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 at Middleton Hall in Middleton-by-Youlgreave, during which time he became interested in archaeology: Sir Richard Colt Hoare's Ancient History of North and South Wiltshire influenced him greatly.

In 1847, he published Vestiges of the Antiquities of Derbyshire which united his work with that of earlier excavators in the area.

With the help of Samuel Carrington of Wetton he continued to excavate barrows, 50 in the period 1848–1849 and a further 22 between 1851 and 1861, when he died.

[3] He was buried, following his instructions, in unconsecrated ground on a hillside in Middleton-by-Youlgreave His tomb is a Grade II listed building.

[4] 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 found in Benty Grange, Derbyshire.