Professions

Thomas Bateman was born in Rowsley, Derbyshire, the son of the amateur archaeologist William Bateman. After the death of his father in 1835, Bateman was raised by his grandfather, and from the age of 16 he helped run the family estate, in the course of which he became interested in archaeology: Sir Richard Colt Hoare’s Ancient History of North and South Wiltshire influenced him greatly.

Bateman’s first archaeological experience was observing the demolition of a medieval church in Bakewell. He joined the British Archaeological Association in 1843 and in 1844, whilst at an archaeological congress in Canterbury, participated in the excavation of barrows in the surrounding countryside. The following year he excavated 38 barrows in Derbyshire and Staffordshire, earning himself the nickname “The Barrow Knight”.

In 1847 he published Vestiges of the Antiquities of Derbyshire which united his work with that of earlier excavators in the area. He continued to excavate barrows, 50 in the period 1848–1849 and a further 22 between 1851 and 1861, when he died. His second book was Ten Years’ Diggings in Celtic and Saxon Grave Hills in the Counties of Derby, Stafford and York, published in the year of his death.

After his death, his son sold most of Bateman’s collections, parts of which were acquired by the Sheffield City Museum (now called the Weston Park Museum) in 1893, including the celebrated Benty Grange helmet.