Bates (Joshua) is born in Weymouth.

Joshua Bates comes to Boston to as a boy to work in the counting house of William Gray and spends his evenings studying at Hastings, Etheridge & Bliss’ bookstore. Sent to England as an agent of Gray in 1816, he becomes a senior partner at Baring Brothers investment firm. After hearing of plans to build a new library in Boston, makes the first of two substantial donation to the project in 1852.* After his death in 1864, Bates Hall, the library’s main reading room, is named for him, both in the first library building and in the current McKim Building.