Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of William Bates a Coal Miner Hewer, born 1853 in Oakthorpe, Leicestershire and his wife Camelia, born 1854 in Oakthorpe, Leicestershire. Edward was born in 1891 in Oakthorpe, Leicestershire, his siblings were Thomas, born 1878, William, born 1883, George, born 1886, Francis, born 1893, Florence, born 1896 and Albert, born 1899, all his siblings were born in Oakthorpe, Leicestershire, in March 1901 the family home was at Chapel Street, Oakthorpe and Donisthorpe, Leicestershire, this being situated within the Ecclesiastical Parish of St. John. In April 1911 Edward was employed as a Coal Miner and was residing in the family home at Chapel Street, Oakthorpe, Leicestershire together with his parents and siblings, George, Francis, Florence and Albert, also residing with the family was his niece Annie Wright, born 1901 in Oakthorpe, Leicestershire. His brother Thomas also fell.