles BATES who was born in Guernsey 1815 and died after 1860 in Philadelphia. We do not know who CHARLES BATES Married except that she was born in Phila and died there before 1860. CHARLES BATES at least one son named WILLIAM BATES who was born in Philadelphia March 1835, married first wife Margaret Jane Jenks about 1855 or so and had two sons by her and she died about 1860. He married again April 9th 1865 in Phil and WILLIAM DIED october 5th 1911. William fought in the civil war from 1861 to 1865. After he married second wife he had 11 n more children , one of which was my grandfather WINFIELD SCOTT BATES, who married an Elizabeth Marie Mohr and theu had teo children, my mother MARY ELIZABETH BATES,who married a Joseph Edward ALMOND. and my uncle JAMES HUNTER BATES, Need anymore or are we not related? [sorry about the typing. a two finger typist'] regards Jean Almond Miami,Fl. mailto:[email protected]