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George Yates IV was born abt. 1727 in Caroline
County, Virginia, the second of three sons born to
George Yates III and his wife, Ann Guinney. The Yates
family had arrived in the colonies from County
Berkshire, England three generations earlier and
settled in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland. In 1729,
George’s father disposed of the last of his holdings
in Maryland, and from that point forward the family
resided permanently in Virginia. The plantation was
located in St. Margaret’s Parish, and his father was
considered one of the leading citizens of Caroline
County. George’s mother died when he was three years
old, and he was still a minor when his father died in
1744, thus prompting the Caroline County Court to
assign a guardian, William Conner, Gent., a neighbor
of his father’s and a prominent subject of the
parish. (Caroline Co., VA Order Book 1743/44, Folio
250).
As was the custom in the British colonies, each
county had its own militia, and all free white males
above the age of eighteen were subject to be called
for military training and drill. The crown appointed
the unit commander for each county and also
commissioned a group of the county’s most prominent
residents to assist in the command of the troops. On
April 13, 1758, George Yates, then thirty one years
old, was appointed lieutenant in the Virginia Militia
for Caroline County. (Caroline Co., VA, Order Book,
Folio 347). Seven years later, on August 8, 1765, he
was appointed to the rank of Captain in the Virginia
Militia:
“George Yates, Gent., produced a Commission from His
Honour the Governor appointing him Captain of a
company in this County and He took the oath according
to law and signed the Test.” (1765 August 8, Caroline
Co., VA, Order Book, Folio 106).
About 1750, George Yates married Frances Lewis,
believed to be the youngest daughter of John and
Frances Fielding Lewis, of Warner Hall, Gloucester,
Virginia. Although no proof of their marriage has
survived (Gloucester Co. records were destroyed by
fire), all evidence points to this union. Together
they had nine children: John, who married Elizabeth
Gaines; Charles Lewis, who married Mary Goodloe;
James, who married Lucy Partlow; Richard, who married
Mary Pitts; Frances G., who married John Shirley;
William, who married Isabella Gaines; Mary “Molly,”
who married Thomas Shirley; George V; and Warner, who
married Elizabeth Baxter.
The exact date for George Yates’ death is unknown,
but court records suggest it was the latter part of
1777, which would have made him about fifty years
old. Subsequent to his death, the Caroline County
Court awarded the executors of his estate the sum of
10 pounds for care George Yates had provided to a
sick soldier in the American Army:
“The court are of the opinion that the exors of
George Yates, decd, be allowed the sum of 10 pounds
for maintenance of William Raines a soldier in the
service of the United States while in the small pox
and the sum of 3 pounds to Doctr William Yates for
attending the said soldier.” (1778 Mar 12, Caroline
Co. VA, Court Min. Bk.)
George Yates may have died from small pox caught from
one of the sick soldiers for whom he cared. The
doctor identified above as William Yates was actually
Dr. Michael Yates, George’s older brother. That same
record has the last will and testament of George
Yates admitted to probate on motion of the Executrix
and Executors. Michael Yates (brother) and John Yates
(son) were executors (Minute Book, Liber 1774-81,
Folios 60 and 151). The executrix was not named.
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