Transcript

of

Charles Spence Bate, L.D.S.R.C.S., Eng., F.R.S., F.L.S. [Obituary]

Trans. Devon. Assoc., 1889, Vol XXI, pp.60-64.

by

Rev. W. Harpley

Prepared by Michael Steer

The obituary was presented at the Association’s July 1889 Tavistock meeting. Charles Spence Bate was a noted zoologist and by profession a dentist. He adopted "Spence Bate" as his surname, perhaps to distinguish himself from his father, and used that name consistently in his publications; it was also used consistently by his contemporaries to refer to him. He practiced dentistry first at Swansea, and then at Plymouth, taking over his father's practice. He was a frequent correspondent of Charles Darwin, mostly concerning their shared interest in barnacles. Together with John Obadiah Westwood, he wrote "A history of the British sessile-eyed Crustacea" in 1868, and also wrote reports on the crustaceans collected during the HMS Challenger expedition of 1872–1876. His grave is in Plymouth cemetery. The article, from a copy of a rare and much sought-after journal can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.

The obituary was presented at the Association’s July 1889 Tavistock meeting. Charles Spence Bate was a noted zoologist and by profession a dentist. He adopted "Spence Bate" as his surname, perhaps to distinguish himself from his father, and used that name consistently in his publications; it was also used consistently by his contemporaries to refer to him. He practiced dentistry first at Swansea, and then at Plymouth, taking over his father's practice. He was  a frequent correspondent of Charles Darwin, mostly concerning their shared interest in barnacles. Together with John Obadiah Westwood, he wrote "A history of the British sessile-eyed Crustacea" in 1868, and also wrote reports on the crustaceans collected during the HMS Challenger expedition of 1872–1876. His grave is in Plymouth cemetery. The article, from a copy of a rare and much sought-after journal can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.

Charles Spence Bate, L.D.S.R.C.S. Eng., F.R.S., F.LS., &c., was born at Trennick, Truro, on the 16th March, 1818. He was the eldest son of Mr. Charles Bate, who for many years practised as a dentist at the Octagon, at that time one of the suburbs of Plymouth. He was educated at the Truro Grammar School under the late Dr. Ryall. On leaving school he entered the surgery of Mr. Blewett, where he remained about two years; he then devoted himself to the study and practice of dentistry with his father. After becoming duly qualified he removed, in 1841, to Swansea where he soon acquired a considerable practice. While at Swansea his taste for those branches of natural history, by his knowledge of which he afterwards became distinguished, was developed. He was admitted into the society and friendship of the leading scientific men of the place; and on the occasion of the visit of the British Association to the town, in 1848, he took an active part in arranging for the reception of that body, and became a member. On more than one occasion subsequently he was President of one of the sections. He was mainly instrumental in securing the visit of the Association to Plymouth in 1877; and as one of the Vice-Presidents at that meeting, he contributed largely by his liberal exercise of hospitality to make the gathering a pleasant one.

In 1851 Mr. Spence Bate left Swansea and returned to Plymouth, taking up his residence at 8, Mulgrave Place, and succeeded to the practice of his father, having inherited even more than his father's skill.  As a dentist he was almost unrivalled, both as an operator and also in his later years as a dental mechanician. His practice included members of most of the families of note in Plymouth, and for many miles round. He was the author of many works on dentistry. Some of them were published separately, others in the Lancet, the British Journal of Dental Science, the Medical Gazette, and in the Transactions of the Odontological Society, to the presidency of which he was elected in 1885, an honour which had never before been enjoyed by any dentist practising in the provinces. Two years previously he had been President of the British Dental Association. In 1881 Mr. Spence Bate was a Vice-President of a section of the Medical Congress. He was Honorary Surgeon-Dentist to the Plymouth Dental Dispensary, and Honorary Surgeon-Dentist to the Devon and Cornwall Orphan Asylum.

Nor was it only in dentistry that Mr. Spence Bate became celebrated. He devoted a large amount of time to the investigation of the habits of marine animals, and, in conjunction with Mr. Westwood, was the author of a work in three volumes, which soon became a standard authority, on British Sessile-eyed Crustacea. The value of this work was fully recognised by the scientific world, and, chiefly on the strength of its authorship, Mr. Bate was made a Fellow of the Royal Society, and thus was brought into companionship with some of the leading scientific men of the age. Other works by him on the same subject were a catalogue of Amphipodous Crustacea, and a Report, the compilation of which engaged his close attention several years, on the Crustacea Macroma, collected by H.M.S. Challenger during the celebrated scientific cruise of the vessel round the world. The work was only completed a year ago, and of its kind is unsurpassed in thoroughness and value. Indeed, it may be considered that Mr. Spence Bate was the greatest living authority on this branch of Natural History.

He was keenly interested in all scientific matters connected with the town of Plymouth and county of Devon, and it would be difficult to estimate how much of the prosperity of many now flourishing local societies is due to the guidance and energetic support they have received from him. The restoration of the Plymouth Institution to somewhat of its former activity, after a period of comparative inertness, must be ascribed to him. The following record of his work in connection with that Society serves to bear out this remark:

Elected a member of the Institution in 1852, he became Secretary 1854-60, President in 1861-2 and 1869-70, and was a Member of Council 1853-83. He was likewise a Museum Curator (Geology, Apparatus, and Antiquities) at different times, and the Editor of the Transactions in their present form 1869-83.

He delivered the following lectures: 

Jan. 13th, 1853. The Fossil Flora of the Coal Measures of the South Wales Basin. 
Nov. 3rd, 1853. Ivory. 
Nov. 2nd, 1854. The Rise and Progress of Literature in Europe. 
Dec 14th, 1854. The Marine Vivarium. 
Jan. 11th, 1855. Zoophytes. 
Feb. 12th, 1857. William Elford Leach, M.D. 
Jan. 28th, 1858. Crustacea. 
Feb. 1st, 1858. On the Nidification of Crustacea (published in the Transactions). 
Mar. 10th, 1859. Gypsies. 
Oct 3rd, 1861. Presidential Addresa 
Feb. 20th, 1862. Geological Evidences of the Antiquity of the Human Race. 
Oct 13th, 1864. Report on Progress in Geology. 
Oct 27th, 1864. On a Cornish Kjökkenmödding. 
Feb. 9th, 1865. Roman - British Antiquities recently Discovered in the Neighbourhood of Plymouth (described by him in the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries). 
Oct 11th, 1866. Relation of the Flint Implements of Devon and Cornwall to History. 
Oct 17th, 1867. Recent Researches in Marine Zoology on the South Coast of Devon and CornwalL 
May 1st, 1867. On the Dentition of the Mole. 
Jan. (t), 1868. On some Recent Researches in Constantine Bay, North ComwalL 
May 1st 1868. On a Double-spined Eagle Ray, caught by Trawlers off Plymouth. 
Oct 7th, 1869. Presidential Address. 
May 1st, 1869. On some of the Antiquities of Dartmoor. 
Oct 13th, 1870. The Prehistoric Antiquities of Dartmoor. 
Oct 12th, 1871. Prehistoric Dartmoor. 
Oct 26th, 1871. The Perambulation of Dartmoor, 1240. 
Nov. 6th, 1873. Grimspound and the Recent Explorations in the Vicinity (published). 
Nov. 19th, 1874. Ancient Crosses and Inscribed Stones of Devon (published, with additions, in the Transactions). 
Feb. 27th, 1879. The Crustacea taken during the voyage of H.M.S. Challenger. 
Mar. 27ih, 1879. The Evidences of the Scandinavian on Dartmoor. 
Oct 6th, 1881. On an Ancient Grave at TrethilL 
Mar. 30th, 1882. The Geographical Distribution of the Crustacea. 

Mr. Bate was one of the founders of the Devonshire Association, and during the first year of its existence (1862) was Senior (General Secretary. In the following year he vacated this post, having been elected to the office of President of the Association. He delivered his Presidential Address at the Annual Meeting at Plymouth in 1863, and qualified as a permanent member of the Council For several years he was seldom absent from the Annual Meetings, and when pressing engagements, especially his work arising out of the Challenger expedition, caused him to absent himself, he never ceased to take the liveliest interest in the progress of the Association, and he looked forward to the time when he should again be permitted to take an active part in its proceedings. The following is a list of the papers contributed by him: 

1862. Bovisand Sand Beds. 
1864. A Cornish Kjökkenmödding. 
1864. A Barrow in Constantine Bay. 
1866. An Attempt to Approximate to the Dates of the Flint Flakes of Devon and Cornwall 
1867. On a Cornish Kjökkenmödding. 
1871. On the Prehistoric Antiquities of Dartmoor. 
1871. On the Clitter of the Tors of Dartmoor. 
1871. A Contribution towards Determining the Etymology of Dartmoor Names. 
1872. Researches into some Ancient Tumuli on Dartmoor. 
1872. On the Original Map of the Royal Forest of Dartmoor, illustrating the Perambulation of Henry III., 1240. 
1873. Researches into some Ancient Tumuli on Dartmoor. 

He was an Honorary Member of the Torquay Natural History Society, Honorary Member of the Teign Naturalists' Field Club, and likewise Honorary Member of the Royal Institution of Cornwall, Truro.

Mr. Bate was also greatly interested in art. For many years he was a working member of the Plymouth Fine Art Society, and the products of his pencil were frequently exhibited, not only in connection with that body, but also in the art exhibition at Messrs. Harris's fine art gallery. He was not eminent as a painter, but many pleasing and meritorious pictures, the offspring of his brush, remain in the possession of members of his family, and his intimate friends. Three months before his death he presided at the annual meeting of the Plymouth School of Art, when the Earl of Morley distributed the prizes to the successful students. He also took a very active interest in the Art, Science, and Technical Schools about to be erected as a Jubilee Memorial in Plymouth. He was chairman of the committee, and only two or three days before being seized with his last illness he presided at a committee meeting of that body. Less than a week before his decease he showed his continued interest by a letter concerning the arrangements for the new building.

Mr. Bate naturally felt a keen interest in the Marine Biological Association, and took an active and energetic part in connection with the Marine Laboratory recently established at the Plymouth Citadel.

About two years before his decease he associated with himself a managing assistant, when he ceased to be a daily visitor to Plymouth, although he was to be found in his surgery four or five mornings in every week. A few years previously he had purchased a country residence, called the Rock, at South Brent. There he died, after a brief but painful illness, on Monday, the 29th July, 1889, aged 71 years.

Mr. Bate was twice married. His first wife was Miss Hele, of Ashburton. She died in 1884 His second wife, to whom he was married about two years ago, survives him. He also leaves two sons, one of them. Captain McGuire Bate, of the Royal Engineers, the other. Dr. Hele Bate, of London, who was with his father throughout his last illness, and one daughter. Miss Bate, who has inherited much of her father's artistic taste.

Mr. Bate was a Freemason of long standing, and was widely known and much respected among his brethren in the province of Devon. He filled at various periods the principal offices of the brotherhood, and at the time of his death he was Deputy Provincial Grand Master.

He was a kind and indulgent father, and, as the writer of this brief sketch can testify from an intimate friendship of over thirty years, he was a staunch friend. It is perhaps needless to add that the loss of one of such varied and brilliant abilities will be severely and widely felt.