There is a John A. Bates listed in the 1830 Census of Bedford Co., TN, on page 40. If you need the particulars, let me know.

Keep in mind, that 1/2 of Coffee Co. (including the area where the Bates family lived) was in Bedford Co., prior to the forming of Coffee Co., in 1836. They probably didn't even move, just the line moved. Jess Lewis