Edgar Bateman (13 February 1860 – 17 August 1946) was an English lyricist of music hall songs.
In 1894, while sitting at home in Clerkenwell, he was admiring his view over London landmarks, noticing the growth of new housing development, and wrote the words to "If it Wasn’t for the 'Ouses in Between".
[3] The following year, Bateman and Le Brunn wrote another successful song for Gus Elen, "It's a Great Big Shame".
[1] In 1897, Bateman started work for music publisher David Day, touring music halls and theatres to discover new performers and novel songs that he could publish.
Bateman became noted for his ability to "drink beer by the gallon and still remain sober", while reporting back to Day on a daily basis.