Born at Hanwell, Berkshire [sic?], c.1818.
Enlisted into the 11th Light Dragoons at London on the 22nd of February 1836.
Regimental number 967.
Age: 18.
Height: 5' 7".
Trade: Labourer.
Embarked for India on the 27th of June 1836.
Transferred to the 3rd Light Dragoons at Cawnpore, India, on the 1st of December 1837. Regimental No. 822.
Engaged during the whole of the campaign in the Punjab up to the occupation of Peshawar.
Keates's wife Sarah was with him in the Crimea.
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Transferred back to the 11th Hussars on the 1st of July 1853
"Deserted" from Dublin on the 30th of November 1853. Rejoined the regiment on the 22nd of February 1854 and was in the Regimental Hospital until the 6th of March. Was released the same day "without trial".
The Balaclava period muster roll shows him as being "On Letter Duty".
Keates was at some time batman to Major Edward Fellowes of the Headquarters Staff.
Entitled to the Sutlej medal with clasps for Moodkee, Feorozeshuhur and Sobraon.
Punjab medal with clasps for Chilianwala and Goojerat.
He was serving in the 3rd. Light Dragoons at the time of the Cabul campaign in December of 1842, being shown as at Jellalabad. There are no medal rolls extant for this medal so that there is no possible way of knowing if he was so entitled except that other men of the regiment known to have been entitled to the Cabul medal 1842, were also shown as being at Jellalabad at this point in time.
Crimean medal with clasps for Inkerman and Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.
Died on the 19th of October 1855 at Camp Kadikoi.
Buried in the 11th Hussar Cemetery on the road between Kadikoi and Karani. (There is a copy of the memorial inscription in the 11th Hussar file.)