William married Mary (?) and settled in Wake County, North Carolina. Some suggest that he married Mary Tapp of Culpepper Va. Truth be known, there has yet to surface any concrete information as to his birthdate or birth place nor HIS marriage to a Tapp. Mary Tapp was deceased long before the will of this WIlliam was written, so the Mary mentioned in this will is not Mary Tapp. He is documented as having fought in the American Revolution, but these records list his birth date as abt. 1727. With 1727 as his birthdate, he started fathering children late in life and well into his fifties. Some geneologists who claim the 1727 birth want to attach him as a son to George III, but the proof is non existant. His wife and children are listed in his will of 1808 (originated in 1806) as follows:
This first day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand Eight Hundred and six, I William Yeats of Wake County being in health and perfect senses thanks be to God for it, and calling to remembrance the uncertain state of this life, and that all flesh must yealded (sic) unto death when it shall please God to call, do declare this my last will and testament in manner and form following, first being sorry for all my sins must humbly desire forgiveness for the sins, I command my soul to Almighty God in whom and by whose merits I trust to be saved and have full remission for all my sins and I have an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven and my body I commit to the earth to be ....buried at the discretion of my executors hereafter named, and for the ....of my temporal estate and such Good.....and debt as it hath pleased God to bestow on...I do order and give and dispose of the same in manner and form the following, that is to say I give and bequeath unto my daughter Henrietta Babb five shillings, Item I give to my son John Yeats five shilling, Item I give to my son William Yeats five shilling, Item I give unto my daughter Elizabeth Gregory five shilling, Item I give unto my daughter Creecy Strickland one featherbed and furniture which she has received, Item I give unto my son Matthew Yeats five shilling, Item I give unto my daughter Mary Beasley five shillings, Item I give unto my son Jethro Yeats twenty six acres of land joining his east and west line. Item I give unto my daughter Milly Harrod one featherbed and furniture and cow and calf which she has received. Item I give unto my son Alsey Yeats the land and plantation which I know live for him to take possession at his Mothers death....the apple Mill and the Cyder Visuls(?), Item I give unto my daughter Sally Yeats five shillings, item I give Margaret Yeats one featherbed and furniture and one cow and one calf. Item I give unto my grand son (looks like Herry not Henry) one feather bed and furniture. Item I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Mary Yeats all the residue of my estate of all kinds for her to divide of as she may see fit, and I constitute and appoint my beloved sons Matthew Yeats and Alsey Yeats to execute this as my last will and testament revoking and ....all the other wills.....made by me, in witnessing I ...set my hand and seal the day and year first above written.
Signed sealed and acknowledged
In presence of
George Barber
A.... Barber
John Scot
M....Rogers
February seven 1808
For information on 1780 deed to William Yates from Absalon Harwood Click here
For biographical information on Matthew Tyson Yates (Grandson of this William) Click here
For biographical on the William Babb and Henrietta Yates Babb family Click here
Jethro maried Nancy Harwood (also Harrod) and came to Dickson County, Tennessee between 1830 and 1834. The earliest documentation of his residence in Dickson County TN is an 1834 land deed from Willy Myatt to Jethro. This land was located on the Pine(y) River in Southeastern Dickson County. Some sources indicate that he may have been in Dickson prior to this, on his own, and went back to North Carolina for his children at a later time. The following is some biographical information on Jethro:
This story of Jethro was sent to me in the mail from Gail Yates, a cousin. Gail attests to this story, his Aunt has kept the wallet with the currency to this day.
When Jethro was about 13 years old (1788) he hired out to work for an older couple that did not have any children. Their farm was located either around present day Newport or Jonesboro, Tennessee. He was to be paid one dollar per month, in addition to his room and board. At the end of that year, he had done such a fine job for them, that they paid him an extra dollar, making a total of thirteen dollars for the year of work. Now for the year 1788, that was good payment, but it was also the only year that the State of Franklin was in existance (The State of Franklin was mainly the eastern tip of Tennessee containing Newport and Jonesboro). That thirteen dollars was paper money, and belonged to the state of Franklin. Jethro carried that money with him the rest of his life, and he would state that it was one of the most valuable lessons that he ever learned. Jethro moved to Dickson County around 1834, and worked with a man named Spencer in a gunpowder mill located on Nails Creek, just east of Highway 46 in Dickson. Jethro smoked a corncob pipe, and it was believed that since the bowl would constantly flip over and dump out his burning tobacco, the explosion and fire that killed him at the mill in October, 1851 is attributed to his pipe. Jethro was uneducated, since he could not write; however his prior planning of transferring land and slaves to his children is recorded on March 23, 1846 in Dickson County.
Jethro and Nancy's children were as follows:
John Yates born in 1804
James Yates b. 9/6/1806 (my line) married Rebecca Hutson (Hudson)
William D. (Bud) Yates b. in 1809
Fanning Yates b. in 1811 married Elizabeth Murrell
Major Jethro Yates b. in 1818 (Major was a private in the Civil War)
Click here to see an essay about Major Jethro Yates in the Civil War
Rosanna Yates married O'Kelly McGhee
Milly Yates married James Hutson (Hudson)
James was born in Wake County, North Carolina and first shows up in Dickson County, TN in his 1827 marriage to Rebecca Hutson (Hudson) (1/4/1808 - 3/22/1860). James settled on the Pine(y) River in SE Dickson County. As of 6/4/98 the house that James built c.1840ish and lived in is still standing today off Mt Sinai Road. The Yates cemetary is located back behind the house. James married a second time to Emiline Greer on 3/30/1862 with Amanda as the only child to this union. The children are as follows:
Rosannah Yates b. 1/25/1831 married Corder Weems
John Moffice Yates b. 7/22/1832 married Mary Jane Bowan
Sophronia Yates b. 11/8/1834 married Jordan Holland
Ady Elizabeth Yates b. 4/14/1835 married William Dunnagin
William Marion Yates b.9/2/1836 married Fannie Goodrich
Adaline Yates b. 11/5/1838 married A.C. Dunnagin
James Henry Yates b.12/24/1841 married Annie McNeilly. James Henry fought in Company H, 11th Infantry (mounted) CSA. James Henry died in 1901 in Wingo, Kentucky.
Britton Yates b. 4/23/1843 married Francis Myatt Click here for more info on Britton
Rebecca Pelina Yates b. 12/24/1844
Charles Riley Yates b.9/29/1846
Isaac Yates b. 8/2/1850 married Elizabeth Elam
Jackson Morgan Yates b. 5/14/1852 married Mary Carson Weems Click here for more info on Jack
Amanda Yates b. 3/22/1865 married C. Redden
Mordica Dick Yates b.6/13/1848 d.5/17/1923 (my line) married Terry Armatha Petty (1848 -1896)
Mordica married Terry Armatha Petty (1848 - 1896) on 12/9/1848. After the death of Terry, Mordica married a second time to Martha Lavina White (1856 - 1908). All the children listed below are from Mordica's first marriage with the exception of Myrtle.
Emily Palistine Yates b. 10/5/1870 d. 10/5/1870
Thomas Franklin Yates b. 10/8/1871 d. 10/8/1871
Nancy Josephine Yates b. 11/6/1873 married Frank Dunnegan
Christy Magdalene Yates b. 9/5/1875 d. 4/29/1963 married Monroe Donegan (1871 - 1958)
Martha Alice Yates b. 9/8/1877 d. 1/29/1963 married Cave Russell (1876 - 1962)
Addey Alice Yates b. 7/2/1879 d. 5/12/1961 married Alfred Russell (1879 - 1954)
William Jackson Yates b. 9/1/1881 d. 4/14/1962 married Icie Manley (1885 - 1963)
Charles Jethro Yates b. 1/14/1883 d. 8/25/1958
Sammie Lee Yates b. 10/9/1890 d. 2/20/1969 married Mable Adcox (1897 - 1977)
Jessie Howard Yates b. 3/24/1893 d. 10/19/1969 married Allera Jordan (1896 - 1978)
Myrtle Narcissus Yates b. 1/12/1901 d. 10/9/1928 married Joel Potter (?? - 1975)
Dorsie Robert Yates b. 10/25/1885 d. 5/12/1966 (my line) married Annie Ozella Petty (1890- 1968)
Thelma Snow Yates b. 12/19/1909 married Harvey Proffit
Clifford Jackson Yates b. 2/11/1911 d. 6/16/1912
Floyd Yates b. 1/1/1914 (still lives in Hickman Co. TN) Married Angeline Paskos
Eunice Pearl Yates b. 3/12/1916 d. 10/25/1978 married J.V. Stafford
Hallie Pauline Yates b. 4/13/1918 (still lives in Dickson Co. TN) married Harold Brownfiel
Callie Christine Yates b. 4/13/1918 (still lives in Dickson Co. TN) married Dick Olive
Hilda Marie Yates b. 4/21/1922 d. abt 1980 married Red Roberts
Delvia Yates b. 8/22/1912 d. 11/6/1979 (my line) married Freeman Eugene Hudson (1911 - 1986)
My Grandmother, Delvia Yates married Freeman Eugene Hudson (Gene) in Dickson, TN on January 24, 1931 in Detroit, Michigan. Delvia was born in Dickson, TN on August 22, 1912. Delvia died on November 6, 1979 and is buried in the Ellington Cemetary in Caro, MI. Gene died in 1986 and is also buried in the Ellington Cemetary. The children of Gene and Delvia are as follows:
1. Robert Van Hudson / Sylvia Twork married 7/13/1955 Angola, IN
2. Gladys Myrtle Hudson / George Luther Bennett III married 5/26/1953 in Angola. IN
3. Floy Ann Hudson / Howard Burton Garland married 10/10/1952 in Angola, IN
4. William Gordon Hudson / Catherine Schmink married 8/16/58 Hickman Co, TN