Grace Bates was born on the 10th of February 1875 at the Euston Barracks in Fleetwood, Lancashire. She was the seventh of ten children born to Richard Edward Bates, a Colour Sergeant with the 95th (Derbyshire) Regiment of Foot, and his wife Mary Anne (nee Whelan).

It appears that her father was able to take his wife and family with him wherever he was posted. Her older siblings had even spent time in India. During the first two years of her life, Grace did spend a short time in Wales and Ireland with her family, before her father transferred to the 2nd Derby Rifle Volunteers as an Instructor and settled in Derbyshire.

In January 1881, Grace, along with two of her older sisters, Susan and Alicia, was admitted to Wirksworth County School. Grace left that school on the 24th of May 1889, at the age of 14 years.

When the census was taken in April 1891, Grace was working as a Domestic Servant at 4 Market Place in Wirksworth, the home of Joseph Stone, a local Solicitor, and his family. At the age of 19 years, Grace married 20 year old local man John Henry Ward, who worked as a Blacksmith.  The marriage took place at St Mary's Church in Wirksworth on the 24th of October 1894.

Grace and Henry, as he was generally called, were still living locally in Middleton-by-Wirksworth when their first child, Florence Emma, was born on the 6th of February 1896, although Henry was now working as a Quarryman, most likely in the Stone Quarry operated by his step-father William Killer. By the time their second child, Richard Henry Victor, was born on the 24th May 1900, they had moved to 84 Nursery Street in the Brightside district of Sheffield where Henry had got a job as a Steam Crane Driver. Curiously, Florence had been left with her maternal grandparents, with whom she spent much of her childhood.

The April 1911 Census shows that the family were all living together again, this time at 3 Cross Gilpin Street in the Philadelphia district of Sheffield. However, for some baffling reason, Henry had completed the form with a false surname! He used the surname of his step-father 'Killer' and not their true surname of 'Ward'.

Grace and Henry are shown in the Electoral Registers as living at 20 Carrfield Road, Sheffield in 1920 and 1924. However, by 1928 Grace was no longer with Henry and no further records have been found for her. A family story⁽¹⁾ is that she 'ran off' with the Coalman!

Notes
(1) In a conversation with a Grand-daughter of Grace, Florence Barton (nee JACKSON), in Feb 2003, the story was that Grace had left her husband and 'run off' with the local Coalyard Owner!! It was also said that Grace had a baby by him but, as an infant, it was crushed by a steam roller during a religious demonstration or march. If true, such a tragedy must have been reported in the newspapers. Searches so far have failed to find such an event and with only one name, no date or place, it is a huge challenge.