Kentucky Giant From Letcher County
Bates was born in 1837 in Letcher county Kentucky to normal sized parent and hit a growth spurt around the age of 7. By the time he was 12 years old, Bates was over 6 foot tall and weighed over 200 pounds and was still growing.
Bates fights in the Civil War
Bates joined the 5th Kentucky Infantry Confederate States Army, as a private, in 1861. His ferocity in battle and imposing figure saw him quickly promoted to the rank of captain. But the Kentucky Giant would later be severely injured in a battle around the Cumberland Gap area and be taken prisoner. Bates was held at Camp Chase in Ohio, as a prisoner of war bates was taken through the town of Louisa, Ky., en route to Camp Chase he was observed astride a small mule, his feet sweeping the ground as he rode. Later, it is reported, that Bates escaped his imprisonment at Camp Chase.

Martin and Anna was married in 1871 highly publicized wedding, at St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London, England. The wedding drew 1000's of people.
Martin and Anna moved to Ohio in 1872, settling in Seville. Bates had purchased 130 acres of good farm land with the idea of farming. Bates had also built a house designed especially for their comfort and even had furniture custom built. But once again the Kentucky Giant joined the circus as the leading attraction of the W.W. Cole Circus during the seasons 1878, 1879, and 1880.
Anna Bates was also a spectacular spectacle to behold. She stood a whopping 7" and 11 inches tall. She was also born of normal sized parents but weighed 16 pounds at birth. Anna excelled at literature and music and was considered to be very intelligent. She also excelled at her studies of acting, piano and voice. She played Lady Macbeth in one play. At one time, she nearly burned to death when Barnum's museum was destroyed by fire. The stairs were in flames and she was too large to escape through a window. She did get help and escaped safely. She normally weighed 330 pounds and her highest weight was 371 pounds.
Martin and Anna conceived two children. The first was a girl born on May 19, 1872; she weighed 18 pounds but sadly died at birth. The second child, a boy, was born on January 18, 1879, and survived only 11 hours. The child was the largest newborn ever recorded, at 23 pounds 9 ounces and nearly 30 inches tall; each of his feet was six inches long. For this he was posthumously awarded a Guinness World Record.

In 1897 Martin remarried, this time to a woman of normal stature, Annette LaVonne Weatherby. The couple lived a rather peaceful life. Martin passed away in January of 1919, he was 81 years old. Martin and Anna are buried in Seville, Ohio. After Anna's death in 1888, Martin ordered a statue of her from Europe for her grave, sold the oversized house, and moved into the town.
The plaque reads something like this, per reports:
"Here lies Martin, his wife Anna Haining Bates, their son who died as an infant, and their daughter who was still-born. "
Martin's second wife, Annette, passed away in April of 1940 at the age of 81. She is buried in Erie Cemetery in Erie County, Pennsylvania.
Can you imagine what imposing figures Martin and Anna were? I would guess no one gave them much trouble.
But there you have it, a real Kentucky giant who lived a fascinating life.
I hope you enjoyed the post.
Thanks
~Thomas~


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He is one of my great uncles in my family tree. :)
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