Bates and Company
Historical Note
Bates & Company was a 19th century merchant shipping company based in Boston, MA. The company emerged from a predecessor, Nathan Bridge & Co.; after Nathan Bridge's death in 1830, co-partner John D. Bates and clerk Adam W. Thaxter partnered to create Bates & Co. They remained active with the company until their deaths. Bates' son, John D. Bates, Jr., also partnered with the firm, and continued on as surviving partner for a number of years after his father's death.
Bates & Co. was particularly active in the sugar triangle trade. They traded sugar and other goods between Havana and Matanzas in Cuba, St. Petersburg and Antwerp in Europe, and Boston and New York in the United States. In the 1850s and 1860s, Bates & Co. expanded their network to include ports in China, Japan, and Southeast Asia, and moved further away from the sugar trade as the international market shifted. The firm was closely tied to the Baring Brothers in London, the Brothers Cramer, James Oakes, F.D. Williams of Williams & Co., and the Brothers Nottebohm.
Places
- Boston (Mass.) (Residence)