Sir James Hugh Buchanan Coates (9 October 1851 – 11 October 1935) was a New Zealand banker and keen sportsman. He was the general manager of the

National Bank of New Zealand The National Bank of New Zealand Limited (NBNZ), often referred to as The National Bank, was one of New Zealand's largest banks. Throughout much of its history, the National Bank provided commercial banking services to mainly major industrial and ...

for 21 years before retiring from that role in 1914, moving to

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and becoming a company director.

Early life and sporting interests

Coates was born in George's Bay,

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

, New Zealand, on 9 October 1851. His father, James Coates, was a prominent pioneer settler of Auckland and a senior official within the administration of the newly established colony. Coates was educated at the

Church of England Grammar School The Anglican Church Grammar School (ACGS), formerly the Church of England Grammar School and commonly referred to as Churchie, is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for boys, located in East Brisbane, an inner suburb of Brisbane, Q ...

and St John's College, Auckland. With an athletic build, from a young age he was a keen cricketer, played rugby football, rowed and was an excellent shot-putter. Later he played golf, enjoyed horse-racing and was one of the founders of the

Auckland Cricket Association The Auckland cricket team represent the Auckland region and are one of six New Zealand domestic first class cricket teams. Governed by the Auckland Cricket Association they are the most successful side having won 28 Plunket Shield titles, ten ...

and the Auckland Amateur Athletic and Cycle Club.

Banking career

In 1869, he was employed by the Bank of New South Wales, for which he worked in both Auckland and

Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

, before becoming a teller with the

in Auckland in 1873. He became an accountant in 1875 and manager in 1886, before being appointed general manager of the bank in 1893. After retiring as general manager in 1914 he became a director of the bank at its head office in London. He was also a director of the South British Insurance Company (from 1922 until his death), the Guardian Trust and Executors Company, and he was a valued financial adviser to the Government of New Zealand.

Honours and awards

Coates was appointed a

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are the ...

in the

1922 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1922 were appointments by King George V to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by members of the British Empire. They were published on 30 December 1921. The recipients of honours are displayed here ...

. In 1935, he was awarded the

King George V Silver Jubilee Medal The King George V Silver Jubilee Medal is a commemorative medal, instituted to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the accession of King George V. Issue This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir by King George V to commemorate his Silver J ...

Death

Coates never married. He died at 84 years of age at his home in St Stephen's Avenue,

Parnell, Auckland Parnell is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It is one of New Zealand's most affluent suburbs, consistently ranked within the top three wealthiest, and is often billed as Auckland's "oldest suburb" since it dates from the earliest days of the ...

, on 11 October 1935, after developing

bronchial pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity of ...

. He was buried at Purewa Cemetery in the Auckland suburb of Meadowbank. At the annual meeting of the South British Insurance Company on 24 October 1935 the chairman of directors, Victor Larner, said of Coates:

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coates, James 1851 births 1935 deaths New Zealand sportsmen New Zealand bankers New Zealand Knights Bachelor New Zealand expatriates in England Businesspeople awarded knighthoods Burials at Purewa Cemetery Businesspeople from Auckland