Edmund Bateman

He was the son of Thomas Bateman of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, London, and his wife Mary Symmons, born in Scotland Yard on 9 August 1704. He was educated at St. Martin's school and Eton College.^[2][3] His father was assistant surveyor to Sir Christopher Wren working on St Paul's Cathedral, by 1701, replaced by John James in 1715; and died in 1719.^[2][4][5]

Bateman matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford in 1720 at age 16, graduating B.A. in 1723, and M.A. in 1726.^[3] He was ordained deacon in 1726, and priest in 1727. He was a tutor at Christ Church.^[2] At that period Samuel Johnson was a student at Pembroke College, Oxford. Having determined that Bateman had a high reputation for his teaching in the university, he recommended to his school friend John Taylor of Ashbourne that he should not apply to Pembroke College, but to Christ Church; and Taylor matriculated there in 1729. Johnson himself attended lectures by Bateman.^[6][7]

In 1731 Bateman became chaplain to William Wake, the Archbishop of Canterbury; and Wake presented him to the London living St Dunstan-in-the-East. In 1732, chaplain to John Potter then Bishop of Oxford, he was presented also to Chevening in Kent; and the following year to Hollingbourne as a sinecure; and through his father-in-law held a prebend in Lichfield Cathedral. In early 1737, Potter having become Archbishop of Canterbury, he took degrees of B.D. and D.D. at Oxford, and was made Archdeacon of Lewes.^[2]

From 1740 Bateman was also chancellor of Lichfield Cathedral. In the same year, he was appointed Master of Hospital of St John Baptist without the Barrs, as successor to Edward Maynard. Both these preferments he again owed to his father-in-law.^[2]

Bateman died on 28 April 1751, and was buried at Lichfield in the hospital chapel.^[2]