ABSTRACT
The full title of the book indicated that it was published in the hope of providing funds for “his lamentable lady” who had been left, at his death, with “seven small Children”, including two sets of twins and a nursing infant. It explains that Bates died a few days short of becoming a commissioned officer, which would have allowed her access to a widow’s pension. Many common soldiers’ memoirs of the Napoleonic period also justified their publication by soliciting subscriptions or sales to help them and their dependants overcome the economic hardship of military life. This novel in the guise of a true biography received mixed reviews but was sufficiently popular to merit at least one more edition (in 1759). Scholars have uncovered evidence to suggest that Lawrence Sterne was heavily influenced by Bates’ Life and Memoirs in his authorship of Tristram Shandy. Sterne’s hero not only shared the name of its protagonist, he also had a similar military context, and parallels can be drawn between Bates and Uncle Toby. 3
