John Wallis Bates was born 17 May 1779 in Washington Co., VA and died May 1843 in Letcher Co., KY at age 63. John Wallis Bates was the son of William Bates and Margaret Young.

John Wallis Bates is buried in Bates Cemetery, Kona, KY. He married Sarah Walthrop (various spellings Waltrip, Walthorp, Waldrop) 22 April 1812 in Letcher Co., KY. Children of John Wallis Bates and Sarah Walthrop Waltrip;

  John Wallis Bates Jr was born about 1813 in VA and died before 1900 in Knott Co., KY. He married Elizabeth Hall about 1835 in Floyd Co., KY. Elizabeth Hall was born about 1807. She was the daughter of William J "Gunsmith Billy" Hall and Margaret Johnson.

  Margaret Peggy Bates was born about 1815. Margaret married 29 March 1834 in Perry Co., KY to Payne Johnson. Payne was born 2 May 1807 in TN. Payne Johnson was the son of William Johnson and Lucy Ann Ayers.

  Martha Irby Bates was born 11 December 1816 and died 18 April 1895 at age 78 in Laurel Co., KY. Martha Irby Bates married 20 March 1834 in Perry Co., KY to Joseph Craft, the son of James Craft and Drusilla Hammons Hammonds.

Joseph Craft was born 7 December 1816 in Floyd Co., KY and died 5 December 1886 in Laurel Co., KY at age 69. Martha Irby Bates and Joseph Craft are buried at the Sue Bennett College, London, KY.

  Eliza Agnes Bates was born 7 March 1819 in Russell Co., VA and died 1 February 1892 in Letcher Co., KY at 72 years of age. Eliza Agnes Bates is buried in Payne Gap Cemetery, Letcher Co., KY. She married about 1840 to Joel Ellis Wright.

Joel Ellis Wright was the son of Joel Martin Wright and Susannah Bates?. Joel was born 7 July 1817 in Russell Co., VA and died 24 September 1879 in KY at age 62. Joel Martin Wright is buried in the Payne Gap Cemetery, Letcher Co., KY.

  Jesse Bates was born about 1821. Jesse married Elizabeth Asbury. Elizabeth was born about 1825.

  James Bates was born about 1823 in Letcher Co., KY and died 11 April 1864. It is stated on the Bates Family Website that James Bates was murdered in the Civil War. James is buried at Bates Cemetery, Kona, KY.

James Bates married Elizabeth Adams on 26 February 1843 in Letcher Co., KY. Elizabeth Adams was the daughter of Benjamin Adams and Nancy Holbrook. Elizabeth was born about 1824 and died July 1880 at the age of 56.

  Robert Bates was born 1825. He married Phoebe Lee.

  Uriah Bates was born about 1828 in Letcher Co., KY and died 1 May 1862 in Camp Wilson, Gate City, VA at the age of 33. He married Lettie Adams 14 October 1849 in Letcher Co., KY. Lettisha "Lettie" Adams was the daughter of Benjamin Adams and Nancy Holbrook.

  Sarah Ann Bates was born born 26 January 1830 in Perry (now Letcher) Co KY and died 6 November 1906. Sarah married 12 March 1852 in Manchester KY to William Mullins. William was born 23 May 1830 in Pike Co KY and died 3 May 1908 in Laurel Co KY. He was the son of Booker Mullins and Mary Polly Newsome.

  Henderson Bates was born about 1832. According to the Bates Family Website he had two families. Henderson married Martha Robinson the 23 November 1850 in Letcher Co., KY. Henderson and Martha had at least 6 children together.

Martha Robinson was born 1823/1826 in VA. Henderson also had at least 5 children with Elender Dale. Henderson lived with Elender Dale in Letcher Co., KY. More About Henderson Bates.

  Mary Jane Bates was born about 1836 and died at age 16.

  Martin Van Buren Bates "The Kentucky River Giant" was born 9 November 1837 in Perry Co., KY. He died 19 January 1919 in Seville, Ohio at 81 years of age. Martin Van Buren Bates was the famous "Kentucky Giant" who was known for being a perfectly formed giant person. He was very handsome.

Martin was in the Civil War and there are articles aplenty about his Civil War days. You can read about him in several places on the internet including another link on our site with Articles About Martin Van Buren Bates. Some of his links are; The Scott Co., TN Chronicles. He's on the Wikipedia Website.

The next link is a very nice website that has a lot of information about Martin and his giant wife, Anna Swan. Martin and Anna held (and maybe still do hold) the record for the tallest couple. She was an inch or so taller than he. This Link takes you directly to their story.

After Anna's death on 5 August 1886, Martin married Annette Lavonne Weatherby. They married in 1887. Annette Lavonne Weatherby was of average height. More About Martin V B Bates.

More About Martin Van Buren Bates

On November 9, 1845 Martin Van Buren Bates was born near Whitesburg, Kentucky into the home of John W. and Sarah Bates. Martin was the youngest in the family with six brothers and five sisters and was educated at Emma-Henry College, Washington Co., Virginia.

When the Civil War broke out between the North and South, Bates joined, being the son of a slave owner. He enlisted as a private in the Fifth Kentucky Infantry C.S.A., on September 15, 1861 and served with this company until 1863, having been promoted several times.

He continued to fight with a different company and rose to the rank of Lieutenant, later promoted to Captain, where he remained until the end of the war.

When he stopped growing at the age of twenty-eight he stood 7 feet, 9 inches and weighed 470 pounds. People found his size somewhat unusual, so in 1865 he began exhibiting himself as a curiosity. He did this for five years, traveling all over the United States and Canada.