When he created this memorial Albert Lutge indicated that "Timothy was the brother of my 4x Great grandfather Isaac Clark Bates Sr."

Timothy's tombstone clearly indicates he was born November 25, 1776, although it further states he was 90y 6m and 20 days when he died June 15, 1867 and this age would have placed his birth on the 26th rather than the 25th. The book "the County of Noble" recorded his birth as November 29, 1778 and date of death as June 15, 1969. Timothy is reputed by some to be a twin of his brother Ephraim that would place his birth November 29, 1778. For this memorial I am relying on the information provided by his gravestone.

Timothy was born the 6th of eleven known children. His mother was 31 and his father 32 when he was born. His parents had lived in Catfish Camp, VA about four years prior and although Timothy's birth is recorded as being born in Augusta Town, Westmoreland Co., PA a search of old history books and maps demonstrates that Catfish Camp VA was also known as Augusta Town, PA in 1776. At that time Virginia and Pennsylvania were in a dispute over borders and both governments had officials that presided over the area. Further search demonstrates that Augusta Town, PA later became known as Washington, PA. In 1776 Augusta Town was in Westmoreland Co., PA, but with later county division it now lies in Washington County within the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.

Five months after Timothy's birth, his father Ephraim enlisted in the Revolutionary War for six months. The following year Ephraim re-enlisted until the end of the war. Ephraim's ancestor number for the DAR is A004476.
When he was about 20 years old Timothy moved with his family to an area that is now Grave Creek, West Virginia for about six months before moving on to Captina Creek in Belmont Co., OH. There he met Ruth Moore and they were married February 4, 1804 in Belmont County. The following year Timothy moved his wife and daughter Susan and together with his brother Isaac who had married Ruth's sister Catherine and had two young children of his own, they all located in what is now Seneca Twp., Noble Co., OH. They were two of the earliest settler families of the township arriving as soon as they dared venture into the wilderness as less than six other settler families resided in the area at the time, and they were greatly outnumbered by the native Indians. Timothy entered on section 24.

Timothy was familiar with pioneer life and soon built a mill in what is now Wayne Township. His mill was one of the earliest in the county being in full operation by 1815. He was an enterprising and industrious businessman accumulating good property through hard work and a keen sense of providing for the needs of his fellow citizens. Consequently he became a prominent man in the community. About 1827 a new post office was opened at Bates' Mill and Timothy became the postmaster as he was the mills owner and operator. One of the enterprising uses of his mill was to distill whiskey. In addition to operating his farm, mill and distillery, Timothy raised hogs that he drove to Baltimore, Maryland. His timing for hog sales was well planned, as the hogs needed to swim across the Ohio River to reach the Baltimore market.

Timothy was a member of the Christian Church. His great great grandfather William had left Ireland for America to escape the religious prosecution he was suffering for professing Quakerism. His grandfather William was married in a Presbyterian Church. According to the Monroe Co., Ohio, Deed Book, Journal 2, p.16, Rev. Timothy Bates received a license to marry persons as an ordained minister of the Christian Church in 1833. Since his distillery was a large building, early religious meetings were held in the loft of the distillery and whisky barrels were put into use as pews and the pulpit. This was perfectly acceptable to citizens attending his services. People came from twenty to thirty miles around to get whiskey from the distillery and to attend religious services. In the fall of 1839 Timothy together with evangelist John Burnett organized the Mount Ephraim Christian Church.

When she was 76 years old, Timothy's wife Ruth died. Timothy himself was 83 years old at the time. The following year, Timothy remarried. His second wife was Ann Marie Hill. Ann was younger than Timothy's oldest daughter, having been born in 1807 when Timothy was 30 years old. Ann's first husband was Benjamin Garing whom she married in Tuscarawas Co. January 7, 1830. After his death she married Timothy Hughes on October 28, 1838 again in Tuscarawas Co. They moved to Belmont Co., and Timothy Hughes died about 1855. On May 19, 1861, Ann married Timothy Bates.

Timothy and Ruth had fourteen children. Their youngest child Nancy was born in 1829 when Timothy was 52 and Ruth was 45. Their second child, Uzal lived only a couple of months and daughter Elizabeth lived only a couple of years. Timothy and Ruth's other eleven children all married and had families of their own. At the time of his death Timothy and Ruth had over 205 descendants that had been born. Despite his age of 90 years, a remarriage and all these descendants, Timothy chose to die without a will.