John YATES

1596 - 1648  (52 years)

• Name	John YATES
  Birth	c. 1595/1596  [1]
  	"John Yeats Shipcarpenter aged fifty one yeares or thereabouts" was deposed in Lower Norfolk County Court on 10 March 1646/7.
  Gender	Male
  land patent	4 May 1636	Elizabeth City Co, Virginia Colony   [2]
  	On 4 May 1636, John patented 200 acres on a neck of land located on the West side of the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River in Elizabeth City County, Virginia Colony. The patent was granted in exchange for a certificate of importation listing four headrights. One of those headrights was for a "Mary Yates". Whether this was John's daughter, Mary, can not be ascertained from extant records. On the same date, John, also, received 150 acres on a neck of land located on the East side of the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River; this grant for the transportation of three persons.
  land patent	24 Nov 1636	Virginia Colony   [3]
  	On 24 November 1636, an additional 150 acres of land was granted to John. No county name is noted in the patent, but the description of the geographic location of the property is the same as that noted in his May 1636 patents. The grant was for "the said John Yates for the transportation of himself and his wife Joane Yates and Richard Yates into this Colony". Whether this was John's son, Richard, can not be ascertained from extant records.
  comment	1637	Virginia Colony   [4]
  	During the period from about mid year 1636 through April 1637, the geographical area of Elizabeth City County that was located South of Hampton Roads, was called New Norfolk County. By May 1637, however, the name "New Norfolk County" was extinct, and the land mass that had carried that name had been divided into Lower New Norfolk County and Upper New Norfolk County, with the Nansemond River recognized as the dividing line.
  land patent	6 Jun 1637	Lower New Norfolk Co, Virginia Colony   [5, 6]
  	John patented 250 acres of land on 6 June 1637; a grant he recieved for the transportation of 5 person into the Colony. This land was situated on the Eastern Branch of the Elizabeth River, as opposed to his other holdings that were located on the Southern Branch. John subsequently sold this property to John Moores [Meeres].
  land patent	10 Mar 1638/1639	Lower New Norfolk Co, Virginia Colony   [7]
  	On 10 March 1638/9, John patented 200 additional acres on the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River. The acreage was made up of two 100 acre grants. Identification of the four hadrights follows: "fifty acres for the personal Adventure of his sonne Richard Yates and the other fifty acres for the transportation of a Servant named John Merriday.....and one hundred acres of land being due unto him the said John Yates for his owne personal Adventure and the personal Adventure of his wife Joane into this Colony."
  OFFH	1643/1644	Elizabeth River Parish, Lower Norfolk Co, Virginia Colony   [8]
  	John served as a "Churchwarden" for Elizabeth River Parish in Lower Norfolk County during the period of 29 March 1643/4.
  Death	c. 1648  [9]
  	John died intestate.
  admin of estate	15 Aug 1648 & 6 Oct 1648	Lower Norfolk Co, Virginia Colony   [10, 11]
  	A "Commission of Administration" on John's estate was granted to his widow, Joane, upon her posting of security on 15 August 1648 in Lower Norfolk County Court. The administration was ratified by Sir William Berkley, Governor of the Colony of Virginia during the Quarter Court of September 1648 that was held at Jamestowne. This ratification was recorded in the Lower Norfolk County records on 6 October 1648.
  inventory	15 Nov 1648	Lower Norfolk Co, Virginia Colony   [12]
  	On 15 Novebmer 1648, Joane Yates exhibited before the Lower Norfolk County Court the inventory taken on 13 November 1648 of "the goods and Chattell & Cattell of John Yates" and made oath as to its correctness. Due to the Virginia Colony's credit-based economy, where tobacco was used as currency more often than cash, the appraisal of John's estate at "£ tob 19,751 was figured in pounds of tobacco. Among the numerous items listed on the three page inventory, there is an entry for "two Bibles & other old Bookes".
  Person ID	I630	mason
  Last Modified	22 Jul 2026

  
  

  Family	Joane (UNKNOWN)   d. c.1666
  Children	1. Mary YATES   d. Before 16 Mar 1652/1653   2. Richard YATES   d. Abt 1679   3. Frances YATES   d. After 2 Sep 1700
  Family ID	F75	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	22 Jul 2026

  
  

• Sources

  [S74] Alice Granbery Walter, abstractor & compiler, Walter, Lower Norfolk County Virginia Court Records Book "A" 1637 - 1646 & Book "B" 1646 - 1651/2, ((Baltimore: GPC, 1994)). Book B, p. 32 [f. 32a]. [S2328] John Yates, Virginia land patents, 4 May 1636 [2 patents]. [S2329] John Yates, Virginia land patent, 24 November 1636. [S2003] Rogers Dey Whichard, Ph.D. (author & editor), Whichard, The History Of Lower Tidewater Virginia, ((New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co, 1959) ), Vol. I, p. 230. [S2051] Nell Marion Nugent, abstractor, Nugent, Cavaliers and Pioneers, Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, Volume One: 1623 - 1666, ((1934, Rpt. Richmond: Virginia State Library and Archives, 1992)), ISBN 0-88490-174-2 v.1.. p. 157: John Godfrey patent, 22 July 1645. [S2330] John Yates, Virginia land patent, 6 June 1637. [S2331] John Yates, Virginia land patents, 10 March 1638/9 [2 patents]. [S202] Edward Wilson James, editor, James, The Lower Norfolk County Virginia Antiquary, ((1895 - 1906, Rpt. New York: P. Smith, 1951)), Vol. II, p. 145. [S74] Alice Granbery Walter, abstractor & compiler, Walter, Lower Norfolk County Virginia Court Records Book "A" 1637 - 1646 & Book "B" 1646 - 1651/2, ((Baltimore: GPC, 1994)). Book B, p. 76 [f. 82a]. [S4441] John Yates, letters of administration (1648), Norfolk Co, VA Wills & Deeds "B", f. 82a. [S74] Alice Granbery Walter, abstractor & compiler, Walter, Lower Norfolk County Virginia Court Records Book "A" 1637 - 1646 & Book "B" 1646 - 1651/2, ((Baltimore: GPC, 1994)). Book "B", p. 79 [f. 87a]. [S74] Alice Granbery Walter, abstractor & compiler, Walter, Lower Norfolk County Virginia Court Records Book "A" 1637 - 1646 & Book "B" 1646 - 1651/2, ((Baltimore: GPC, 1994)). Book B, pp. 84-87 [ff. 94-95].